South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-09-08
Oil in Boilers.

DR.. Jentz made the following statement,
as an answer to a communication of DR..
Morgan, relative to the oily water in the
boilers at the West Virginia oil
wells:
About twenty-five years ago, while DR..
JentZ was practicing chemistry in Phila-
delphia, an extensive fire occurred in that
city. Among the buildings destroyed
were two containing oil and saltpeter.
When the buildings had partially fallen,
many explosions occurred among the
ruins, creating such CONSERVATION among
the firemen that they refused to approach
the buildings again, and merely devoted
their efforts TO prevent the spread of the
flames. These explosions caused consid-
erable speculation among scientific men.
And so much interest was taken in the
subject by the public that the City Coun-
ellis of Philadelphia were induced to offer
large reward for the solution of the
mystery. DR.. Jentz made experiments
with saltpeter and water at first without
success. He then began experimenting
with oil and water, when he discovered
that the explosions at the fire were uE
dOubtedly caused by the heated walls fall
ing into the oil and water in the base
ment of the building. This he explains
as follows: When oil becomes attached
to any object hot enough to produce a
combustion, gas is generated; and unless
this gas has room to expand, an explosion
will surely follow. Before the doctor had
concluded his investigations, and had
noted the chemical changes through
which the oil must pass previous to reach
ing the explosive point, he came to New
York and resumed the practice of medi-
cine. He did not publish his discovery,
because, though confident on the subject
hinIsolf, he could not make it clear to
others without further investigation.
At the time these experiments were
made petroleum had not been discovered,
and the oil used was common iubricating
oil, such as is still used on machinery, and
the careless use of which, the Doctor
claims, has caused many boiler explosions
which have apparently been involved in
Water, he says, in boiling, as.
cends from the center and descends 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-
died or sealed, some portions of the oil
are likely to be caught by these scales and
impregnated with them Then when the
iron and the oil come in direct contact,
auu tuC 4OluAC1 10 AOb CuOuSn W CduSC IuC
combustion of the oil, an explosion must
follow. The Doctor also claims that water
has no explosive power. Ii boiler is
subjected to O greater pressure of steam
than it will bear, 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 Westfield could |
be caused by steam alone. On the other |
hand, explosions caused by oil will take |
place at the point where combustion takes |
place, whether 1t 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
hagments, and scattered in every direc- |
lion. 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