Evening journal., 1919-04-16
'YROXYLIN FIRES
EASILY CHECKED
Underwriters SatisfiedWith
Results Of Tests of du Pont
Company Product
70 NEED OF
FIRE DEPARTMENT

A dozen fires were started yesterday
the abandoned smokeless powder
liant Of the dupont Company at Car
eys Point 20 demonstrate how easily
he flames from pyroxylin products can
,o controlled. These products include
he pyralin or ivory substitute OF COM
lerce. cellulold and kindred articles
yhich are made from the admlXture OF
iirated cotton with tho solvents, al
ohol and camphor. PyroXylin plasties
"a generic term for all Of these COM
ounds which have been in commercial
s. for a long time. 10 is not new
lbstance, but its constantly Increasing
s. suggested 10 the manufacturers ana
ne fire underwriters OF the country
hat definite rules and regulations be
aid down for its handling.
The tests Yesterday were the most
omplete ever undertaken and were
eld under the auspices Of all the man
tfacturers. including those who pro-
hlce moving picture films. They were
witnessed by representatives OF the Ma
ional Fire Protection Association. rae
Dry insurance associations. IRE uhuei-
writer's. and manufacturers OF auto
natic sprinklers and other IRE ishtlhs
lcvlces. -.
Every test was a complete success
nd the unanimous opinion was ina.
,yroxylln fires are Of the hnd MOS.
iasllv controlled whether they orlsihStS
m the display counters or thc relaI'
iealers or in the workshops ana stor-
,ce vaults Of the manufacturers. 81,
The insurance men who altendeu VIC
est agreed that It was only ques-
ION of getting water on the haines
mickly and in quantities; the sprinkler
,epresentatives declared that pyrooNy-
in fire was an ideal fire for sprinkler
control Zach demonstration shower
b9f "a soon as the heat became IN
onse enough 20 start the sprinkleis'
no DANES were almost immediately
lhdued by the water poured on tleln.
Sneclal buildings reproducing as
,oarlv as po,sible conditions IN lne
,.,ories and stores which hanulc
,,.rovvlin products had been erected
md i'm each one the usual type OF sto,-
co bin. display counter, WORK Dehc,l
mi shipping station was reproduceu'
,fter the underwriters and manuldc-
,,rers had Inspected the arrangement
.,d had pronounced them such as are
,.,,sIIv met with in commercial Worh'
80 were started and developments
,,,sifed Tho nrst test was IN st'I
,qe vault and when the sprinhleIs rt uat
sVfinrlished the ilre. 1t was iouhn l'los :
,bo flames had hardly touchea any y.
1e material except that IN tlc IaSA
Nhere they originated. at
In the cas3 Of the packing non lesl'
Ire was started in the center OF lal y,
,i1a of boxes. the flames shot up 'llI
short time set of the sprlnhlers
r, = feyy minutes the flames died ooNn
nj after the smoke and Tunes htu
.iosrsd away it was found mat al
bo,,gh some Of The other boxes Were
.borred none OF the material IN tieH
49, even scorched, except in the DoA
where the fire was started
Ionr table on which many nun
l-eds m nvralln and celluloid novelties
,,.e~c disnlayed figured in a very lhteI
sting test. Tn this case the urc Mhicn
vas started in the center ol lhe uIs
play died out and had 20 he rekindleu
When it was finally started on IN eoou
shape. it soon released the water IRON
me automatic sprinklers ana was
wenched in a few minutes. lhspeC-
ION showed that there was no spread
of The flames after the water began
io foyv and that only few square feel
OF the display was burned.
In most Of the tests it took lttlC
over a minute for the heat to start u'
sprinkler at Work.
other tests were made without th'
,,se M water 10 show that flames from
one box Of pyroxylln products commu'
nicated very slowly TO others IN ih'
same compartment.
The Carney's Point Fire Department
WAS on hand with hose attached t'
hish pressure fire mains ready for any
emergency, but their services Wece 10 y.
those cases where the sprinkler sys
lem was not used, after the inyesti
gators had satisfied themselves as TO tli'
points involved.