SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1046, 12 September 1883, Page 4

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.

In the spring of 1780 a fire was discovered on board & frigate off Cronstadt. After the severest scrutiny no cause for the fire could be found. The probability is, however, strongly in favor of spontaneous combustion; for in the following year the frigate Maria, which also lay at anchor off Cronstadt, was found to be on fifleV The fire was, however, early perceived and extinguished. After strict examination nothing could be discovered as to’its brign. A commission of inquiry was held, which finally reported that the fim was probably caused by parcels of matting, tied together with packthread, Which-were, in the cabin where the fire brbkk Out. ' It was found that the parcels ofthatting contained Russian lampblack prepared from fir-soot ’moistened with hemp oil varnish. In consequence of this the Russian Admiralty gave orders for experiments to be made. They shook forty .pounds of fir wood soot into a tub and poured about thirty five pounds of hemp oil varnish upon it. This stood for an hour,"after which they poured off the- oil. The remaining mixture they wrapped up in a mat, and. the bundle was laid close to the cabin in .the frigate Maria where the midshipmen bad their- berths. To avoid all suspicion two. officers sealed both the mat and the l .door with their own seals, and stationed a watch, of four officers to take nptice of . all that passed through the night. As soon as smoke should ap-' pear information was to be given. The exoeriment was made about -the 26th of April, at ab.ut 11 am. Early in the following morning, about 5 a m., smoke appeared issuing from the cabin. The commander was immediately informed by an officer, who through a small hole in the door saw the mat smoking. Wiihout opening .the door, he despatched a messenger to the members of the commission, bu|,‘a# ttb; shioke became stronger and firp,began to appeatyit became necessary to break the seals and open the door. No sooner was the air admitted than tbeirlat began to burn with greater force, and presently burst into a flame. Mr Georgi, of ' the Imperial Academy of. Sciences;, was'appointed to make farther experiments, the result of which confirmed the suspicions of spontaneous combustion in the. Russian official mind in a remarkable degree.—Chambers’ Journal.