Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27

ignitinS sheds used for storing scrap
around iron-worklnS establishments.
There have been numerous fires in the
roofs of factories, caused by explosions
of melted iron thrown violently against
the roof. when, by any mishap, the iron
came into contact with water.
One Of the most peculiar Fourth OF July
fires on record occurred in this wise:
rocket shot up into the air and descended
in a vertical direction into the dust CHM
ney of a cotton mill in the vicinity. Reach
ing the bottom of the shaft. IL exploded.
igniting the dustroorn and starting a seri-
GUS fire.
Sparks play the most grotesquc and un-
accountable pranks in the starting 81
fires. In an establishment manufacturing
table knives a milling machine which
furnished the outside OF the knife han
dies was cleaned of dust by large tubs
projecting down from the room above and
connected to an exhaust blower in tho
attic. An emery wheel which had been IN
the same position for number of years.
situated about twenty feet from the mill
ing machine, struck a spark against a
window; thence, glancing back. IL re
bounded some twenty feet, igniting the
dust in the lower part of the tube. The
fame was carried by the blower to the
room above, and through hole in the
roof, causing a destructive fire, which
was not known to the occupants of tho
room until an alarm had been given by
those who had seen it from the outside OF
the building.
In another instance a spark from an
emery wheel struck the window In front
of the wheel: hen. glazing back to the
belt rebounded again and entered a crack
hff tho mart Of the window
frame and the maeonry of the building
and ignited the dust there. an accident
which had never. occurred before. al
though that machine had been in the
same position over twenty years.
Although sparks from grinding wheels
often ignite combustibe matter by acct
dent, yet ii has been found to be diff
cult thing to do this designedly, even by
holding fine matter, as cotton card waste.
in a line of the sparks as they are thrown
fires in cotton mills caused by sparks
from the dull-axes used in chopping hoops
Of cotton bales. and yet it would in all
probability be considered a hopeless task
for one to set about deliberately causing
a fire In this way.
On one occasion carpenter. while nall
ing a board to the ceiling in a picker
room of a jute mill, struck a nail on the
side, SO that it glanced across the room.
entering the feeding apron of jute
picker, and struck spark which iSnited
the stock. passing through the picker.
and thence spreading TO a very severe
fire.
1t appears to be still a moot question
as to whether steam pipes are capable 81
causing fire, because the fact has never
been demonstrated, and after such fires
as have been attributed by some to this
source, the evidence available has NOT
been conclusive It is the experience or
insurance men, however, that fires from
steam pipes are not at all infrequent in
drying rooms for seasoning small bits Or
lumber used in the decorative portions o
cabinet work, under circumstances which
do not permit any hypothesis of sponta
neous combustion, because the wood a
that time had not received any treatment
from oils or varnishes.