362 Results of Experiments instituted with Lucifer Matches. 



Vesta matches, may stand in close connexion with the employ- 

 ment of such boxes with these particular matches. There are 

 several other kinds of boxes much used by manufacturers (e. g. 

 the cylindrical boxes of wood or cardboard with tightly fitting 

 lids, and the superior kinds of slide boxes made of cardboard or 

 well-covered chip) which are calculated to afford security to the 

 matches, or rather which would do so if their length (or height) 

 were properly proportioned to the length of the matches. In the 

 majority of instances, however, they are longer or higher than 

 the matches, and sometimes very considerably so ; hence if the 

 latter are not most firmly wedged into the boxes, the construc- 

 tion of these is positively calculated to afford opportunity for 

 submission of the match-heads to concussion. The slide-boxes 

 containing the Swedish matches, which are now largely imported, 

 are all made to correspond in length with the matches they con- 

 tain. A very extensive importer of these matches states that he 

 has never known of a single instance of accidental ignition occur- 

 ring in their transport. 



Many of the boxes roughly constructed of thin chip, partly 

 held together by paper coverings, which contain the commoner 

 descriptions of English congreves, not only afford but little pro- 

 tection to their contents, but may actually be in many instances 

 sources of danger, in consequence of their imperfect construc- 

 tion, their very fragile nature, and their ready inflammability. 

 Unless boxes of this kind are packed with the greatest possible 

 care (whether slide boxes, or boxes with lids secured by a paper 

 hinge), some proportion is almost certain to sustain injury 

 resulting in the immediate escape of matches from the box. 

 Indeed many of these boxes in their original state readily allow 

 of the escape of matches, if simply tilted ; or at any rate the tips 

 of the matches partially protrude from the box and become fixed 

 in that position. In either case, some matches will thus be 

 exposed to very greatly increased risk of ignition by friction or 

 percussion ; and if a match is fired in a package consisting of 

 boxes such as those now referred to, the risk of the fire extend- 

 ing must be comparatively considerable. 



The degree of security with which the frictional material (sand, 

 glass-, or emery-powder) is attached to the match-boxes, is also 

 subject to great variation. In some instances a piece of well- 

 made glass- or emery-paper is pasted on to the bottom of the 

 box, or some fine emery- or glass-powder is securely fixed to 

 one of its surfaces by means of glue and coatings of varnish ; 

 but in many instances either glass- or emery-paper of very infe- 

 rior quality is used, or the frictional powder is very loosely and 

 carelessly attached to the box by being merely dusted over one 

 of its surfaces, upon which a small quantity of glue has first been 



