The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-07-15

accused.
from the record there were doubts a. to the owner
ship of property by Mr. Jones in.Fredericksburg'
and he should de,ain him for further examination
on that point. This 10 the one arraigned.
CRY Gas woRxs To show the danger to which
these works were exposed during the late fire on
Messrs Burr & Ettnger's premises, we will state q
few facts which have been furnished to US by the
ing, the holders were only partly filled with gas
in consequence of which they had sunk down, 20
that emily few feet remained above the level of the
ground. The exposed surface was therefore much
less than when they are entirely filed. One of
these holders 10 30 feet In diameter and As feet In
heil hi, and the other 50 feet in diameter and 40
feet high, and they stand within few feet of each
bther. the capacity of the two is 100000 cubic
feet. The position of the holders, at the time of
the fire. was the most favorable to safety that could
have existed, and even then the holder nearest To
the confagration. In consequence of the rarefsc
ton of the contained gas, was raised about 10 in
ches on the side exposed to the fames thus chang.
ing the whole movable portion, from its upright
and proper position. The Superintendent thinks
that without the three fire plugs in the yard, which
enabled him to play upon the heated surface of
the holder, and thus prevent a greater expansion,
there might have been great danger. In case of an
explosion we have no doubt that the consequences
would have been terrific. B ut we doubt very much
whether an explosion would have taken place even
If the heat of the FIRE had been much greater. Our
reasons are briefly these. Neither b drogen nor
carburetted hydrogen are explosive by themselves
In oit horn f fhcyv,
ture with oxygen Tor with common air, which con.
talns ID no explosion can be produced by ignition.
If the latter gas, which is used for lights were Of
itself explosive, every jet and burner would in
stantly explode, instead of yielding Illumination
We might as well have SO many trains to a
powder magazine in our houses and streets. Ii is
only where gas is mixed with large quantity Of
air or oxygen that an explosion becomes possible,
and this can only happen when the vessel contain
log 1t has large aperture at the point of ignition
The most familiar experiment in chemistry (Which
any test for himself at tie cost of sixpence)
will show this TO be csrrect. Now. in the case of
our gas holders, how this large aperture to be
produced-large enough to have caused sudden
admixture of great volume of atmospheric airf-
The heat of the fire might have opened seam, or
sC'Cio al eCetAo AL huC tue escaping
gas might have gnited, but in our opinion 1t would
have burned gradually at each small opening with
out explosion, just 1t in the ordinary burn
ers. How could the holder explode, so long as
the contained gas was not explosive, and wv could
it become SO, while no single aperture was made
large enough to admit the air. If a few plates of
the iron were suddenly torn off, then an explosion
would no doubt follow-but otherwise, not In
deed, were thousand small spertares to be made
in the holder and fire applied to eaca, they would
burn quietly and gradually, and no explosion fol
low. Gas works have been burnt down without
even stopping the supply in the least during the
fire. or in any way dangerously affecting the hold
ers. We may be mstak n, but cannot believe that
there was any great reason for the alarm which was
felt by many of our citizens the occasion Of the
late confagration An explosion was possible, (all
things are) but as we think, by no means probable.