The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-26
THE KEROSENE OIL TEST

not.
THE KEROSENE OIL TEST.
Letter From Hon. ]. N. Stacy, OF Wright
County.
If it is true that the oil received
under The present law. is dangerous,
the oil consumers should know why it
is dangerous.
1t is also due the members of the
last Legislature to know by what pro.
cess of reasoning the inspector of oil
and Board of Health arrive at the con-
clusion that the recent lamp explosion
is chargeable to their action. Lamp
explosions have taken place with $50
degrees, 100 degrees and 12O degrees
oil, and will continue to take place just
so long as it is used carelessly. in unsafe
lamps, with burners that have no ven.
tilation, no matter what the test is.
A mere statement that this accident
resulted from the present law. without
any evidence to show that it would
not have occurred under similar cir
cumstances under the old law, is not
satisfactory to the people, and requires
All explanation by those preferring the
charge.
1t appears from an account given of
the lamp explosion in question that
the lamp was left alone burning, Oh
the dining room table, until three
O'Clock in the morning that the oil
was, 12O degrees fash test. The tenn
perature of the dining room at so late
an hour could not certainly have reach
ed the flashing point of this high test
oil, and therefore so far as the tenn
perature of the room was concerned
in this case, the result would have
been the same. whether the oil was
high or low test. 1t must have result
from other causes.
1t was not stated whether the lamp
was left with the wick up to it's usual
burning point or not. If so, the lamp
being Of ordinary size, and kept burn
ing from seven o. clock in the evening
until three O. clock next morning with.
out refilling, nearly all of the Oil must
have been consumed, leaving a large
space above the oil in the lamp which
become filled with vapOr and air,
forming an explosive mixture. Now
the question arises what caused the
heat that produced the vapor. Prof.
Rhodes in his article of April Sd, says
it depends altogether upon the degree
Of heat to which the oil is subjected,
and the degree at which the oil will
become volatile, whether or not it il
explosive. This oil, according to the
| inspectors statement, would not give
off a vapOr that would flash, until it
was heated above 120 degrees. The
room as has been shown could not
have reached this temperature.
The wick having burned eight hours
without trimming or turning up, and
the oil low in the lamp the fame must
have been feeble, and the necessary
temperature of l2O degrees could not
have been reached from this cause.
Well what caused the necessary
heat to produce the vapor in the
lamp!
The verdict of the Inspector and
Board OF Health, is to the effect
that the Legislature caused it. We
object, and while the Board of Health
are getting ready to explain, will
briefly give my views in regard to the
Cause. This lamp had been in use a
long time, and during the long nights
| of the past winter under the high test
law, burned high test oil containing
large quantities of paraffine. that pro-
duced charred w;cks, which became
finder in the burner, and saturated
with oil, furnished kind of fuel that
was easily ignited, after which it con
| tinued to burn until sufficient heat was
produced, to cause the vapor to form
in the space above referred to and
when this fuel was exhausted the lamp
cooled somewhat, thereby contracting
the vapor. and drew in sufficient air to
form the mixture, which, when ignit-
ed, resulted in an explosion.
With this view OF the case the ex'
plOsion cannot be charged to the &C
count OF the Legislature in enactine
the present law.
Properly refined, unadulterated liz
degree oil is not likely to produce
charred wicks, which seems to be the
direct cause of this explosion, and un
til genuine explosion can be original
ed with straight ITO degree oil, all Of
this buster will amount to but little.
1t may possibly make sale of few
barrels of high test oil now on hand il
the State where people are not &C
quainted with the high test fraternity
but SO far as the Legislature is con
cerned it might be reserved. Here
after when the Board of Health rem
der a verdict let them state thu
grounds upon which it is based. Thi!
| institution enjoys the benefit of an ap
preparation from the State of thous
and dollars year, and this, believe
was one of the items that went t.
make the appropriation of last winter
for which the Legislature is censured
/ The people of the State are certainly
| entitled to receive something in return
| and if they have anything valuable OF
this subject, let them enlighten Us
] The present law allows the people o.
. the State TO use just Is high test Of
. above Ito degrees - they choose.
i No one has ever pretended to CLAIM
that good Illuminating oil cnnn0t b