Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-04-01
KEROSENE oIL---ExPLosIoNs.

anu gwen tne uWeIlers III Inc country one
of the advantages of those who live in cit
ies-a cheap and powerful light. Indeed,
we think that kerosene makes pleasanter
light than gas, and the city housekeeper
has no advantage over the rural one, so
far as light goes, other than not being
obliged to Gil and tim her lamps. How
mich mo,e the evenings are enjoyed, when
the room is made cheerful by sufficient
light 1t is Of itself great inducement
TO reading. Bnt as we sit down to read
the paper, with a mental blessing on the
man who invented kerosene, our enjoyment
is seriously disturbed by reading the, alas,
too frequent accounts of severe burning
and death from exploded kerosene lamps,
and we begin to be suspicious Of our own
! lamp, which though it has always behaved
/ itself most commercially, We feel might at
some time make US subject for a news
! paper item. We soon regain confidence
| in our lamp, which lasts until we hear of
another " shocking accident" We sup
pose that these might have been The feel
| ings of many who burn kerosene, and it is
worth while to look into the matter, and
see 10 what these so frequent explosions
are due.
! Coal oil and petroleum consists Of sew
Ell al distinct oils, which have different boil
ing points. If the crude article be heated
/ u 100, for instance, all that portion OF ii
which will boil at that temperature will be
driven off by evaporation. If the heat be
increased to 10, and steadily maintained
! there, another portion that was not volatile
at loo, will be esaporated; and so on
The refining of crude oils is done in ac-
cordance with these facts. The crude oil
is put into a still, and separated, by the
proper appropriation Of heat, into liquids
that have different boiling points. Those
which evaporate at tie lowest temperatures
| are Known as uaptha, benziue, gasoline,
etc, that which boils at a higher degree of
! heat is Kerosene and after that has been
distilled off, ther, is left in the still por
ton of oil not volatile Bcr zine and the
other oils which have low boiling poiLts
evaporate rapidly at ordinary tempera-
lures, and when their vapors are mixed in
proper proportions with air, compound
is formed which will explode whenever
light is applied. Hence these cannot be
used for Illuminating purposes in ordinary
lamps.
They, (beuzine, etc, are produced quite
abundan " in the process of refining crude
oil, and as the dcmanI for them for use in
the arts is small in comparison with that
for kerosene for burning they are always
very much cheaper than Kerosene
Kerosene, properly made by a reliable
manufacturer will not il fame at the tenn
perature to which it is likely to be exposed
in use, nor give off vapor that will form
an explosive compound with air.
A th;. oil for burning brings a so much
higher price than benzine, there is tempo
tation to the refiner to leave as much of
the latter in his kerosene as he can with
safety. For the same reason there is a
temptation 10 the dealer to buy both ben
zine and kerosene, and mix them, to re
duce tn" price at which he car sell them.
This is largely done. and it is very CON-
mon TO find Kerosene of two qualities and
prices in the retail stores. The low priced
is made such by the addition Of the dan
gerous bebzine.
There are several forms of apparatus
made for the purpose Of testing the safety
of the Gil, and every dealer should have
one and learn how to use it
A sufficiently accurate test NAV be made
by any one who has a thermometer. Place
a cup in a TN or other vessel of water
which is shown by the thermometer to be
at 10. When the cup is warmed through
put in a table spoonful OF kerosene Hold
a lighted match just above the surface of
the kerosene, and if any vapors have been
given off, tbey will take fire. This is not
attended with any danger, and careful
person, who will probably observe the con
ditions of temperature may obtain correct
results. Any kerosene that will stand
heating to 10, without forming an inflam-
alb vapor is safe to use, as far as danger
from explosion is concerned Some Of
that which is sold at the cheap rates will
form an explosive vapor at the tempera-
ture of a we'll warmed dwelling, and the
wonder is, not that there are so many ac-
cidents, bnt that thrre are so few.
The only thing the purchaser can do
is, to avoid cheap article, and to procure
his supplies of persons who not only would
not adnIterate themselves, but who regard
the safety Of others sufficiently to take
pains TO obtain their ST, ok from reliable
sources only. Each dealer should insist
upon a guarantee that the kerosene will
not form an explosive vapor at a lower
temperature than 40.
There is law of Congress against sell
ing any Illuminating oils that will not stand
the test of 10, and any one who sells dam
gerous oils is liable to both fine and i'm
prisonment. We cannot learn that any
one was ever even complained OF, much
less punished, under the law, so indiifer
ent are the people to that which concerns
their own welfare,-American Agricul-
turiSt