, 1870-12-09
THR OIL FIEND.
a Specimen OF Modern illuminating
Oll-NlnfslinK Developments AT q
Buffalo Ceroncfss Iuquests

a specimen Oh AloucFM illuminating
0il->tnstling Developments at q
HufSnaO Csfoncfss Inquest,
E.o7n The B.gd,o Cour,er.
spe'1a 10 tut inf mnsbls qualities OF ths va
.lous OILS Ind dec OBS for Illuminating pur-
."'rt- winch are sold pr miscuously by rttaU
dealers, On account Of the terrible accident
winch recently happened at Bla:k Rock, by
Which little daughter OF Nathaniel Laforge
lost he1 LIFE. Coroner Burke held an inquest
~: the tod: and we pu, ltsh tho Testimony Of
Ut. HtJan Il. losgett, health phyaican OF the
c.ty, ~ rel4ting to tho ecientihc points in
vowed, winch was given ye'ter3ay:
|. .Am = pr,cscng physician and surgeon;
rft1de in Buffalo; at the request Of Coroner
Enf9e procured SAMPLE of the oil ueed by
the Laforge family, and. tested 1t: found ia
specific gravity to be 691{e, Beaume's scale,
which brings it within tie rapge Of naptha'
10 l!nsfrato the lndamnAble power OF this
and other burning fluids, maks these tests"
1he Wltness hare proceeded to mike tests
" Gl1esens H r. oas: ae took sample Of the oil
tmali qu1rtity into SAUCER, and then poured
into another saucer An equal auantity Of nv
tbs, the latter bang q degrees, Beauno.
Holding lighted matches over both fluids, N
ipch from the snfsce, the yAPor from eaco
csught IRE, and the fluids baazed with lively
combustion. The witness then explained that
The xapof Of Union oil" or 'sPetroleum
. nuid, ," auqh ss the Laforge family had been
r.tin8,- s1h which was used By Them ut the
ume Of the death Of thu child, would, mixed
With atmospheric air, after ignitation, explode
when b1o4ght IN con act with flame.
The xittess then proceeded to demonstrate
bis proportion by pouring small quantity uf
tbs fluid, procured from the Lsforges. into
tin cylinder, four inches In diameter aud
twelve iro6ea long, with = uide mouth, equal
to she diime'er Of the cylinder, which be
ttoppcd co,k, With cloth surrounding
It to hold it 10 position, tho opposite ena
duced thlpush email aperture near the
lower epd} }of the cylinder, xblch may becou
psted,. f9 make it eomprenensibls to the
general I<Ader, With the touchho{e OF q
canDon., Plugging this touch-hoIe 10 prevent
the escaps q tho Tapor, match Was lighted,
spplh d, when an explosion took plaee, blow.
rg the cofk at Ihe mouth OF the cylinder en-
fireIy scrdR tho roorn., The witness demon
etrated by this experiment thst the oil Wa
highly t1ploeive and should not be usad. 10
then made The test with r1apth,, Of specific
E1svitv OIL }62 degrees BeAu1ue. Ia the same
cylinder. vi;h precisely the tsme result. =.
grees 'fra-test, and OF 45' degtaes specific
gravity. Tb,- and the :. Union fluid wsrs
b th poured, in email qH&Lti:iea, Ia s4ucers.
Lighted matches .ere dropped inso the fluids.
resulting 10 tie H1EhitE OF. the - Union =
fiuld 1nstan aneru in the ore caBe,- and
The going out of the match III the other. An
other experiment, Was then tried-that.- of
aIorping - lighted mitch INTO lamp hsif
nue. q with'berosene, the came ~ thas used in
the !ormer txpenment.- The match was ex-
nsnguashed without the ignition Of the oil.
heat> quantity Of kesosene, le0 degrees ara
tett. Sas poured on one end OF plank, and
IN IN eMaual M quantity OF the Uolon "flasd poured
On me other end. and lighted matches were
eaurreo INTO esch pool The mstch in ths
,si!i aii!osene burned away. drying up the oil With
! wu!en "s6in immediate contact, while tha
| mttoh arsppsd into the t. Uoion ''fuid icuited
i3s'anty, aud the fluid waut OF ifka =
ussn p1 gnop7wder, I. d vas nll oonrumed.: !.
aootoer exoerlmec ect was then m,de by pour.
lng quanti'y OF the "unfon " oil on niece
cf csTIet, eight or tau inches eun,re, nna an
I equal quantity Of keroesxe 150 daprees- Ara
Ge', upon smother ,iece al Garnet ~ IA ..n, ~ !
cime1 KiorM. Lighted matches " ara ,sns,n = ~.
p'ed. resulting IN tie inv sut tepitinn ~ ~
v51n oi! End The burntcR Up of tba ca,nst
, .araoe OF three seconds. while the ke,naan"
eo13eo uowly ard tired out the Patience M
Tue iookttt On, and Was s1tinguishod aftar the
: "Mo o1 lout or Hve minutss. Ir>s
r,i1es ~ MMees. hero remarked that kerosene
~ ,ns.tt w'ie napttha, for rsnt Of proper dis
iha s1Iia T. e vary dspRerous, fof. Il combine.
j sIs,te ps!otHFn properties and ready inaamms
nry rIn Gasfe nehtex Product, With tie ,tuteps,
ue9n 3 sRveF ct the heayisE oii i shanoa II,
= @posts1ee Of distall1nx off tIs iiehtsr prodnS M