The Warwickshire Herald. — 1892-12-08 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

STRANGE ORIGINS OF FIRES.  The origins of some initial conflagrations are catalogued by a German contemporary, and are, lays hidestries. not only curious, but in inaisy cases eminently suggestive of what precautions are nextful to avoid disaster from causes that are far (rem immediately o'fix lotus, but none the less destru...tiv., in their effects when the necessary conditions for their operation are fulfilled. Most appropriate and topical is the story of the fire caused by an enthusiastie supporter of Mr. Cleveland at the time of his former attainment of Office. As a token of rejoicing, rockets were resorted to, and one, in the Curse of its erratic flight, found its way duwn th; chimney of a spinning mill, with the re It that might have been anticipated. The spontaneous ignition of oily waste, is. of course, well known. but its ignition may be btought about by differero though not Ices unlocked-for means. A bucket of greasy waste was standing near a driving belt in Motif,, in such a position that it was touched by the sag of the belt, and the friction thus induced proved sufficient to set its contents on fire. A tire that made its presence felt in a comparatively liars-less way was caused by the self-ignition of oily wa te and wooden chips that had been thrown by workmemseeking a convenient dumping ground, into the fire box of a locomotive standing disused in the shed in which they were at work, the first intimation of what had taken place being riven I y the noise of the engine blowing off steam. Even th.• use of heavy mineral oils and the removal of oily waste to a place allotted to it are not an aciial guarantee against accident, for in a factory where betii re..ti atoms were observed an errant cock. -r became entangled in the waste, and, succeeding in freeing himself, made straight for a gas jet, to lit own undoing and the demolition of the building, the flames being propagated by the filaments of greasy cotton That still adhered to him. This narrative of disaster is culled front the record: it an insurance office, and some persons might suggest that the c..ckchafer must have been the emissary of a rival institution. Photographic lenses are credited with acting as burning glas-c: upon numerous occasions—an eloquent argument in favour of keeping them in proper cases when not in actual use. Bright tinplates may similarly set as concave mirrors, and apparently are well-k,.,wn culprits. A less obvious instance is that if a plumber who surpassed the genius-like exploits common to his fraternity by testing a newly-made joint with a flame, and, not observing that is small blue jet made its appearance, replacing the boards and leaving the place. After six weeks, during the whole of which time the jet continued to bunt. the leak increased somewhat, and eventually the Same became large enough to char the board 1t1.0% I It. the pungent smell caused thereby attraetiy.g attention and preventing what would have been a hre returned in the category -cause unknown."  FIRE IN r.LL.  A fire broke out early on Saturday morning in a large fouratorey building in Prince's-yard, Clerken. well, let out by the proprietor, Mr. W. U. Jones, to turners, picture-frame makers, and kindred artificers. Steam power was supplied from boilers and machinery located on the ground-floor, and although the origin of the outbreak is at present unknown, it is thought probable that it broke Got near the machine-room. During the progress of the flames some excitement was caused by the close proximity to the fire of some large esti stables, and the getting out in safety of the affrighted Mr. Jones's property was completely destroye,!, but the low is covered by insurance.  Mr. Tate has accepted the offer of the Millbsnk site for the erection of the gallery to contain collection of pictures.  The four-year-01cl son of the engine•driver at Kettering Sewage Wivks was misind, and in the evening the body was found in a sewage tank. Annie Blaby, a child of 6, living with her parents at Berwick-street, St. James's, set h,r clothes alight during her mother's absence. m • little one is now dead.  OPIUM JUT= AND fitnierDit At Birmingham an lergoist has her, held me der body of Oeorp eau, ism 72, who hod me throat with a ream At the -General, where he died, doomed said Se Hr. Lucas, "I Igen been taking opimn As the Isle four pent It was on leaving the Array that I met a young man, to whom I explained that I sugared from severe headache. He advised me to Woo opium, and I said to him, Moa't it grew upon un.f He replied, 'No.' I have heard einem that he hanged himself. I took to eating the drtsg, and from day to day I swallowed Increased doses, until I mad take one drachm every day. I used to roll it up into pills. Wheo my money became short, and I was unable to get any morn opium,my lUe became a misery. I craved tor it without effect, sod as I could not exist any longer without it, I cut my throat. or. Luca* stated that under ordinary circumstances 10 grains were enough to kill • man, but Hall had allowed the habit to grow upon him till he could take 60 grains with impunity.—Verdict, suicide while temporarily insane.