The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-12-03
CAUSES OF STRANGE FIRES.
Chemicals and Other Combinations
Which Produce ConfIagrations
Some Pointers For Housekeepers
and others. =. :. =.

~AC1>. 7 is not generally known
4 that combination of in
3 Q digo and linseed oil is a
\ prolific source of destruct-
WOW i've fires. Fabrics dyed
with indigo and finished with a
preparation of linseed Oil will,
if stored in a confined place, take fire
of themselves. 1t was only a few years
ago that a dry goods house was nearly
destroyed because the proprietor did
not know the destructive qualities Of
oil and Indian dye. Lampblack. when
packed away in an ill-ventllated room,
often generates enough heat to set it,
self afire The laboratory of a per-
fumer was nearly wrecked by an explo-
sion. The maker of scents believed
thst a discharged employe had set fire
to the building, but it was shown that
the fire was due to the evaporation Of a
high spirit in a room in which a small
laboratory gas stove had been left
burning.
In all manufacturing establishments
a frequent cause Of fires is the rubbing
Of leather betting against the edges Of
the aperture through which it passes
from floor to foor
In fancy goods house a large iron
vault was blown open by some force
generated within and there issued a
sheet OF fame Nobody had been in
the vault for at least twelve hours.
The steel box was filled with paper
dolls, between each pair of which there
was film of celluloid. A three-inch
steam pipe was placed against the rear
Of the vault, and the heat it gave out
had raised the temperature to such a
degree that the celluloid had taken fire.
Gun cotton is one Of the component
parts of celuloid films and the explo-
sion was the natural result of a combi-
nation OF the gun cotton and high tenn
perature. One Of the most stubborn
fires which ever visited st. Louis had
its origin in a plate glass window. The
pane concentrated the heat Of the Au-
gust sun upon a cellulold comb. The
comb blazed aud sputtered and soon
other samples of celluloid which were
around it were on fire. The flames com
municated to the remainder Of stock
Of inhammable merchandise.
The overwhelming fondness Of mice
for sulphur has been the cause of many
fires. A fireman told the writer that he
had in several cases seen nests of
matches which the rats and the mice
had made between the floors of build
ings. 1t is no unusual thing TO find that
rodents have lined their abodes with
the birthstone an0inted sticks. The
mice and rats will steal an old-fash-
ioned sulphur match whenever they get
an opportunity ana take it away to
chew at their leisure. The gnawng
process results in the igniting OF he
matches. and there follows a myste-
rious and suspicious fire. The rodent
regards paraffin as a choice delicacy.
If the insulation of an electric wire
contains this waxy product Of petro-
leum the ra;s will eat it, The barred
wire thus becomes a ready means of
starting a blaze.
In many cases the steamfitter is re-
sponsible for destructive fires. If u
steam pipe is too close to woodwork a
slow process of carbonizing takes place.
A little extra heat or a draught Of ar
may fan a fame from the carbonized
wood. Another cause Of eonfiagrations
g. t1,n o,,aiaeas,.er - 4o,.r,o.,- te,-- L,-nr,,
time immemorable it has been a habit
Of the trade to sweep the shayings in
between the joists of floors. If either
che wire or the shavings were properly
insulated there would be no trouble.
But in one way or another the wire is
exposed and communicates a spark to
the shavings which may be lying near
1t. The sparks may smolder for days.
and then. in the dead Of night. there
comes a cry of ''Firer'
FIRE TRAPS OF THE RICH.
The houses of the wealthy. even in
these days of fireproof construction.
are often greater fire traps than the
meanest tenements. The fues in the
ab0des OF wealth and luxury are often
defective. In many cases only the
width Of a brick intervenes between in
tense heat and highly vanished and
inhammable cabinet work. Rich hang
ings and upholstered furniture give the
food upon which the fire feeds. Defec-
tive electric wiring has many sins to
answer for in these days Electricians
who are supposed TO be competent will
cross wires and violate nearly every
principle of common sense and electri-
cal science. Some of them lead strands
Of wire through wooden boxes. which,
in the event of fire, become roaring
tiues. Some of the most destructive
fires known in the large cities have
been due TO carelessness in placing the
wires FOR electric lighting.
There is a mysterious property in
dust which. under certain conditions.
produces violent explosions. There
have been instances In postoifices
where the dust of the mail bags sus-
pended in the rear of a close room ex-
ploded with terrific force. Dust explo-
sions are of frequent occurrence in
flour and drug mills