Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-09-14
Oil In Boilers.

DR.. Jentz made the following statement,
aa al answer to communication Ot DR..
Morgan, relative to the oily water in the
boilers at tho West Virginia oil
wells:
Ah ,ut twenty five years ago, while DR..
Jcntz was p1acticing chemistry in Phis
dlpnia, an extensive fire occurred in that
city. Among the buildings destroyed
were two containing oil and sltpe,cr.
Wbcn the buildings had partiAl'y fallen,
many explosions occurred among the
ruins, cr..uting such cOnsternatinn among
the firt,n,rn hat they refused to approach
the buildings again, and merely devoted
their eff ,rts TO prevent the spread Of the
flames. These explosions caused consld
erabe speculation am ing scientific men
An go much interest was taken in the
subjert Ivy the public that the CITY Coun-
ellis of Philadelphia were induced to offer
a large reward 1"r the solution Of the
mya1e y. DR.. Jcn,z made experiments
With 7atpetcr and water at first without
success. He then began experimenting
with oil and water, when he discovered
d ,ubtcdly caused by the hcated walls fall
ing Into the oil and water in the base
mt ut of the building. This he explains
rs follows: When Ill becomes attached
to any object hot enough to produce a
combustion, gas is generated; and unless
this gas has room to expand, an tx ,,lOsion
will surely follow. Before the doctor had
concluded his Investigations, and had
not d the chemical changes through
which the oil must pass previous to reach
ing the explosive point, he came 10 New
York and resumed the practice of medi
| cine. He did not publish his discovery,
b cause, though confident on the subject
himself, he could not make it clear to
others without further investigation
At the time these experiments were
made petroleum had not been discovered,
aud the oil used was common iubricatir z
oil, such as is still used on machinery, and
! the careless use of which, the Doctor
Chains, has caused many boiler explosions
which have apparently been involved in
mystery. Water, he says, in boiling, as.
cends from the center and drscends at the
sides Of the boiler, and oil floating on the
surface will be carried down with the cur
rent. If the inside of the boiler be oxy-
diz~d or sealed, some portions of the oil
are likely to be caught by these scales and
impregnatcd with them. Then when the
iron and the oil come in direct contact,
and the former is hot enough to cause the
combustion OF the oil, an explosion must
follow The Doctor also claims that water
has no explosive power. Ii a boiler is
subjected To a great, r pressure of steam
than it will bar, it will burst, generally
at its weakest point, the steam will rush
out, people may get scalded, but no such
explosion as that on the Westheld could
be caused by steam alone. On the other
hand, explosions caus d by oil will take
OF %,1,
place, whether it is the weakest point or
not. The vessels the Doctor used in his
experiments were open on top, with moth
ing but lid laid loosely over them, yet
when the oil exploded they were burst in
fagmeuts, and scattered in every direc-
tion. The Doctor will Immediately re-
sumo his experiments, and as soon as his
apparatus is completed, he claims that he
can demonstrate to the most simple mind,
that one simple drop Of oil will explode
the heaviest boiler