162 Miscellanies. - 
For this winter, the floor has been covered with some cheap domes- 
tic carpeting. The stove stands on the carpet, which being tacked 
down, and covered in places with oil cloths, has not been taken up 
during the winter. Of course, some grease spots had appeared con- 
tiguous to a side door of the stove, but they had been’ scoured off so 
as hardly to be discernible on the upper surface. 
Some weeks ago, about noon, I was writing in this apartment, and 
having in charge two little children, the oldest one called my atten- 
tion to the smoke which then filled the room. My first impression 
was that the house was on fire, probaly in the kitchen; but on open- 
ing the door, first of that room and then of the parlor, no smoke was 
perceived in either, and I closed those doors, and began to search 
more narrowly. On looking at the carpet, I could see the smoke 
rising through it every where. I then looked into the cellar, found no 
smoke there, and closed the door, to prevent too free an ingress of 
air, and the bursting into flame. The carpet was then carefully ex- 
amined by the eye and the hand, and one spot was found, and only 
one, where there was heat enough to make smoke. ‘That spot was 
on one side of the stove, more than two feet distant from it, and the 
carpet was whole, though warmed but not hot, for I could bear my 
hand.on it. I applied some snow to it, and found a browned spot of * 
about two inches in diameter, which soon became a hole of that size, 
corresponding with one in the white pine floor-plank, underneath, 
which was browned and charred, not burned, less than half way 
through the plank. This occurred in a seam of the floor, where the 
planks were joined and in what had been one of the spots of grease: 
whether in contact with a nail, | have not yet ascertained. ‘This 
is clearly an alarming case of inceptive spontaneous combustion. 
The carpet, the materials of which had, till now, escaped observation 
was found to be made of cotton, and flax tow, with streaks of woolen 
yarn filling, none of which, however, came within the charred hole 
above described. In the hope to guard others against similar dan- 
gers, these facts are communicated. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
Horatio Gares SPAFFORD. 
Lansingburgh, N..Y., February 27, 1832.—76. 
Remarks.—The above statement of facts deserves particular atten- 
tion, because the case is evidently of the same class with others that 
