The labor world., 1908-02-01
FIRE || | DANGERS
FROM MATCHES.
State Fire Marshal Edward Peter
son Shows That Large Per-
centage of Fires
Are Directly Due to Carelessness
In the Use of
Matches.

| ST. PAUL. Jan. 2S.-Reports made
to this office show that ten per cent
of our six million dollar annual fire
waste and the loss Of several lives is
due to carelessness with matches. Six
! hundred thousand dollars a year is
i too much to pay for the privilege of
using a poor match instead of a good
! one.
use of matches are due either to the
| explosive qualities of the head of the
match, or the fact that the wood in
the stick continues to glow for an
average interval of forty-eight Sec
onds after the flame is out In ignit-
! ing, the head often explodes or the
stick breaks; flaming chemicals fly
and ignite waste paper, sweepings,
lace curtains and clothing. After us
ing the match a twirl or toss given
to it without looking to see If it is
still glowing will often place it. where
| it may start fire. And large pro-
| portion Of match fires result from
one of these hot sticks being thrown
upon inflammable substance. Matches
I lying loose in drawers or on desks or
on the floor or walk are liable to take
fire from rubbing or from blow. On
the mantel piece they are often ig-
nited by heat from the CRATE or stove.
In each one hundred matches fires,
forty-one are from flying match-heads
or glowing sticks thrown into rub
bish, which fact says "CLEAN UP
THE PLACE."
The name "Parlor' is given to all
! matches except the "Safety." They
are made without sulphur, thereby
"Lucifer'' match Its head contains
| phosphorus, chloride of potash, rosin,
| writing and powdered flint, held to-
gether by glue. Phosphorus ignites at
40 degrees Fahrenheit The heat
| produced by the friction of the par
| ticles of flint in the head when it is
struck ignites the phosphorus. The
| chloride gives up the 80 per cent Of
oxygen 1t contains, with explosive
spluttering and intense heat, which
| fires the rosin and they together fire
the paraffin, with which the stick is
saturated, and the stick itself. BY
substituting either saltpetre or sui
phur for chloride a silent and slow
match is made which does not snap
and fly.
The use of the "Parlor'' match. and
in fact all other matches except the
Safety" should be discontinued and
prohibited by law. This would be no
hardship to the users Or to manufac-
turers because the 'Safety'' matches,
| which can be lighted only by rubbing
them on the box or a special place
prepared for that purpose, are made
on the same machine and at practical-
lyr the, same price as other matches.
The exclusive use of the 'tSafety''
match would not only lessen the fire
loss and reduce fire insurance prem
ium rates about 10 per cent, but it
would also serve to keep door castings,
windows and furniture all around the
house free from the ugly-lookihg
scratch stains of the ordinary match.
And no match should be used the
wood of which is not impregnated or
solution to prevent the formation OF
a glowing coal following combustion
The legislatures now in session in
several states are considering the
advisabflity of prohibiting the use OF
any other but the "Safety'' matches
Any manufacturer can make them
without changing his machine and
the increased cost to the consumer
would bfie too small for considera.
tion.
EDWARD PETERSON,
State Fire Marshal