New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-31
Experiments with Bpruinx FIsid>.
ANALYTICAL LABoRArosY. YALE CoLLsGs
Nrw HAVEN. Fralst. De, a. IS5s.
10 re Editor oJ TAe \. Y Ei5rAe.


SIR: give below the results of some ex.
rer.rncI:s Eave recently male with the mixtures OF
alcohol csmphcne and similar substances. in com
mon use under the OF burning fluids. AZ the use
Of these -lix,ures seems likely 10 be continued moi,
wirhtanding all hs, is said ayainst them the diffusion
OF more accurate knowedye Of lher properties than
is generally possessed desirable. Many OF the
experiments reported made simply FOR the sake
of completeness the series and not because OF any
doubt to the result
EzpcrhusAf IA lighted match was spphed 10 the
open mouth Of gallon can end also OF a small hand
lamp. both bring perfectly 6ed with ordinary burn
ing fluid. tu externally dry The duid was inlsmei
in both csses, and continued TO burn quietly until eN'
tinguished This was sufficient to shoa that the iuid
not explosive.
Erpsrfmen, "A small quantity of the aud was
brought into hsfpini flask and heated until the air
was entirely expelled by the vspor formed flame was
then applied at the mouth OF the flask. when the vapor
was kinded and continued to burn a. long as heat
applied below but the combustion only al the mouth
AZ the iGsk and nO. all il the interior This experiment
furnishes satisfactory evidence that the vapor OF burn
ing fluid Is ret explosive.
ErperimsEi a-Abou,a gill OF the tud poured into
the used in the first experiment the can then well
shaken and the ud poured Out The object of tbs pro
ceedine was TO obtain mixture of the vapor OF the add
with atmospheric air. On applying match to the
mouth OF the can the result Immediate ignition and
violent rush of blue flame 10 the hight OF twelve inches
OF more above the can This experiment illustrates the
well known feet that mixture OF air and the yspor of
burning fluid Is explosive The gilmore lIid IN this
experiment rather diminshcs than increases the effect
too large proportion OF vspOr s thus obtained
ETPr rreRf 4-The same quantity OF fluid was poured
into the and the shaken and emptied rs before
On applying match flame hckered about the opening
for a moment and then went out The heat produced
in the former experiment had vaporzed much OF the
fluid 10 expel the air essential TO eombaston from the
can.
out all the vspor aud then empted and charged in
the previous experiments, and n match applied The
consequence rush Of blue flame precisely in
experiment 2. This result confirmed the info CAGE
made to the cause OF the failure of experiment.
Experiment 6-The can cleared ofvapor by means
Of water before and then shaken with about quart
Of fluid which was left in the The result sppy
ing the match similar 10 the last but the rush OF
flame ess fOrcibc. owing the smaller volume OF the
explosive mixture The fluid in the not In.
famed. The heat CT the explosion had allied IN, can
with vapOr In revious case and excluded the air
essential 10 combustion. This experiment several
times repected with the same result.
Ezrrime.t THE can was charged as before. and a
stream OF fluid made to run from II into lamp, when
the match applied The result the usual violent
rush of flame and the Inflammation OF small quantity
of fluid the mouth OF the can and in and about the
lamp and also of smaller portion carried out by the
force OF the explosion short distance beyond the lamp
Under ordinary circumstances the probable result OF
such explosion would be the overturnng of the can
ard lamp through fright and the escape and nhanms
ton OF a larger quantity of the liquid.
Experiment & To show that mixture OF vapor and
burning fluid may be exploded by dame at cor ider
able distance, With spout was charged and long
glass tube htted to the opening by blowing iEto the
tube OF mixed air and vapor made 10 issue
from the open mouth CT the cen. flame was then
brought into the current and gradually lowered toward
the At adistance OF eight inches passed suddenly
down and exploded the mixture which the can con
fntr frsa aetre nd yxlfh
special contrvance for eiecting II, tie transit oil the
flame might take place through smuch greater distance
1t is highly probable that many accidents occur In
this way.
Frpeyjnsnf9 To test the force Of the explosions pre-
viousy produced hole about the eighth OF an inch In
diameter made the bottom OF the can the can
then tightly corked and match applied 10 the small
orfce The result loud report and the bursting
Of the can. II torn open from top TO bottom The
small quantity of fluid that adhered to the sides of the
vessel was at the time nhamed and continued to
burn until IL was entirely consumed The same expert
ment was made with Rosin Oil, 40 called, article
recently advertised nexplosive. The result was pre-
ciseiy the same. Another torn open from top
to bottom The result would have been similar If can
with spout had been used and the match applied at It's
mowh instead OF the orihce made expressly for tho
purpose Gases similar TO this undoubtedly Of fire.
quent occurrence The attempt " made TO MI lamp
from a can whose large opening kept closed In many
probably with the express design OF avoiding dan
ger The consequence is that the can u rupturcd AMI
the burning fluid thrown over the person holdingt
In the above experiments the plan OF ng the ves'e.
with water after eech explosion resorted to in or
der empty Of vapor This method gives the most
uniform results but the experiment for obtaining the
rush OF fame may be performed successfully and re
peated any number Of times with q can containing
email portion of fluid, by simply blowing the whole con-
ents OF the lungs into twelve times after each
experiment If gallon can be used its mouth should
be an inch in diameter IL s better 10 make the expert
ment on a small scale. iourounce phia answers the
purpose perfectly II Is first to be hlled with mud and
then empted At ordinary temperatures mixture Of
air and the right proportions 10 thus formed,
which may be exploded BY bringing il to the flame sf
lamp. There Is no danger whatever OF bursting the
phia the mouth be stoppered with cork not over an
eighth Of an inch In thickness and containing open
ing OF about the diameter the force OF the expio
sion will be sufficient TO drive out the cork with smart
report III the cork be thicker or the hole smaller the
mixture cannot well be fired through IT,
would suggest this simple test OF all burning nnds
rosir oils &C. sAid to be nexposive IL the rush OF
fame before described occurs under the circumstances
mentioned, explosions may happen IN the use Oh tne
fluid IT. however IL does occur, 10 10 not 10 be m
ferred that the fluid may not yield explosive mixture
under certain circumstances Camphne, tor instance
will do so, although at ordinary temperatures no ex
piosion can be produced with by the means above
mentioned. But all the burning huids, or similar mix
lures intended for In lamps without chlneys or
capable Of being burned In such lamps will yield an ex
plosive mixture AZ the ordinary temperature OF in
habted apartment II tested a. above described l.et
the yender himself make the experiment II the test be
insisted on, no "inexplosiye' burning nuiis WI
be offered for sale They all Of similar eonpostien
beng solutions Of csmphene or some other hydrocar
bon In sIcoho What the dissolved substance Is Is i'm
material for the alcohol u in much the larger proper
ton and rs yapor alone forms explosive mixture
with air
Camphene viii not yield such mixture In the phi.
experiment. for the reason, that 1t not sufficiently vol
stle and the mixture produced contains too little yspor
But BY previously heafng the camphene 10 lJ' Fsren
heat and then filing phial with and emP,ylng out
again, the night proportions are obtained Inc ekpet
iment fails with ether on the other hand ocanse
too volstc and ,s vspor produced In excess BY the
means above mentioned
To ascertain more definitely than could be done oy
the methods already given the quantity Of the different
liquids which actually took part IN the explosions pro
dleed .ngle drop Of burnnghuid was brought INTO
shafpint assk and then heated spirit lamp. On
supIytnz dame TO the mouth of the hask ignition
resulted Two or three drops formed uniformly an ex
plosiye mixture On doubling the quantity the vapor
produced was in excess and there was no explosion
n follows that the bursting the above mentioned
Wa effected by the Vspor OF angle thmbefal OF tae
LIQUID employ ed mixed with atmospheric air In she
bursr Of lamp OF ordinary size no more tnsn TWO
nftitti5 could take