The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-05-01
Coal Oil Inspection.
How the Fire Test Applies-The Flash.
ing P0int-The Burning Point.

ing POint-The Burning Point.
As oil is gradually heated, at a Ger
tain point indicated by the mercury, i
will evolve q vapor. Applying Lighted
match carefully to the surface, and no
severely plunging it into the volume O.
the oil, feeble flash follows burning
off this penumbra of vapor, without
setting fire to the body of the oil. The
temperature at which this phenomenon
occurs is called the Flashing" O,
"vaporizing" point. Raising the heat
few degrees higher and we have the
same result. the flash growing stronger,
until, at ITO degrees, the body of the
oil takes fire and DEMONSTRATING ITO
degree oil for the experiment. If the
inspector does not burn off this vapor
with its 6rst appearance, letting it &C.
cumulate, it gathers quantity sufficient
to infame the body of the oil, at few
degrees higher than its first appear
tomary inspection. But when an in
spector passes the oil as ITO degrees
test, it is because at that degree it ig-
mites in volume. The vaporizing point
of ITO degrees-known as standard coal
oil, and universally sold at home and
abroad-ranges from IS to 100 degrees;
an oil inspected as $50 degrees will
vaporize at about 1875 to 14O degrees
an oil inspected at IT'S degrees will va
porize at $50 to 100 degrees. Now, the
custom of all inspectors in the United
States, and we believe in Europe, is to
brand tho oil according to the Gig
hitting point, and not the " flashing"
point /; the distinction being technical.
as there is flame and danger in both
points if too low. ALI laws on the SUBJ
ject have been so construed, and the
requirements of the entire trade have
settled upon that standard of testing,
and our inspector follows this method
OF inspection, approved and followed at
all the trade centers.
An oil which will vaporize under ITO
degrees is unsafe. Even putting the
flashing point at ITO degrees would not
make the oil safe against the conting-
ency OF tipping over lamp and spill
ing out the oil. If the oil splashes in
contact with the flame it would take
fire nine times out of ten. But take an
oil of It's degrees, which will fash at
say $50 degrees to 100 degrees it would
put out the flame like water in such a
contingency, while there can be no
danger from explosion, as the heat in |
tho lamp is never Sufficient to evolve in |
any vapor.
The larger proportion of explosions |
attributed to coal oil belong to gas
cline. The rascally reporters won't |
draw the distinction. And SO with the |
fires, coal oil has to stand the general |
censure, while this te-face, unolea-
ginous, "gas-like," "non explosive"
slips ia and retails at q higher price |
than a genuine $50 degree test kero-
sene. The trade has become immense
in it, and all the warnings az to its in
and general dangerous
ness do about as much good rs the |
daily telegram of some servant girl
killed by hurrying up the fire with coal
oil. Its sale cannot be stopped by any
law. The attempt was made to incor-
porate prohibition of the eight oils
in the present law, but the judiciary
committee decided that they had an
right to buy them as well
Is gunpowder, and take their chances
Of being blown up. They could only
require their character to be branded
IN the package.
An oil of $50 degrees test costs now
1t wholesale but one cent per gallon
more than ITO degrees oil, while It's
legrees test has got hammered down to
I've or eight cents above the common
standard. It would seem that this
light difference, when oil is cheap,
Ihould not be regarded by tho con-
Louis Democrat.