The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-04-05
kerosene. Liquid Gas. Gasoline, &c


kerosene, Liquid Gas, Gasoline, &c.
Fortunately, notwithstanding the al
most universal use Of kerosene in this
Kingdom, but few if any accidents have
occurred from explosions of that material
This immunity from accident Is probably
owing. IN a great degree, to the care
taken by the importers that none but
those qualities which are known to be
comparatively safe shall be brought to
1he market. Another cause of our i'm
muuity from accident from the general
use oi the extracts Of Petroleum is that
% has been almost entirely confined to
what Is known as kerosene, the most safe
Of any used for Illuminating purposes.
This article can be made. and is made by
a few manufacturers of burning fluids,
sufficiently free from Naptha or BenziHe,
llhe explosive element of Petroleum
10 Doe rendered a safe article for ordinary
use. with ordinary care. But there are
many manufacturers who, for the sake of
making the article cheaper by few cents
a gallon. send into the market a most
dangerous explosive material by which
hundreds Of lives are yearly sacrificed,
and hundreds Of disastrous fires originated.
But still more dangerous fluids are pro-
duced and sold in quantities to the
public for illuminating purposes, among
which are Liquid Gas and Gasoline, which
are also Installations Of coal-oil, and which
are almost pure Naphtha or Benzine,
and may be considered only less danger
Gus 10 be handled and used by the general
public than Nitro-Glycerine Although,
as vet, these articles have not come into
anything ike general use, still the acct
dents which have occurred from their
limited use Is startling. In speaking of
these dangerous fluids, the Baltimore
J5sdertariter saws: F" Under the mask of
some fanciful name, the dealers in a mate
rial more hazardous than gunpowder Sc
curely shelter themselves, and reckless of
consequences, pocket their ill-gotten gains.
They are perfectly well aware that the
lighter Oscillations of coal-oil, which are
known under the names of Naptha, Gas
oline, Benzine, or whatever else, are not
she less hazardous because disguised I'M
der some fraudulent and delusive name
Yet. TO make them still more deceptive,
they avail themselves of the fact that in
lower temperatures a lighted match may
with impunity be plunged into these
oils, and they parade the experiment ac-
cordingly. No TRUSTWORTHY
PROCESS HAS YET BERN DISCOVERED FOR |
RENDERING THESE OILS SAFE AND NON
EXPLOSIVE"
In Chicago, in 1870, out eff the 700 /
fires which occurred, Sc were caused by
lamp explosions. In Baltimore, out of
- fires, - were from the same cause.
The Fire Marshal of New York in his
nepoT1 for 1870, makes the following re-
marks upon this subject:
The loss Of lie and the number Of fires caused
by the dangerous compounds sold and used for
Illuminating purposes. under the names OF kero-
sene. liquid gas. gasoline. patent safety gas &c /
are increasing al ieirtnl rate. During the year
there we're ll6 fires caused by kerosene, and al /
hT isuid gas. gasoline, &c making a total Of l57 |
fres being is per cent. Of the aggregate number, /
and an increase Of al per cent. from last year
The number OF lives lost by these fires was Il, /
n increase Of 20 per cent from last year, thus
showing that the loss OF life increased in exact
proportion 10 the number Of fires. In this con
nection take the liberty Of referring to the able
report on The quality Of kerosene oil sold in /
the Metropolitan district made by Professor c. /
II. Chandler Chemist, Of the Metropolitan Board
Of Health. IN January, 1863 The total number
al samples collected from different dealers in the
cts by his orders. and tested by him, was $50.
OF -hese p we're safe oils. and Oils. or upwards
OF &c per cent. OF the whole number dangerous
and unsafe. In an article on Dangerous Kero-
sene- in the Ameriodz Chemist for October last,
Professor Chandler says: Liquid gas is the
most dangerous oil now 10 use ; it is simply pure
aap,ha or benzine few per cent. Of which left
IN kerosene oil makes il unsafe" And yet we
fDd in his report that seven samples Of kerosene
tested By him contained from TO 30 per cent.
of bsazine gasoline and napiha-" What punish
nsaf Is sufficiently severe Tor lie iends who thus
Il iosratelg spread death and destruction throua-
90 the neutrality-suspicious. helpless women
I'D children Tor difference OF FIVE cents gallon
10 the cost Of dangerous and safe kerosene"
The following, from the Chicago Ciro5,-
see. viii give some idea of the dangerous
character Of the fluid known as Gasoline,