Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-04-23
Mlisfellaueults Artieles.
CAUSE OF LAMP EXPLOSIONS.

The Boston Journal of Chemistry, in an
article on the chemistry of kerosene, speaks
as follows. As an explanation of the eau
ses of lamp explosions, it is worth study
ing, that these accidents may be avoided:
As has been stated, kerosene is not ex-
|plosive. A lighted taper may be thrust
into it, or flame applied in any way, and it
does not explode. On the contrary it ex-
tinguishes fame, if experimental with at
the usual temperatures of our rooms. Kero-
sene accidents occur from two causes /:
First, imperfect manufacture of the article; !;
second adulterations. Animperfectly manu-
factured oil is that which results when the
distillation has been carried on at a two
low temperature, and portion of the
naphtha remains in it. Authorizations are
largely made by unprincipled dealers, who
add 20 to 80 per cent. of naphtha after it
leaves the manufacturer hands. The light
napthas which have been spoken Of, as
known in commerce under the names of
benzine, benzoline, gasoline, eet., are very
volatile, inffammable, and dangerous. They,
however, in themselves, are not explosive !;
neither are they capable of furnishing any
gas, when placed in lamps, which is explo-
sive. Accidents of this nature are due en-
tirely to the facility with which vapor is
produced from them at low temperatures.
But the vapor by itself is not explosive; to
render it so, 1t must be nired s0ith air. A
lamp may be filled with bad kerosene, or
with the vapor even, and in no possible
way can it detonate, or explode, unless at
mospheric air has somehow got mixed with
vapor. A lamp, therefore, full, or nearly
full, of the liquid, is safe; and also one full
of pure warm vapor is safe. Explosions
generally occur when the lamp is first
lighted, without being filled, and late in the
evening when the fluid is nearly exhausted.
The reason of this will readily be seen. In
using imperfect or adulterated kerosene,
the space above the line Of oil is always
filled with vapor and so long as it is warm,
and rising freely, no air can reach it, and
it is safe. At bedtime when the family
retire, the light is extinguished; the lamp.
cools; a portion of the vapor is condensed )
this creates partial vacuum in the space,
which is instantly filled with air. The
mixture is now more or less explosive ; and
when, upon the next evening, the lamp is
lighted without replenishine with oil, as is
often done, an explosion is liable to take
place. Late in the evening, when the oil
is nearly consumed, and the space above
filled with vapor, the lamp cannot explode
so long as it remains at rest on the table.
But take it in hand, agitate it, carry it in
to cool room, the vapor is cooled, air pass
es in, and the vapor. becomes explosive. A
case of lamp explosion came to the writer's
knowledge a few years since, which was oc-
casioned by taking lamp from the table
to answer a ring of the door-bell. The
cool outside air which impinged upon the
lamp in the hands of the lady, rapidly con-
densed the vapor, air passed in, explosion
occurred, which resulted fatally. If the
lamp had been full of fluid, this accident
could not have occurred. Before carrying
it to the door, flame might have been thrust
into the lamp with safety; the vapor would
have ignited but no explosion would have
taken place.