Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-01-08
Safety Fluid Lamp.
Lancdstey, Ohio.

The Scientific american, rs many of oil,
readers may know, is one ol the most reli.
able journals in this country As the subject
of explosive burning fluids is one of great
interest, aud ns Mr.. Newell is of this city, we
lay the following article from the piper re-
icrred To, before our readers. Any of them
who wish to witness the experiments ofwhch
It speaks, may do so by calling at Newell g.
Cos store in Winter street,
Safety Fluid Lamp Chemical Cause of Err
p'osions.-On onr advertising page will lie
found the advertisement Of MIR. Newelrs
lamp, an invention which we have examined
and which we esiimnte highly. Il is n SCI
entliic lamp, and one which no one not nc
| qna'nIed with chemistry, could have invented;
| because the Improvement is founded upon u
knowledge of the gases. 1t embraces the
! principle of Humphrey Davy's invention of
lhe Safely Lamp. - In the centre of the lamp
extending TO The bottom, is fixed cylinder
OF me tinned wire gauze, having mesh of
oOO TO the inch. A tube of like gauze screws
on TO the wick disc, and confines the wick
tins tube slips down inside of the gatlZe evil
nder spoken Of The can for containing the
cnmphenc, or turpentine and alcoholic mix.
ture, which is now commonly used for lamps.
is mnde with disc of this wire-gau in the
spout and under the lid.
We have seen the. fluid in the lamp set on
fire by taking out the wick, and the fluid set
on fire at the spout Of the can, and no explo-
sion take place. We have also seen the fluid
poured into the lamp, out of the can, while
the fluid in the spout and that in the lamp
were blazing, and, instead of an explosion,
tile fame was extinguished 1t uny well he
asked,-how eau this simple application of
wire.gauzc prevent explosions in fluid lamps !?
The question is an important one. II was
discovered by Humphrey. Davy, that fine
wre-ganZc surrounding the flame of lamp,
would prevent the ignition Of an explosive
gas surrounding the lamp-but phy it should
do so men differ in opinion-the fact is known
aud MIR. Newell hns ingeniously applied his
knowledge of the same. The reason why
any gas is explosive, that is, goes off like gun
powder, hy sudden expansion aud contraction
when igniIed, is owing TO the combnsiible
materials of its composition being fully sat
uratcd with oxygen, and it is in Il fil state To
ignlte insIantnneously by the first spark.
The gas we employ for lighting our streets,
if hwere saturated with oxygen, would, when
burner was opened and touched with II
match, ignite quick as the lightning flash all
the gas in every pipe and gus-tnnl; in our city,
our houses as suddenly and lorciply us iftley
had been mined with gunpowder. This is
the chemical cause of gas aud other explo-
sions,-yiZ; the cOmbuslible materials being
fully saturated with oxygen aud then gniled.
The Goals in our fires do not explode, be.
cause they are not saturated with oxygen, the
supporter of combustion the oxygen grad.
ually combines with the carbon in combus-
lion, but If our Goals were reduced 10 N stnte
of gas, and the gas mixed with twice its
weight of oxygen, the mixed gas would ignite
instantaneonsy when match was applied,
and cause what is termed an explosion
which is but instantaneous combustion; fire
is slow combustion, that is all the difference
between the two. Those who keep volatile
lh hiro-carbons, such as alcohol, turpentne, or
mixtures Of these two fluids in stores, SC,
should be very careful aud not suffer them
TO be acted upon hy heat SO us to cause eyap-
oration and saluraIiOn with the oxygen of the
atmosphere, which is simply TO use a sole
cisn-a gunpowdcr gas.