*78] 
This roasted bran he wrapped up 
in a linen cloth; in the space of a 
few minutes there arose a strong 
smoke through the cloth, accom- 
panied by asmellof burning. Not 
long afterwards the rag grew as 
black as tinder, and the bran now 
become hot, fell through it on 
the ground in little balls. Mr. 
Riide repeated the experiment at 
Various times, and always with the 
same result. Who now will any 
longer doubt, that the frequency of 
fires in cow-houses, which in those 
, parts, are mostly wooden buildings, 
may not be occasioned by this com- 
mon practice, of binding roasted 
bran about the necks of the cattle? 
The fire, after consuming the cattle 
and the shed, communicates itself 
to the adjoining buildings; great 
damage ensues ; and the ignorant 
look for the cause in wilful and ma- 
licious firing, consequently in a 
capital crime. : 
Montet relates, in the Memoires 
de l’ Académie de Paris, 1748, that 
animal substances, under certain 
circumstances, may kindle into 
flame ; and that he himself has been 
witness to the spontaneous accension 
of dung-hills. The woollen stuff 
prepared at Cevennes, which bears 
the name of Emperor’s-stuff, has 
kindled of itself, and burnt to a 
coal. Itis not unusual for this to 
happen to woollen stuffs; when in 
hot summers they are laid in a heap, 
in a room but little aired. 
In June, 1781, the same thing 
happened at a wool-comber’s ina 
manufacturing town in Germany, 
where a heap of wool-combings, 
piled up in a close warehouse sel- 
dom aired, took fire of itself. This 
wool had been by little and little 
brought into the warehouse; and, 
for want of room, piled up very 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
high and trodden down, that more . 
might be added to it. That this 
combed wool, to which, as is well- 
known, rape-oil mixed with butter 
is used in the combing, burnt of 
itself, was sworn by several wit- 
nesses. One of them affirmed that, 
ten years before, a similar fire hap- 
pened among the flocks of wool at 
a clothier’s, who had put them into ~ 
a cask, where they were rammed 
hard, for their easier conveyance. 
This wool burnt from within out 
wards, and became quite a coal; 
it was very certain that neither fire 
nor light had been used at the 
packing, consequently the above 
fires arose from similar causes. 
In like manner very creditable 
cloth-workers have certified, that 
after they have bought wool that 
was become wet, and packed it 
close in their warehouse, this wool 
has burnt of itself; and very serious 
consequences might have followed, 
if it had not been discovered in 
time. 
The spontaneous accension of va- 
rious matters from the vegetable 
kingdom, as wet hay, corn, and 
madder, and at times wet meal and 
malt, are already sufficiently known. 
Experiments have likewise repeat- 
edly been made with regard to such 
phenomena; and it will presently 
appear, that hemp, or flax, and 
hemp-oil, have frequently given 
rise to dreadfal confagrations. 
Montet says: in the year 1757, a 
sort of sailcloth, called prelart, hav- 
ing one side of it smeared with 
ochre and oil, took fire in the ma- 
gazine at Brest, where it had pro- 
bably kindled of itself. It is not 
at all unlikely that many fires in sta- 
ports have arisen, from these self- 
accensions ; as it has often hap- 
pened that, after the strictest en- 
quiry, 
