The New Hampshire Gazette

THE CONFLAGRATION of the rope-walks at Boston, brought to my remembrance what I read in a periodical paper, called the Leipzig Intelligence Leaf, of the year 1785, about some productions of the earth, which, in certain conditions, have the power to set themselves on fire by their own heat.-Dr. Buckholz at Weimar has enumerated them, and hemp will particularly have that quality.

A frigate was burnt in a Russian port; an officer belonging to her was arrested ; when he was tried, it was pleaded, that a compact bundle of hemp had got on fire by its own heat !

The Empress thereupon ordered several trials ; at each of the same it was found, that hemp compacted, having in the inside some part greased with oil or tallow, would, in a day or two, begin to smoke, and in a short time after would emit flames of fire.

In the year 1790, it was found in several places of Germany, that roasted succory root, which is used instead of coffee, is such a self incendiary, A grocer at Magdeburg had a quantity roasted, ground and packed into casks, to send to another place, in the night it began to burn of itself, and five houses were consumed by it. A caution or warning in the public prints to owners of rope-walks or magazines of hemp, captains of ships, any traders in hemp, flax and sail cloth, might if noticed, prevent many losses by fire.

N. Y. Gaz.