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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1879)
June, 1879. THE WEST SHORE. .81 SOME KEMARKABLE casks OF SPON TANEOUS COMBUSTION. M. Cocao n recently called the attention of the French Academy of Science to a lingular ac cident that had occurred a thort time previously in hie laboratory. Eight daya ago, said he, my laboratory beoamo tho acene of a sudden outbreak of tire. The board flooring in the neighborhood of a itove spontaneously ignited. In con sequence of a similar accident, two years ago, I had caused the board in the vieiuity of tho stove to be replaoed by a marble slab. Not withstanding this precaution tho lire broke out in the wood around the marble. The heat to whioh the wood was eipoeed at the points where it ignited was not very great; the air had only a temperature of 2ft. But without doubt there had been a slow carbonisation of the wood and a rapid absorbtiou of the oxygen of the air, ami in conseiueuce a production of caloric ufliciout to cause the combustion. Herein lies a dauger which should be impressed on the minds of architects and builders. This reminded M. Faye of a caso of spon taneous combustion that had recently occurred at the house of a friend of his al Passy. The lire was due to the continuous action of the heat of a stove on the surrounding wood-work. M. Dumas adduced several analogous exam plea, all of whioh he explained by that property of finely divided bodies whereby they absorb air very energetically and generate heat. In powder factories, for instance, the pulverised carbon very often ignites of itself. It is for this reason that the practice has been generally adopted of pulverixiug it in conjunction with sulphur, because sulphur deprives it of the property mentioued. In such instances as those cited, the wood de prived of ita moisture by long exposure to heat becomes transformed into a substance analogous to lignite or peat. In fact, it ia changed into a coudition that may be oompared to that of pow dered wood. In this state it condenses the air and take Are. It was thus that, on one occa sion in his experience, a beam in a ooach-house exposed to hot air took Are spontaneously. Sometimes in theaters the lainpmeu's box, Ailed with miscellaneous oily rubbish, becomes spon taneously ignited. The greasy odds aud ends contained therein condense the oxygen of the air. In manufactories where Adrtaunple red ia applied on cotton impregnated witn greasy in ate f ml, spontaneous combustion takes place very uften. M. Unman cited one more singular fact of which ha was a witness in the at mho of a paint er. The artist had taken a piece v' ootUn to brush and clean his canvas. He gave the oily surface a good rubbing and put the oottoa aside. Very soon the cotton ignited spontaneously. The all sutflcient explanation of thee and like cases is the fact that a minutely-divided and air. conducting aubstanoe baa the capability 0' producing suddenly a high temperature. aYx rhtinyt. To Drrxcr Ok EncAriMO. To And the leak, Arst see that no humeri have been left accidentally turned on. This ia often the case where toe 000k has no stop, aud is caused by the ooek be ing partially turned around again so si to open the vent. Imperfect stop cueki for this reason are dangerous, and should lie promptly repaired. Try all the joints of the gas linings, by bring ing a lighted match near them, to ignite the es caping gas if any there be. In caae it ia found by the sense of small that the gas ia escaping either within the floor or walla, do not 00 any account apply a match Mar a crevice. Turn off the gas at the miter, and seod for a gas -A tier at once In ordinary leaks, the burnrr or Joint should be unscrewed, aad white lead or common bar-anap nibbed in the threads before sere tag hoeae again. Til Reapren of Uemeay eeTere a interna UoaaU pnae far the heat treetiee Wading to facilitate the care of diphtheria. SAN XAVlElt DEL BAO. The engraving on this page shows an old Mis sion near one of the oldest towns in tho United States, Tucson, Arizona. This Interesting relic of the xeal aud enterprise of the padres was photographed by Mr. E. Conklin, and an en graving from the photograph appears in Ilia "Picturesque Arizona," pnhliahod by the "Con tinent Stereoscopic Co.," of New York city, The Mission is named San Xaviar del Bao, and although nearly 200 years old, according to Mr. Oonklin's reckoning, it is still in a good state of preservation, aud is opened for religious sor vices to the natives, " a half-civilised remnant of a mixture of the Mexico-Indian blood." It is the best preserved Mission ruiu in the Terii tory, and is oua of the boldest of its class iu design and moat elalmrato in construction. A recent visitor givee a description of the structure, which we reproduoe to accompany the engraving: Nine miles distant from Tucson, dowu the valley, is the old Mission church of St. Francis Xavier, which is MM of the greatest objects of interest in tho country. It wsa built about 2110 years ago by a community of Franciscans. It is a spectacle to make one shudder la spite of himself. There are still 74 life like atatuea of apostles and aaiuta left standing 111 their niches. Ukiii the faces of some of them the eiprtsalnn is marvelous. Home have fallen dowu, aud others arc mutilated by time or the irreverent, They all allow akilllnl workmanship, and must have been brought by the (alhcia from Spain. The gliding over and above ilia main altar la still very heavy and rich. I lie mam altar itaelf is covered with beaten virgin gold, taken by the monks or their Indian prose ly tea from the mines. The altar service, w Inch Is also ol solid gold, waa carried away a few years ago by some priests who came from Mexico (or the puruawe, and there are but two small vessels lelt to show what the other and larger pleoea must have been. There aro still some of the rich vestments left, but their gorgeous texture is man. .1 by long service and abuse. The heavy doors are made I ol aolnl Mo.ul ol great thickness, which Is JoiiimI 1 together iu MiiieU by grooves. The large outer I doors were not only made of thick liuilier, but I were covered by thick sheets of copper, pio cured from the uiluea aud smelted by the Wonka , themselves, which, 111 conjunction with the euor . mous bar on the inside, make them impervious I to any attack from their savage enemy. Iu con nection with the church is the inouaetery or I cloister, and within ths surrounding inchieure la Til MIHHION OK HAN XAVIKK DAL HAC, N K All TUCSON, AltloN A. Compared with a majority of these old churches, it ia ia a good state of preeervatioa. One of the turrets is gone, but the belfry still stands, in which hang lour or Ave belle ia sliver cadence 1 the others having been either camel away or stolen. You reach the belfry by a aarrow winding stair, I. mil ,a the s4ul wall, the steps worn into deep hoUe aad depressions try ascend log and descending fooUUpa In years gone by The church ia cruciform, ami Is an immense sail flee, with magnificent arches, and with really wonderful acoustic facilities Mlrange, there w as not a nail aaad in Iu eonstruetuia. It Is built off a peculiar kind of cement, hard aad resembling granite I be art of making It is now entirely lost. The interior is elaborately ornamented ; the paintings and eolorlags upon the walls are still vivid ami bright, ae though recently executed, sod goigaous ia effect, Toe altar iweoe awl several other pictures ar.evl deatly the wisra ol artiste, but the others, which are numerous, were none r.y ptoses out an ar tistic amis Al the end of the Wens. pt. high up midway between the floor awl calling, la the avast ghastly spectacle imaginable. A erase of huge proportions deeply imbedded in the wall, earruan.lad by rays of black, or dark broen and while The body eass esteev-led ep.es II has either fallen or been torn down, leaving ease a- in, ksaa aad Iarowa ae that of a mammy, alia boooa proUwdtag. sealed to the ana of Iks areee. 1 the mortuary chapel a huge sepulchar, where tliuae who kept their vigils ami ladled la strange, inhospitable land to I. a. I Into the paths I of peace the benighted nations, lest from their I lalairs anil are forgotten. Or what traaaeendenl interest the bill of far mast have been to Cardinal Dubois, who sailed I on the dying F 00 tensile at his hoerdiag house I Tl. l...f,..l t .1. ami asking instructions la regard m the deeirsd sauce, provoked aa eiiiaseUil controversy he I ween Ike two ilogmalists. Fouleaelle Insisted on cream, the cardinal oa aval leal batter, till the landlord suggested a compromise-he would divide the material and nee a separate aaaea for each ball Hut Koateaalle was not deeliaed la eat thai diaaer hie day of life was ended by a stroke of spoplesy leaf era the saa had reaMae! Ike atervliaa. Debuts who hail reessgaiaexl the sal laet with a parosysfa of grief, Ihen rushed to the leading aad shoaled dwa Iha an sua aide words, " M-Un tear aa (Wre " (Baiter aaaea lor the whole lot ') Ki't'atrrti s mm 1 0,0 ia rag 110 -A European writer asserts that eewla eoryaa, or cold ia the head, is eureal la ball aa hoar by caeeieg the leaf uf lies eecefypt., end slowly ew.li owing Use saliva, lie aelloa is d-.l.i-Uaely similar to thai of cebebt, Meh Well Ma daea the saaue effect