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

Underwood and Payne. The bill was
reported ard finally passed, yeas l22
nays G6, allowing $4,000.
SATURDAY, juno 10,
The Senate did not sit.
In THE HousE-On motion Of Mr.
Torrance, to refer a petition for a pro-
leclive tariff with Instructions to rcpor
by bill, n debate arose.
The whole subject was laid on the Ia
ble-l30 to GG.
A number of petitions were offered
some of them from the budget of MIR
Adams, on abolition.
\ The various topics Of the President
| Message were referred to appropriat,
Committees.
Mr.. ATKINsoN-The censuro which
some Of our good citizens infiict upon
the Directors Of the Bristol County
Mutual Fire Insurance Company, in
consequence Of their determination not
to pay any loss which may happen TO q
ouuuinS 'uauTcu w 'hc'H "HS'c NhS"'-
cal Oil is used--declaring it to be an
Infringement Of their contract, in order
to destroy the confidence Of the public
in an article equally safe, and much
moro economical than Sperm Oil, mere
ly to serve their own interests, with
many other equally uncharitablc re-
marks, induce me to hand you for pub
lication the opinion Of Professor Web
ster, communicated to the Boston Daily
Advertiser in March last, whose expert
mcnts with this nt,c oil will satisfy any
unprcjudccd mind that it is an extra
hazard, and consequently the Directors
are morally bound to give this notice
Tho question | know is put, why do moi
the other Insurance Companies give the
Same notice Why does New Bed.
ford lead, or net alone-i is not this proof
positive, that their object is to destroy
the use of Chemical Oil? These qucs.
tons can best be answered by remind.
ing such individuals as use a light con.
sidcred an extra hazard by Professor.
and all disntcrestcd men, that an In.
surance Company is not legally bOuno
10 gire any notice Of Their intentions anti
loss ocesWs, and, that IL may be sat;
for them to enquire Of their undcrwri
ters, whether they will pay a loss OF
such building or Goods.
H A SUBSCRIBER.
PATENT LAMPS AND CHEMI
CAL OIL.
|, The following letter from Professor Web
ster, Of Harvard University, written at tn,
request Of she gentlemen 10 whom it is nd
dressed, contains information which will b,
useful aud interesting To many readers. l
is subject on which some curiosity has beer
excited, aud we are gra.licd in being able t.
present the information on the authority O
one who has so much practical acquaintance
with subjects of this nature Dos Doiy .4dp
PATENT LAMPS AND CHEMICAL
/ OIL.
/ Thomas c. AMoRY, Esq.
President of Me Hreman's Insurance Office
| Boston,
/ Dear Sir,-Your letter of the Ilth inst. was
duly received, and have given it the aitsn.
tion you requested. You ask for such lnfor.
nation AS 1t may be in my power to commu.
nlcate respecting the chemical nature, safety
&c. Of the substances that have been pro-
/ posed, or are used. as substitutes for whale
oils in lamps. il is not surprising that the
attention OF Insurance Offices should be di.
rccted to this subject, when, as you remark
it is recollcctcd that "any preparation in
| which alcohol or spirits. Of turDcn,ibo arc
/ ingredients must in all cases be carefully
handled, aud as large proportion of fires ure
II the result of carclcssncss."
Il That oil or spirits of turpentlne is the prin
cpal and characteristic ingredient of the VA
/ rlons liquids more or less in use MS substitute.
for common oil, by whatever names they may
| be called by the manufacturers, Is abundant
/ ly obvious from their order. The liquid cal
| led "Grccnoush's Chemical Oil" which ha.
recently been employed in lamps OF mucl
beauty and OF various forms. appears to be {
pretty pure spirits of iurpenline. Ii is sal,
to contain small quantity Of alcohol ano
camphor. Camphor is readily dissolved by
both llqalds, and by passing muriatic acit
! gas into spirits of turpen,no it is convertbl,
into camphor, or at least a substance anala
gous to that solid, and long known TO chem
lists as "artliicial cumphor." The combustI
blllty both of alcohol and Of turpcntinc i,
increased by the presence Of camphor. The
\ specific gravity Of a portion of the "Chemica
\ Ol" is found to bo very nearly the same a,
that ot cunphor, viz: 9S, and the specific
| gravity oi common spirits Of turpentinc, sc
The specific gravity Of another liquid mucl
used IN lamps, and sold as prcpara ton o
4 oi turpenlne, is IA.
4 1t Is stated that this new "Chemicnl Oil
is new combination. There may bo som,
new arrangement ior disiillng 1t, but there u
nothing new IN the product; it is essential,
Oh OF Turpentne. The new combination 1t
also SAID 10 be brought about by The aid o
Inns and other substances. The use of lime
rs not new; II was proposed several years
ago by the French chemist Dumas, and the
| process recommended by him has ] bcliev,
been extensively adopted by manufacturers
|, common iurpcnlinc is n compound oi VIOLA
n ,Ile oil and two resins, or as some consde
them, acids, viz: the pinic and syvic acids
II To Ubtuln tho volatip oil The turucutiuc /,