Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-12
Spontaneous Combustion.

I1us being clover year, when
the hay crop SO far as we have OBJ
served is mostly clover, timothy not
being much in evidence this year
except in old meadows. there will be
more danger from spontaneous com
bustion than for several years prev
ious; and we wish to warn our read
ers once more againts the danger of
its occurrence. A great many Of
them are as yet skeptical, as nearly
all scientific men were twenty years
ago, as to the possibility of a stack
or NOW or shed filled with clover
hay taking fire Of its own motion.
These will conclude that the ipcend-
iary has been at work, or that tramps
have been sleeping in the barn and
using matches. wish once more
to assure them that the spontaneous
combustion of clover hay is entirely
possible, and we expect to hear of a
good many cases of it this year on
farms where precautions are not TAX
en- in time against its occurrence.
This spontaneous combustion will
not occur where hay is properly
cured; that is, where it is so dry that
you can not by squeezing a wisp
tightly notice any moisture on the
suface; nor is it likely to occur in
small stack; nor in mows under
twenty feet in depth. IL is possible
forsit to occur in deep hay bays and
in very large stacks, and it is very
likely to occur when the hay is put
up damp, whether that come from
a moisture laden atmosphere, in
which the hay is never as dry as it
seems, Or when it is hauled in late
in the evening or after shutdown, or
wet bundles are found frequently in
the hay.
What happens?Noth happensas
long as steam is seen to issue from
the stack. The fungus which is
found on all clovers, and we imagine
Gt is wholly guess, however,, more
largely on clovers that are fuzzy, as
red and mammoth clover are in
nearly all cases, develops heat. The
heat drives out the moisture or steam
is seen rising from the stack there is
no immediate danger Of spontaneous
combustion. In the very nature of
things it can not occur while there
is moisture in the stack. 1t is after
this moisture is exhausted that actual
combustion takes place. Excessive
smoking or steaming of the stack
is, however, a danger signal.
frequently spontaneous combus-
ton occurs without flame. The far
mer when he comes to feed out his
hay in the winter will sometimes
find a core in the center of the
stack. but more frequently in the
hay shed or bay, that is thoroughly
black and charred; in fact, has be-
come hay charcoal. We don't know
that any better explanation Of this
somewhat mysterious process has
ever been made than that given by
Professor Burrell, Of the University
Of Illinois, as follows:
"Let us see, however, what else
occurs. AS true fermentation pro-
crosses, water is consumed as we'll
as the nutrient material in which
the destructive process occurs.
Along with the carbolic acid formed
there is separated considerable
amount Of free nitrogen, the inAam-
mable substance of common illumi-
mating gas. If now, the water sup
ply becomes exhausted, the micro
organisms die, or at least their ac-
tivity ceases and fermentation
stops. II there is any further rise
in temperature it is not due to fer
mentation but to the spontaneous
oxygenation similar to that which
occurs in cotton waste. Such oxy-
genation can only occur when. the
body is porous enough to admit the
air and rise Of temperature can only
take place when the generated heat
is prevented from escaping. The
greater the mass the more favorable
the condition for this last. The
drier this mass, the more inilamma.
BILE it is, and the more pronounced
becomes it's non-conducting quality
in regard to heat. 1t may be sale
J by some that little moisture, rs il
case of coal, favors spontaneou:
combustion; but this is only true
when by some chemical action the
hydrogen Of the water is liberated,
process not likely to occur in heated
garbage.
From this it may be inferred:
"First-That spontaneous com
; bustion Of stored vegetable matter
may occur.
"Second--That this can tax,
place only when considerable nun