Flax and Spontaneous Combustion.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5018, 28 May 1889, Page 3

Flax and Spontaneous Combustion.

The New Zealand Times has an article on the above subject, from which we take the following Popularly, spontaneous combustion is supposed to follow packing vegetable or animal fibre in a wet state. This is an error ; such packing may, and probably will, be followed by heating and rotting of the fibre Tins heating is caused by the growth of a ferment, a fungoid growth; winch propagates with gyeat rapidity, causing a rise in temperature as in a Lot-bed. If the heat can easily escape the rise will not be considerable, but if the escape of heat is retarded the temperature will coptinue to rise, and if there were no limit fire would result. It is obvious, however, that at some temperature the vegetable fungoid growth must be killed. As a matter of fact that temperature is considerably below the ordinary boiling temperature of water, i.e., 212 deg. Fahr, Before the temperature can rise to that point all the organisms whose growth are the cause of heat must perish, and the source of heat being thus cut off, the temperature must fall again. Thus it may safely bo said that such a cargo as flax, though it may “ heat ” and be destroyed commercially, cannot spontaneously catch fire and endanger a ship in that way. A case soffieUines happens when danger ensue?. The ateapi in the boiler and pipps is at a temperature over 300 degrees Fahr. Pipes conyeying steam pass in various parts of the ship, as to winches, steering gear, etc, Those pipes are protected by “ lagging ” of non-conducting material. If this “ lagging ” gets destroyed, the naked pipe, at a temperature of over 300 degrees Fahr., would be an obvious source of danger to any fibre containing oil, resin, etc., which probably includes flax ; this, however, is hardly spontaneous combustion. No one in his right senses would allow any combustible to be in contact with iron at a temperature of 300 degrees or over. The remedy for this is proper insulation of steam pipes. A good deal of uneasiness has been caused by the recent fires on board ships carrying flax, but there is no real cause for alarm if only matches and naked lights are kept away from the flax. If, however, people will drop lighted candles or matches on to dry flax or gunpowder, it is hardly a matter for surprise if the result should bo a fire or an explosion.