The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-12-07

are often the cause Of elsa strous fires.
Frequently spark from a cigar finds
q resting place in n cotton bale. where
ii smolders for weeks.
One of the most prolific causes of ten.
ement house fires is the dark hall. Ere.
quently persons come in after night
and strike matches in order to find
their way. In many cases their senses
are befuddlcd with drink. and the
burning match sticks are thrown upon
the floor. Here the matches may come
in contact with greasy mating or with
bits of paper and start fire which
sholders for hours and in the early
morning spreads through the house.
Rainy days cause all manner of fires
1t is the custom of the housewife TO
hang wet garments in the kitchen when
the weather conditions will not admit
of the drying of the family wash in the
yard or upon the roof. Frequently she
leaves the damp clothes hanging in the
Kitchen near the stove. The garments
dry out during the night. and becoming
lighter are easily blown against the
stove by draughts of afr. They take
fire and before many minutes the
whole kitchen is in flames.
Frequent recommendation have been
made by the chiefs of city fire depart.
ments that the swinging gas bracket be
abolished by law. Whenever the au-
thoritieS get chance they order such
brackets to be removed or made sta
tionary. Hundreds Of fires have been
caused by the carelessncss of persons
who left these swinging brackets in
such a position that the flame could
come in contact with lace curtains.
With a special reference apparently to
causing as many fires as possible the
gasiitter too frequently puts swing.
ing bracket where he knows the house
keeper will wish to hang lace curtain.
The combination of curtain and brack-
ct is often fatal.
One Of the most active causes oc fires
is the mantel decoration. In many
homes silken scarf is hung from the
mantel itself. Whenever there Is a fire
in the crate there is danger of the
flimsy scarf taking fire. In tenement
houses small stoves are often placed
before the mantel. The mantel shelves
are none the less duly decorated with
yards of embroidered and tlnseled
cloth; in many cases this decoration
has caught fire from the stove, fallen
to the floor and ignitcd fat soaked car
pet or mating. In some houses there
are wardrobes and clothes closets near
the chlmneys. The clothing hung be-
hind the closed doors and subjected in
the winter time to steady beat from
the chimney is liable to combustion.
In places where chemicals are kept
the varieties of fires are almost count
less. Comparatively innocent sub
stances in themselves may come in con.
tact and generate heat sufficient to
start lively blaze. One of the Allan
tic freighters came to port recently
with cargo composed of crude chemi.
Gals and cotton. There had been an ex-
plosion of acids and a fire. 1t seemed
impossible to check the flames, which
had communicated to the cotton. The
fire, however. generated heat sufficient
to liberate the chlorine from a quantity
of bleac ching powder. The chlorine ma.
terlally aided in keeping the fire in
check, although its suffocatng fumes
nearly caused the death Of some of the
sailors who went into the hold to fight
the flames.
In the storage of all kinds of mate
rlals too much care cannot be cXer-
cised. The fact must be taken into con-
sideration that where air does not cir
culate the chances of fire are greatly
increased. The observance of the sim
pie rules laid down by fire departments
would frequently obviate the necessity
Of investigating the origin of myster-
ious fires. Investigation shows that
less than one per cent. OF suspicious"
fires are the result of deliberate at
tempts TO destroy property.-St. Louis
GlobeDemocrat.