The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-04-02
gailp argus.
oxxIOxAL PAPB2.
THE BURMxMo OILS.
CONDITIONS OF An EXPLOSION.
Coal Oil-Fire Test-When there 10 Danger
-Gaso1ine-High Test Oils.

! The following communication, from q
gentleman who ought, from his position, tc
know all about the very important subject
of which he treats, to the St. Louis Demo
erat, will at this juncture be found both in
teresting and valuable:
Editors Missouri Democrat:
Win you allow one familiar with the man
utGcture and handling Of coal OIL to enlarge
on the subject presented III your issue OF
Saturday, In connection with the sad acci
dent recorded. There is so much popular
ignorance as to the character of the pstro
leum and other fluids burned, that you will
| certainly do the public service by giving
| accurate information on the subject, even a,
| the expense of repetition.
Everything made from petroleum is men
toned in this market as coal OIL" though
the term is little used in other markets, and
| hence coal oil is saddled with the blame Of
every accident or fire that occurs, whe,he,
from refined oil, or its refuse, naptha and
gasoline. Your article falls into the com
| mon error of attributing to coal oil what il
true only of naptha or gasoline.
In refining crude petroleum q volatile
hery element is run off in the form of q va
por, and condensed into liquid. The re-
| fined oil remaining is thereby given fire
| test" The lightes. in density of this volatile
liquid, is known as gasoline, and ranges In
gravity from say II to S5 degrees. The
lowest gravity commonly sold in 60 to 90
degrees, aud is known naptha or benzine
About fifteen per cent of these light liquids
is obtained in the refining process. The SIS
degrees gravity gasoline is used in gas
machines" aud several houses in this city
are thus lighted. 1t is the safest way tc
use it, and yet it has been known to blow
up a house, through a defective meter
which any gas may do. The "A degrees
gravity is used in portable gas lamps
Naptha Of IS degrees gravity is used in
common lamps, under the disguise of
Aurora Oil, ""Petro OIL" "Petrolin," &c
Other gravities are used by painters, and
for various commercial purposes. 1t is
claimed by the owners of these patent hgh,
tolls" that some chemical ingredient is pu,
in them that takes away their explosive
quality, but chemists pronounce the claim
impossible. They are oil intensely inaam
mable, having no first test, and cannot be
manipulated without danger of catching
Are. There is penuD.bra of vspor always
on the surface, and escaping, so that it is
not necessary for light to come in actual
contact; and when can is left open it will
i'll room with an explosive gas.
These "oils" are dear at any price.
Refined Goa or carbon oil, having been
freed of these volatile fluids, has fire test,
and is made to stand all the way from 100
degrees Fahrenheit, which is New York feet
to 100 degrees, the choicest oil made. None
is Intentionally made below 100 degrees test.
By first test we mean the degree of heat
oecessary TO be given the oil before it will
ignite andcontinue to burn on applying a
lighted match. The 'vsporizing point is
the degree at which it will emit vapor,
which will simply flash, but not continue to
burn on applying a match. The article in
the Democrat of Saturday says that 'oil has
been known to ignite ten feet from blaze.
Probably napths or gasoline was intended
IN this remark. The writer has never seen
any coal oil in this market, in the hands Of
wholesale dealers that would ignite even op
plunging lighted match into il. At ordi
nary temperature. ll0 deg. or 100 deg test
,il even seiU put ont a lighted match ,chen
applied, as if srateY, and will do it as often
applied, until the oil has thereby been
heated to its 'vaporizing point which is 10
deg. to Is deg. below its first test 1t will
then, in an open vessel, simply fash and go
ont Hence carbon oil of ll0 deg. test, lie
handled with perfect safety. II set on fire
by retoi!ers or servants, it must be from
gross csreessness. Many ridicule this
assumption. but ss any man or woman can
try the harmless experiment by putting q
lighted match into q cupfull, there Is no use
of foolishly arguing" against statement
so easily verified. If isshould ignite, it is
not even 100 deg, test oil, and should be
discarded. Oil is refined TO attain this very
end. The writer would suggest to some OF
our city fathers that the next time they call
for glass of whisky, lof course none of
them drink it, they also call for glass OF
coal oil, mot to drink, though it would hurt
less, and try the relative FIRE test; they would
and that the whisky on applying q match
will Instantly take FIRE, and the coal oil won I.
Now, it will be asked, if coal oil of ITO
deg. fire test, will not emit vapor say ~
deg. to 100 deg. temperature, whence the
recent explosion, and explosions elsewhere!
1t must be presumed that the temperature
Of the oil in the lamps, from the warmth OF
the room and the internal radiation OF heat
from the burner, must have been above Its
vaporizing point, say 80 deg, and 1t is pos
sible for ii to rise above 100 deg. Yet un
less air and fire combine, no explosion
would follow. But that rare combiustion
will, or does, sometimes occur. hence the
writer holds that 100 deg. oil is not absolute
Iy safe in every kind of burner, handled BY
every kind of servants, and in the hot
months the fire test should be at iesst ten
degrees higher to be relatively safe.
But if people want a better oil, and are
willing to pay for it. they can get 1t. A
pure, white oil, of l60 to 100 degrees IRE
test, is largely sold in this city, and can be
had for 60c by the five gallons. Such al
Ill will rot emit vapor under lao to l1S
degrees emperature, degree of heat never
given the oil in any lamp while burning
and hence must be absolutely safe agains
any contingencies that cause explosion 8
II is also secure against accidents that bap
pen from tipping over lsmps and sp.llinI
out the oil. 1t should be more generall,
| used. AS cheap light as such an o il gives
at 60 cents, any man having visible mean'
of support can afford to buy.
The high test oil alluded to IN the abov
article. is the Diamond Nlumindtor, adver
tised in our columns by Geo. Partridge 4
Co., oil merchants, St. Louis, who have tn
credi. of being the 6rst in the West to IN
troduce such an oil for family use. The.
| should have q large trade for it. We en-
dorse the oil as the most beautiful we hsv
ever seen, and also recommend this hous
to all our consumers of Lubricatory 40
Machinery Oils, as well As reliable BurninI
Oils.
John D. Doran, late of the Cincinna
Enquirer, has purchased the interest of NJ
vallandiugham and Judge Dwyer in II
DAYTON Ledoer. and will become the 1eadin