Those who are not old enough to remember the time when flint-and-steel
were the implements employed to obtain a light, can have no sufficient
appreciation of the great convenience of "Lucifer" matches. In those
"good old times," it was a regular household care to provide a
sufficiency of tinder, to see that it was kept dry, and that there
was a proper flint "with fire in it." The striking of a light, when
the tinder-box was adequately supplied, was no mean accomplishment;
and the unskilful hand, operating in the dark, would either get no
sparks at all, or send them in a wrong direction, and not unfrequently
strike the skin off the knuckles, in the vain endeavour to set light
to the tinder. Or if the tinder were damp, the sparks would fall upon
it without igniting, and minutes would be spent in holding a pointed
brimstone match to the delusive spark, and blowing at it without
effect. Sometimes the incautious operator, tired with his fruitless
efforts, would sprinkle gunpowder over the tinder, to make it take
fire more readily, and whilst puffing at a long-desired spark, the
gunpowder would explode in his face and nearly blind him. Such were
some of the annoyances, attended by loss of time, that were experienced
in obtaining the same result that is now produced instantaneously, and
much more effectively, by merely rubbing the match against any rough
surface.
Several attempts had, indeed, been made many years ago to supplant
the flint-and-steel and tinder-box, and some of the plans adopted so
closely approach the matches now in use, that we wonder the inventors
did not succeed long since in contriving the very facile means of
striking a light that we now enjoy. Phosphorus and brimstone matches
were first employed for the purpose. The phosphorus was contained in a
bottle placed within a tin case, which also held the pointed brimstone
matches and a piece of cork. The match was dipped into the phosphorus
bottle, and then rubbed on the cork; and the friction excited
sufficient heat to inflame the small quantity of phosphorus adhering
to the match and, to set fire to the sulphur. These phosphorus boxes
answered the purpose very well, but the apprehended danger of using so
inflammable a substance prevented their coming into general use; and
they were much more costly than a tinder-box.
In the next advance, if it may be so called, in the invention of
instantaneous light-producers, phosphorus was altogether discarded,
and a mixture of chlorate of potass, then called oxymuriate of potass,
and sugar was employed. Those substances, when combined, inflame
explosively in contact with sulphuric acid. In applying them for the
purpose of obtaining instantaneous light, they were mixed together in
an adhesive menstruum, into which the ends of small rectangular matches
were dipped. These matches very nearly resembled the "Lucifers" of
the present day. To ignite them, a small bottle containing sulphuric
acid and asbestos was provided, and they were arranged together in
an ornamental taper-stand for the chimney-piece. This apparatus was
not received with much favour, partly on account of injury done by
a careless use of the sulphuric acid, partly because it failed to
act when the acid had absorbed moisture from the atmosphere, but
principally because of its cost.
To obviate the objection arising from the use of sulphuric acid in
open bottles, an ingenious contrivance was adopted, by which each
match contained its own reservoir of acid sufficient for igniting
the inflammable compound. Small glass globules, containing sulphuric
acid, were introduced into the composition of chlorate of potass and
sugar, which, when broken, set fire to the mixture and lighted the
match. These instantaneous lights, which were called _Prometheans_,
were more ingenious than useful, because the trouble of manufacture
rendered them expensive, and the sulphuric acid was more likely to
injure furniture in that form than when a bottle with asbestos was
used. The Prometheans, however, possessed the advantage of portability,
and for occasional purposes they were convenient. In some of the forms
in which the Prometheans were manufactured, the glass globule of acid,
surrounded by its inflammable compound, was attached to the end of a
small stick of sealing-wax, sufficiently large to seal a letter; but
this refinement in instantaneous lights was not much patronized.
Notwithstanding these ingenious attempts to produce light by chemical
action, the flint-and-steel retained possession of the field until
a match was made that ignited by friction alone. The first kind of
friction match was invented in 1832. It consisted of a thin splinter
of dried wood, the top of which was dipped in a mixture of one part
of chlorate of potass, two of sulphide of antimony, and one of gum.
To ignite the match it was necessary to draw it briskly through
sand-paper. These matches required some address to light them, because
much more friction was required than is sufficient to light Lucifers.
The next improvement was the "Congreve" match, in which recourse
was had to the materials previously used, separately, for obtaining
instantaneous lights. Congreve matches were composed of an emulsion
of phosphorus mixed with chlorate of potass, into which the matches,
previously tipped with sulphur, were dipped. These matches were of
the same size and form as the Lucifers now in general use, and they
ignited readily by friction on sand-paper or other rough surface. Their
explosive noise on inflammation, which gave them their name, was the
only apparent difference between Congreves and Lucifers, and their
introduction completely supplanted the flint-and-steel.
The noiseless match, or Lucifer, has, in its turn, driven the Congreve
almost out of use, though for practical purposes the latter was as
effective, and it was less dangerous. The Lucifer matches depend
altogether on phosphorus for their inflammability. Their composition
is an emulsion of phosphorus with glue, nitre, and some colouring
matters. The sulphur matches, after having been tipped with that
composition, are exposed in a warm room until a sufficient quantity of
the phosphorus is evaporated by slow combustion, to leave a film of
glue on the surface to protect the remainder from the action of the
atmosphere. The usual proportions for the compound are, phosphorus
four parts, nitre ten, glue six, red ochre five, and smalt two. The
principle on which the action of Lucifer matches depends, is the strong
affinity of phosphorus for oxygen, of which the nitre with which it
is mixed contains an abundant supply; and by drawing the match across
sand-paper, sufficient heat is excited by the friction to ignite
the phosphorus, and the nitre supplies the oxygen to maintain rapid
combustion.
The manufacture of Lucifer matches is conducted on a very large scale
in this country and on the Continent. It requires several ship loads of
wood to supply the requirements of Lucifer-match makers; and ingenious
contrivances have been patented for cutting it up into splints of the
proper size. For that purpose, after the wood has been reduced to
the required lengths by circular saws, it is cut up into splints by
a number of lancet points, separated from each other as far apart as
the thickness of a match, which pass over the wood and divide it with
great rapidity. The splints are collected into bundles of one thousand,
and each end having been dipped into melted sulphur, they are divided
in the middle by a circular saw.
The Reports of the Juries of the Great Exhibition supply a variety of
statistical details respecting the manufacture of chemical matches,
from which it appears that the quantity made in Austria, in 1849,
amounted to 50,000 cwt.; and that in France, in 1850, the phosphorus
consumed in the manufacture of matches, amounted yearly to 590 cwt.;
and the consumption has rapidly increased since that time. In this
country, it is calculated that eight tons of phosphorus are yearly used
in making matches, the number of which is stated to be 40,000,000 a
day. Large quantities are also imported from Germany, where they are
manufactured so cheaply, that fifty boxes each containing 100 matches,
are sold for fourpence.
The latest improvement in chemical matches is the "Vesta," which
consists of small wax, or stearine tapers, with an igniting composition
at the end, consisting of chlorate of potass and phosphorus. These
Instantaneous Lights are made without sulphur, consequently the
disagreeable smell of the common Lucifer is avoided. The convenience
of smokers has also been consulted in the manufacture of Instantaneous
Lights. The fusees, now so frequently used for lighting cigars, are
composed of thin card-board cut half through, steeped in nitre and with
a small quantity of phosphorus; and the tearing of the paper across
produces sufficient heat to ignite the inflammable card.
Thousands of persons, principally children, are now employed in
the manufacture of chemical matches. The occupation, as at present
conducted, is very unhealthy, for the fumes of the phosphorus produce
a disease of a remarkable kind in the jaw-bone, which often proves
fatal. No cure has yet been found for this peculiar disease, occasioned
by the phosphorus in the state in which it is commonly used. A
preparation of that substance has, however, been made which may be used
without injury, and which possesses the advantage also of being less
dangerously inflammable; but as the red _amorphous phosphorus_, as it
is called, is rather more costly, the manufacturers of Lucifer matches
object to use it.