Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-05-19
LErrEns ERoNa rnE PEOPLE.
ooAr. on LAAEr ExrIosIONs.

COAL OIL LAMp EXPLOSIONS.
To tie Editor Of The Commercial:
The remarks of your Port Penn correspondent,
on the subject of coal oil lamp explosions, pub
lished in the COMMERCIAL of to-day, are so utter
" at variance with the tsachings of sclsncs and
experience, that their fallacy should be exposed.
II not contradicted. they might result in disas-
ters similar TO the deplorable occurrence which
furnished the theme for the erroneous sugges-
tions Of your correspondent.
In the first place. In kerosene oil lamps tine
space inside the lamps over the oil" is not filled
with fire damp" This substance, as every tyro
In chemistry knows, consists of light car
buretted hydrogen, or marsh-gas, which is .
permanently gaseous body; whereas
| the space ia lamps over the oil, where the
poorer grades of kerosene are burned, is filled
with hydro-carbon papors which are condensible,
and which, when mingled with atmospheric air,
| are highly explosive. Oils which are badly re-
fined and which contain appreciable quantities
| OF benzine and other volatile bodies are ex-
/ cesslvely dangerous on this account and II the
cause Of the fearful accidents which 80 frequent
i ly happen with coal-oil lamps could be ascer-
L tanned it would invariably be found to be owing
Il to the use of these highly inhammable and i'm
pure oils, which are 30 readily purchased on ac-
! count of their cheapness.
Your correspondent affects surprise that "ac'
cidents with the best coal oil do not more fire.
quenty occur" and in the Addsonian sentence
Oh WulCn haNo Huotoae . PotAoht o'AaASs ~
creation OF 9 ''uGcuum" % above the oil in
lamps. Experience has fully proved that the
''best" coal oils are perfectly free from danger
By careful and conscientious refining, the light
| or hydrocarbons are removed, and the oil, ol
which the Astral" may be instanced as speci
men, is as safe any source OF artificial light
In the cheaper oils, with which unfortunately
the country is flooded, benzine, gasoline, and
| naphtha form large proportions of the whole
| sometimes, indeed, one half or more-and a
| these compounds are externally volatile, ant
| their vapors. when mixed with air, are hghl
| explosive, their sale should be prohibited unde
| heavy penalties.
few years ago, the writer obtained sample
| of kerosene oil from several stores in this city
with . view of testing their -lative safety
With the exception of one or two well know
brands, all these oils were found to be danger
GUS In the extreme. In an open dish, or poure
on an open slab. they ignitsd on the application
, | of q lighted match as freely as alcohol wonl
have done. ANY oil which will do this should
| avoided, and should be banished from domei
: tic use. And yet, for the purpose OF saving
few cents gallon, people will jeopardize the
/ lives and property, and burn this dangerou
stuff, while oils perfectly safe and tree fIoi
( peril may be obtained.
Q In view Of the well-known causes OF the o.
1 plosons OF kerosene oil lamps, the assertion {
| your correspondent that ''the higher priced o
: ia more apt to explode" than the cheaper and il
ferior grades is not only entirely fallacious, bu
o il accepted without contradiction, calculated
do much harm. ACHEMIsT.
WnMISoroN, May 18th, 1873.