The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-04-08
kerosene, caaoline. ct ais.

We have experienced another IS sensation, =
almost equal 70 that produced by the earthquake
shake Of February. We have supped fall Of
horrors, ard hare dreamed Of nothing but explo-
sions Of : liquid gas and gasoline, Naptia and
BenziDe, and Sitro-Glyoerine, ever since we Pc
rusod the leading article in kst Wednesdays
Rct05Ee. Only 70 think for Z moment, that here
ne have been going On for years unsuspectingIy
reading and writing every night by the light OF
kerosene that ought, as Is plainly sboEn by the
Gazette, to base long ago spread death and de-
~strueti0n amongst us. Our immunity from
these dire consequences is wonderful indeed when
we arc told that ia New York, out Of sax hundred
and t~birty<fx Samples u kerosene examined by a
chemist, Only tEsBsy-Doe were safe OILS, and
Dinety-siZ per cent. Of the whole number were
dangerous and unsafe. And another chemist
fnds that seTen' samples Of kerosene tested by him
contained from two TO ninety per cent. Of benzine.
. gasoline and nsptha, a lew per cent. only Of
which makes IL dangerous. And there are many
manufacturers, we are told, = who for the sake
Of making the article cheaper by a few cents per
gallon send into the market a most dangerous
explosive material, by which buDdreds Of lives
are yearly sacrificed, and haBdreds Of disastrous
Eres originated Now all this ought 70 be suf-
feieDtly alarming TO a community which uses
scarcely any other Illuminating substance than
kerosene. Bot The editor remarks, cur fortunate
- immunity from accidents is probably owing. in
a grezt degree. 70 the care taken by the importers
dat none but those qualities which are known to
be comparatively safe shall be brought to tie
market" This is certainly very comnendable
and praiseworfhy on the part Of the importers,
and lucky fr the consumers. who however must
repose confidence that these same importers will
ueTer -uIax their care that none bat the safc
qualities shall be brought 70 the market, and
neTer be deceived by eonsignees abroad. Bot in
these days there are men wbo will do anything for
money, and what is 70 prevent some Of those
HSeTds who are alluded TO. from importing here
unsafe qualities Of kerosene, and for the sake Of
a difference Of a few cents on a gallon, 81 deliber-
ateiy spreading death and destruction throughout
the community" If this sudden outc-y about
the danger Of uDeafe kerosene is not merely sen
ationzl, it would seem % be about time that it
was made Somebody's especial business % exam
inc and test every can of kerosene that IL 4 landed
in the country. Otherwise the public safety viii
not be properly regarded.
bad before, but worse remains behind" We
are next treated to a newspaper item from Chi
csgo, giving a wonderful account Of an explosion
Of gAsoiiDe, said 70 have taken place in ST. Louis
stopper Of a can being left out, the fluid
~eEarorabd and FLED the room. catching fire and
exploding With loud poise, and burning a per-
en- % death. This may be true, although Chi !
esgo DeBspapefs are particularly well famed for
seDsatiOnaI itesse, and have been known to man
ufscsurs a " dreadful accident . one day aud I
il the next. IL IL quite possible that
tbis gasoline explosion story may be ono Of that
sort. We can, however, easily Imagine the Pc
vein Of thought into which our contem-
porary would naturally fall, as be seizzorized the
item, and remembered that IN the Poet Office,
underneath bs saBetum. there hung al that
a large gasoline double burner, which. If
happen 70 be LEFT q uneorked, :, might IN a
:wiBl1iag blow the eoncTeted Go=eue into "a.