The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-01-17
CAUSES OF STRANGE FIRES.
Chemicals and Other Combinations
Which Produce CONGREGATIONS 80
Some Pointers For Housekeepers
and Others. =. =. =.

flour and drug mills. t>
Spontaneous combustion covers a
multitude of sins of carelessness. The
origin of many fires in tailor shops may
be traced to the so-called dry cleaning
of clothes. A rag dipped in naphtha is
frequently used in removing grease
spots from garments. The rag soaked
with infammable fluids is thrown upon
the floor.
| When the shop is closed up and the
| air is confined the naphtha soaked ma
terial will of itself generate fire. Bales
of cotton placed in the hold Of a ship
are often the cause of disastrous fires.
Frequently spark from cigar finds
a resting place in a cotton bale, where
it smolders for weeks.
| One OF the most prolific causes Of ten
ement house fires is the DARK hail. Free
quently persons come in, after night
and strike matches in order to find
their way. In many cases their senses
are befuddled 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 a fire which
smolders 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
uo vi 10 iv cl IN
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 air. 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 carelessness of persons
who left these swinging brackets in
such q position that the flame could
come in contact with lace curtains.
With special reference apparently to
causing as many fires as possible the
gasfitter too frequently puts swing
ing bracket where he knows the house.
keeper will wish to hang a lace curtain.
The combination of curtain and bracll-
ct is often fatal.
One Of the most active causes OF fires
Is the martel decoration. In many
homes slken scarf is hung from the
mantel itself. Whenever there is fire
in the crate there is danger of the
fiimsy 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 tinseled
cloth; in many cases this decoration
has caught fire from the stove, fallen
to the floor and ignited fat soaked car
pet or mating. In some houses there
are wardrobes and clothes closets near
the chimneys. 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 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 bleaching powder. The chlorine ma
terially aided in keeping the fire in
check, although its suffocating fumes
nearly caused the death of some of the
sailors who went into tlfe hold to fight
the flames.
In the storage of oil kinds Of mate.
rails too much care cannot be exer-
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
Globe-Democrat.