Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-06-24

purcst being the most volatile ond most dis
posed aud ready to pass into the state oi va
por st u low temperature.
| II is usual, ] believe, to guard against the
Leakage 10 which wooden vessels containing
spirits of turpentins ure 80 liable, by placing
the casks in others surrounded by waier-
4 A prccauion which should be taken with the
"chemlcul oil" unless il be kept in metallic
vessels. But however carefully any OF these
liquids may be guarded, there must be great
danger from the overflow OF the lamps when
filed aud from the carelessncss OF attendants
A lamp is often rcplenished near fire or
another lamp burning, aud II any OF the
liquid should take fire how many are the per-
sons who would lose their presence OF mind
and be too much alarmed 10 extingnlsh the
flame. The danger Of accident in dwelling
houses is now greater than II would have
been some years ago, as furnaces ~ cellars
are so much IN use, and II ID in the imnlc date
neighborhood of the furnace that many lamps
are hlled aud the oil vessel deposited.
Oil of turpen,ine is sometimes called III
the books Camphcne, Camphogene, Hydratc
OF Oh Of Turpentine, llydrate OF CamPho-
gene, &c. The latter name was given by
Dumas 10 a crystalline compound which IS
often found in mixtures Of oil of tnrpentirc
and water. BY passing dry muriatic acid gas
through oil of tnrpeDtlLo, the oil absorbs Il
third part Of its weight, and substance, AZ
before stated, called artificial camphor is ob.
tained. There are at least two substances
in oil Of turpentine capable of forming artif.
ciu camphor. From this u volatile liquid can
be extracted which boils at 3l3o F., it in fact
constitutes the most volatile part Of oil Of
turpenline, ind is supposed to be that portion
to which it is indebted for its peculiar odor.
This is Camphene Of the chemists, and is
one Of numerous class Of bodies which
exist in volatile oils, capable Of uniting with
muriatic acid. 1t contains no oxygen, but
is merely a compound Of carbon and hy dro-
gen.
Without going into further details Of the
chemical nature of these substances, it will
be sufficient TO say that Camphene, Spirit
Gas, Chemical Oil aud Spirits Of Turpentnc,
are but different names for the same thing, and
tina, IT the combustIbllty, or Illuminating
power of Spirits Turpenline and Alcohol are
increased by the addition Of Campnor, their
chemical nature remains the same. These
liquids are all highly combusiiblc, and nearly
equally dangerous; perhaps the spirit gas is
the most volatile, and may therefore be the
most dangerous.
| You ask if there IS danger Of explosion
from these liquids? by this you probably
mean, will the same effect occur when a
quantity Of any one of them is set fire to, as
when gnnpowder, or n mixture Of oxygen and
hydrogen gasscs is fired. The answer will
be obvious if you distinguish between the
sudden, instantaneous, combustion Of the
whole mass, and the progressive combustion
which gas or combustlble undcrgocs
merely where and as II comes in contact with,
or mikes with, the air or with oxygen. lily
drogen gas is well known 10 be one Of the
most easily nnammable substances with
which we are acquainted, aud yet lighted
candle may be plunged into q vessel ii He'd
with it,wilhout explosion excepting the small
portion nt the mouth Of the vessel, which ~
mixed with, or in contact with the air;) it will
! ignite and the combustion extend 10 the whole
of the gas, but only as air gains admission
A lighted candle might in the same way be
plunged into one Of tho large gnsometers OF
the Gas Works, and no explosion would oc.
cur. The candle in both cases would be cx-
tInguished, but the gases would continue to
burn, but only as atmospheric mir or oxygen
were supplied. IL these gnses, however, had
been previously mixed with air or oxygen,
explosion would take place as soon as the
candle were presented, and tho entire con.
tents Of the vessel or gosometer would in.
simultaneously be ignited. So too, may a
lighted candle be plunged into oil Of turpcn.
tine, camphene, chemical oil, &C., and it will
be cxtingushed. This is IN experiment,
often made by the vcnders of these liquids,
to satisfy Tho inquirer as to the explosive
nature Of them, aud rs no explosion occurs il
is deemed satisfactory proof That The liquid is
free from objection on that score. A candle
may be plunged into alcohol without iniia-
ming il. But it the candle were sio,ciy bro't
near The surface OF these liquors, some, if not
all Of them, would be ignited; the candle
must remain near enough and long enough,
however, to communicate heat sufficient to
vaporlze portion Of the liquid, and this va
por II Is which catches fire. and the comDus.
ton of the whole must ensue.
If we present lighted candle to the
mouth Of vessel previously .fHed miM the
Uapor Of any Of these liquids II will exhibit,
very nearly the same appearances as If the
vessel had been filed with hydrogen gus
In the gases the combustibe body is already
in that aucnuated state when momcntary
application Of heat. or Of the candle flame, il
sufficient to ignite them.
Oil Of turpentine IN my Of the forms in
use is as you perceive less dangerous than
hydrogen, or coal or oil gases, but if once
ignited will burn with u continuous flame,
and the nearer 1t approaches to the state of
vnpor or gas, in other words the plycr it is,
the more dangerous it becomes.
There have been great many attempts io
substitute spirits Of turpentinc Tor whale oil
in lamps, and many years since several forms
of lamps were con,rvcd in England, and
since then in this country. But as yet none
of them have answered the purpose, they
have merely excited some interes, for n short
time. The great object TO be obtained is to
supply oxygen to the turpcntinc to combine
with all its carbon, and thus cause the com.
plete combustion Of the abundant smoke
The smoke vt an i'll trimmed lamp is owing
to an inadequate supply of air or oxygen;
when lamp does not smoke it is because
the quantity Of oil broughtNp by the wick is
properly adjusted to the quantity Of oxygen
Tor ulr) with which IL comes IN contact.
The due supply Of air has been pretty well
regulated by tho conlrvanco of Argand, the
wick being hollow, and receiving air both
within nnd without. The same thing has
been attempted IN common lamps, those with
a solid wick, and has to certain extent,
been effected by placing cone OF metal on
the outside 10 conduct The air to tho end OF
the wick, and tall chimney to increase the
/