The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-22
OOAL-OLL EVANS.


particular, to the shameless manner in which
the law passed at a recent session of the Le-
gislature providing for the inspection of
refined petroleum in this city is openly vio-
lated and defied, not only by the dealers in
burning oils, but by Robert M. Evans, the
so-called Inspector. Inasmuch as the Governor
has not yet seen fit to take any action in the
matter, and we are still called upon to note
the occurrence of disasters involving peril to
human life and destruction of property by
reason of this defiance of the law, we deem it
necessary to recur to the subject.
Our readers are already familiar with the
manner in which the law was pushed through
the Legislature. Although essentially de-
sirable enactment, the strict enforcement of
which would tend to throw much needed safe
guards around the lives and property of our
citizens, the manner of its passage was about
on a par with the general character of
our recent legislation. Evans went up to
Harrisburg with an axe of very respectable
dimensions, the which he desired to have
ground. The bill, as originally framed by
him. provided for an inspection not only of
the refined petroleum exposed to sale in this
city, but of all the crude petroleum which
is extracted from the bowels of the earth
in the great oil regions of this State. If it
had been suffered to pass in this shape the
fees of the inspector would have ranged be-
tween one hundred and fifty and two hundred
thousand dollars per annum! AS q matter of
course, the passage of such on iniquitous
measure for the personal benefit of single
individual would have aroused such a storm
of indignation that it would most certainly
have been repealed at the next session of
the Legislature But, in the meanwhile, the
inspector would have had full years oppor-
tunity at the spoils of the Office, and after
rewarding handsomely all the swindlers who
lent their votes to its passage, would have
retired to private life with a fortune of at
least one hundred thousand dollars. This
grand plindering scheme, however, was
knocked in the head, and the law as it passed
provided simply for the appointment by the
Governor of an inspector of refined petro-
leum for the city of Philadelphia.
The bill was unhesitatingly signed by Gov
ernor Geary, and by him Robert M. Evans,
the humanitarian who framed 1t aud secured
its passage, was promptly commissioned to
numerous cases of explosion which have oc-
CURED since Evans entered upon the Office
are sufficient evidence of the manner in which
these duties are discharged by him. Still
more damaging is the expose which we re-
Gently made of the character of the refined
petroleum with which the city is flooded. In
addition to the analyses of six specimens
which we recently published, we have caused
six other specimens to be subjected to exami-
nation, and in the following table is given
the result
Flashing Burning
From ,rhon purchased point poiaL
&c. Thomas, No 106 Market street. .. rs
2-No name, Thompson and Marlbo-
s-w. YCon condon Ir,eS; No. 1928 Marlborough "
4-w H. King, No 25S Girard avenue " IS
&C. Bennett, No. 539 Richmond ST.. rs
Cd. II. Parker, Eleventh and Market
IA Sc5eSerle. No ia2 Master street o'ei i7s
s-P. johnson & Bro, Tenth and JEFF
s-H sssSh seSdmeyeT No 1857 South St 81 over 12
1O-H. Biers, No. 615 South Eighth ST.. S5 1O2
ID. Supps, Second and Washington
1q-No name, Moyamensing avenue
and Federal street. ............... Ss 93
Now, in examining this table, it is only
necessary to bear in mind that the recognized
point of 10 degrees, Fahrenheit. Of the
twelve samples given above, it will be seen
that two only-the sixth and ninth-comply
with the acquisitions of the law, the remain
ing ten falling from eight to thirty-eight de-
grees below the legal standard, while five
samples out of the twelve were so extremely
volatile that the flashing point could not be
determined, except by the most complicated
and elaborate chemical analysis. At the mere
application of lighted match in the open
air, at an ordinary temperature, the vapor
arising from them was ignited! And,
vides for the punishment, by fine of $500
and an Imprisonment for one year, of any
violation of the act, in one case alone has In
spector Evans seen fit to prosecute any
dealer for an infringement of the provisions
of the statute, and that case failed because it
was found that the article sold by the alleged
violator OF the law was not, technically, a
petroleun product
Such is the manner in which the provisions
of the law are enforced by Evans. At the
outset he secured the aid of several assistant
inspectors, two of whom, however, were
directly interested in oil refneries; but in
few weeks he discharged all except one. and
that one, by singular coincidence, happens
to be his own brother. He has furthermore
permitted his official brands to remain at the
oil refneries, where they could be, and doubt
less were, used by others in his absence; and.
although Governor Geary's attention has been