Although gas figures so largely as a cause of fire, it does not appear
that its rapid introduction of late years into private houses has been
attended with danger. There is another kind of light, however, which
the insurance offices look upon with terror, especially those who make
it their business to insure farm property. The assistant secretary of
one of the largest fire-offices, speaking broadly, informed us that
the introduction of the lucifer match _caused them an annual loss of
ten thousand pounds!_ In the foregoing list we see in how many ways
they have given rise to fires.

Lucifers going off probably from heat 80
Children playing with lucifers 45
Rat gnawing lucifers 1
Jackdaw playing with lucifers 1
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127

One hundred and twenty-seven known fires thus arise from this single
cause; and no doubt many of the twenty-five fires ascribed to the
agency of cats and dogs were owing to their having thrown down boxes
of matches at night--which they frequently do, and which is almost
certain to produce combustion. The item "rat gnawing lucifer" reminds
us to give a warning against leaving about wax lucifers where there
are either rats or mice, for these vermin constantly run away with
them to their holes behind the inflammable canvas, and eat the wax
until they reach the phosphorus, which is ignited by the friction of
their teeth. Many fires are believed to have been produced by this
singular circumstance. How much, again, must lucifers have
contributed to swell the large class of conflagrations whose causes
are unknown! Another cause of fire, which is of recent date, is the