Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-03

Kerosene.
Day after day we read accounts of heart
rending kerosene accidents by lamps explo-
ding lamps being upset. oil cans catching
| fire. etc, which most generally result in
considerable destruction of property, intense
human suffering, and even horrible deaths
Dangerous or explosive kerosene oil has
caused many fatal casualty, and its vic
Tins may be counted by numbers.
Our existing laws for regulating or pro-
hibting the sale and consumption of dam
gerons burning fluids, appear to be 'dead
letter." as the laws usually are not enforced.
Most Of the petroleum generally sold for
| illuminating purposes, falls far below the
| legal standard of safety, viz: 100 FIRE test
| by Fahrenheit's scale The Government
| inspectors brand, which the package or
| barrels exhibits, can not be received as guar
| antee.
| The writer had occasion to test hume rous
samples of petroleum recently, of so-calIed
100 fire test, bnt not one came up to this
| degree Of temperature without burning. AZ
$50 they flashed, and burned quite lively a
900 One sample even, flashed at 100, and
burned furiously at 800, thus proving it to
be very volatile liquid, and extremely
dangerous to use in an ordinary lamp. A
sample of so -caled headlight oil, however
appeared to be perfectly safe, as the Their
mometer indicated its 'burning point TO
| be 1852
Good kerosene is not dangerous, it will
not ignite, nor will it explode. There
| are some manufacturers who make a safe
and reliable oil; in fact, every refner is
| abe to send perfectly safe oil to market if
| he chose; it Is only a matter Of few
cents on each gallon. If the price of oil is
| run down below cost. adulteration will in
variaby be the result, thereby We see plain
| ly that competition is irresistible. The
's flashing point gives the only certain IN
| dcation regarding the quality OF the OIL,
| hence, it may be advisable to the consumer
as well IS to the dealer, to subject their oil
to the proper test, before putting it into use.
The operation OF testing Kerosene is quite
simple. 1t merely requires to ascertain the
temperature at which the oil developes in
| fammabIe vapors, which is called the
8 flashing point" and the temperature at
which the oil takes FIRE, the burning point.
The flashing point Of Illuminating oil
should not be below 1902. neither should
the burning point be below ll0o, which
constitute the legal standard.
| Directions for testing oil: Prepare
water bath,-a family glue pot will do very
well; if rot convenient, an ordinary me
tallic wash basin will answer fill it to the
| depth Of two inches with cold water, place
into this bath tea cup, or tin cup about
that size, into which pour about two ounces
of the oil to be tested. Suspend Their
mometer so that its bulb will be immersed
in the center of the oil contained in the cup,
also preventing the bulb to touch either
sides or bottom OF the cup during the oper-
alton Everything icing ready, apply q
small fame of q spirit lamp, or candle to
the bottom of the vessel containing the
water, which should be heated very slowly;
note the temperature Of the oil carefully be-
fore testing il, which is done by applying
burning match to the liquid. This operation
vi teSAibP SuOuiu NC lFpCatCu dl SNFly lOul
or five degrees, as the thermometer rises.
Finally temperature is reached at which
flasl4 will take place; by raising the heat
from five to ten degrees higher and apply
the burning match once more, the oil will
burn in flame, when the thermometer
should be Immediately withdrawn. and the
flame extinguished, by applying a cover
(Which is kept near at handy to the cup
~
dealer having a thermometer, may test his
oil without any expense. s.
Tie Chicago Ineer-OoeaM.
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