Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-09
The Non.ExplosIve OIL Analysed.
An lnflam.nable ana Dangerous
Find,

AsoCentiy mIe. Scout was UdrneQ q
death in Albany by the explosion of
lamp containing burning fluid. Corones
Mulligan employed Prof. Porter, chemist,
to snalyze the oil, and last evening be re-.
ported the result of his investigation,
which was TO the effect that the oil wss
exceedingly dangerous. As this Fufiact
is one of great interest and importsnc.
we present below the report of Prof. Por.
ter:
In the distillation or refining Of petro
leum, various products We're obtained az
rhigolene, gasoline, napths, benzine. ker-
osens, heavy oil. These different CON-
mercial articles were mixtures OF various
liquids. They were named in the order
ia which they were most volatile and IL
q Observation-Disclosures being most and
heavy oil the least.
The danger of using these different
products for illumination arose from their
infammability and their eKplosiveness.
As to their ind tmmabiii'y, the Doctor
said that good article of kerosene Vas E,
free from the lighter and more inf ANNA
BILE substances, that IL would not give q
vapor that coul1 be ignited below a ten
perature of one hundred degrees Fahren.
heit, and would Lot take fire below one
hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit Nc
other was safe.
The other articles, like gasoline, Ten
zine, nspths, (which wereselso called By
different names,) would give of vapor al
ordinary temperatures, and by placing
lighted match near the liquid they would
take fire. Water would not put out the
fame. They were therefore highly dan
gereus. Neither these liquids nor their
vapors were explosive. Their vapars he
came so when mixed with air in certs II
proportions. AS good kerosene would
not give of sufficient vapor below one
hundred degrees, such an article would
not at any temperature below become tx
plosive, and hence was safe; the hgh.er
liquids, benzine, nspths, giving Oh Eapors
even below the freezing point, would
form explosive mixtures with air at ordi
nary temperatures, and hence W ere dan
gerous.
Experiments were made with liquid
from Mrs. SCOTS, and with specimen OF
Danforth's non-e1plosive fluid, procured
at the request of the Coroner They were
fonnd to be of the specific gravity Of
.711-7l2, the same as a specimen pur-
chased as benzine. Both duids were
among the lighter products of petroleum.
both gave off vapOr below the freezing
point (32 degrees) even ct twenty degrees.
They were highly indammsble at ordin-
ary temperatures, as also were their va
pors, and hence in my opinion highly
dangerous.
A small portion was placed an an empty
can and light applied, an explosion re-
sulted-in each case tearing open the can.
In one case the explosion was go violent
as not only to seperate the tin where Il
was soldered, but also TO tear the sheets
of tin of which ii was composed. Botb
the Scott fluid and Danforth's non-explo
sive fluid were apparently equally exPlo-
sive. A large number Of like experiments
were made with these fluids, as also witt
benzine, with similar results, but with
kerosene of good quality, standing the
test mentioned, no explosions were pro
duced under similar circumstances Il
must be mentioned that light could Be
applied at ordinary temperatures, TO the
vessels filled with these fluids or with
their vapors, without an explosion result.
ing. II was only when their vapors were
mixed with air that an explosion re-
suited.
One experiment made with the SCOT
fluid must be mentioned as showing boF
accidents m4y arise. A can nearly flsd
with the Scott fluid was left ont over
night and became very cold. The liquid
was partly emptied out, when 3 fame
was applied TO the can. Il exploded, set-
ting fire to the fluid which was scattered
around. Wafer was applied, hut the
fame was not extinguished until the huic
WAS consumed.
Glass lamps were taken and filled witt
the Scott fluid aud the Danforth fluid and
allowed to fall the lamps were brok-n
and the fluids took fire water did not
axtineni-h the fame The same eIp-ri
ments were made with good kerosene
the lamps were broken, but the kerosene
did not take fire.
Accidents NAV arise from the use Of
these volatile iDh Unable fluids in various
ways. A lamp may fall OF III set, and the
liquid escaping takes fire. Or, a lamp
being filed at night, the vapor given #
freely, comes in contact with g ,me, and
the fire is communicated TO the liquid.
Again, portion of the fund being
dropped on the ourside of the lamp du-
ring the filing, if the lamp is lighted be-
fore the liquid outside is evAPorAted, the
latter would be likely TO he ignited, and
the sudden heat would be likely 20 crack
the lamp. when the liquid would prob
ably take fire.
A poor article of kerosene or hurriug
fluid from petroleum, under whatever
name sold, may give rise TO explosions IL
various ways. Thus there may be sU@'
Gent air in the lamp, mixed with the
vspor above the fluid, that when light
ia applied to the wick an explosion result
So also a lamp having burned sntIl bat
little fluid ia left in it, and Carried from
II wa1m into a cold room, the vapor con-
denses, air PUSHES in, forms IN explosive
mixture and the lamp explodes. Tbi5
accident would be more likely TO result
from a burning fluid containing but
moderate quantity of a very volatile tuid
than with one containing large proPor'
ton. So, too, an almost empty Can, or
even one containing no fluid, but simply
filed with vapor and air, might explode.
and the pieces coming in contact with
lamp shatter it and cause fire.
The sdulteration of good Kerosene witt
naptha or beDgine, produces a highly IL
famm4 liable liquid. ! added two and
half per cent OF bengine to good kerosene.
the mixture became dangerous for II gave
of inf 4mmable vapors at temperature
from eight TO twelve degrees lower thar
the unadulterated article
Metal lamps and the so-called safety
lamps cannot safely be used with the
lighter infammable fluids, or with poor
kerosene, for although some of them msy
work well when perfect, yet they will no;
unlikely get out of order, or leak, and
these liquids get fire, it is almost imPos'
sible 10 extinguish the flames until the
fluids are consumed.
The flames from the lighter fluids rlss
in the air to a very considerable height
when but small quantity of the fluid e
ignited. An eighth of pint of the Scot,
n 81 aoor oovared