The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-11
INSURANCE NEWS.
HoU q Test Kerosene OH.

The following Is simple and infallible test
70 ascertain exactly the. quality and explosive
point Of any sample of kerosene oil, no mat
her by what fancy, attractive name IL NAV be
designated In speciOus advertisements. Take
= common tin pan OF water, or an ordinary
tin pail, say seven inches in diameter and five
inches deep, fill the vessel with water and
place 1t on the stove, or over a lamp, SO as to
heat very gradually: put an ordinary Their
mOmeter upright in the water to indicate the
gradual rise OF temperature; take little pan.
such as is used to bake small patties, sold for
Of Rerose sne psay pan ut table
surface Of the gradually heating water. When
you see the thermometer begin to Indicate
seventy, seventy-five or eighty degrees apply
blazing match to the kerosene In the little
pan. IL the oil is safe no flash will enst1e
put II " 10 impure, and therefore dangerous,
Hash like ignition OF gas will appear In
case case Hash occurs while the thermometer in
alcates temperature below 100 degrees 1t is
GUS and utterly unfit for use, being more dan
ger0us than gunpowder, which cannot be ig-
nited by 9 flame at such temperature. No
gu should be purchased for illuminating pur-
pNses whose fo flashing or igniting point is at
AL below llp degrees. and it should be re-
membered that the greater the heat 1t will
endure above that temperature the greater is
tne proportional increase In It's safety for
burning In lamps.
While. ITO degrees Fahrenheit is a fair
OeSg, IL does not guarantee indiscriminate or
reckless handling Even with the best brands
q OH lamp should never be filled while
lighted, or while near one that is lighted. As
Lhe OIL burns down In the lamp highly in
nammabie gas gathers over the surface, In
creasing as the oil decreases, and not irfre-
quently- forcing it's way to the flame at the
cages q the wick and threatening an explo-
sion. There are various tricks current among
nealeTs In Kerosene to prove that even naptha
Is not explosive at seventy degrees. The
usual test Is to hold lighted match over an
open vessel containing It, But let a small
portion be put In can and shaken up. and
Light introduced, when an explosion Instantly
occurs, showing that the infiammabe stuff
becomes explosive upon mixing with the oxy-
gen OF the atmosphere. Indeed 1t may be
safely said that every lamp in the land, when
burning In room, steamboat cabin, or other
apartment, whose temperature is seventy
nve or eighty degrees, is liable to explosion,
even Ii burning the standard kerosene Of 10
degrees flashing point. Many scientific men
have been led into the fallacy that the flash
Ing point of kerosene at ITO degrees If +ho
point OF safety but it has recently .o S Az
monstrated by an eminent CT .,mist TINT
thirty-fve degrees below the ,oSiting ,,nsnt
oil. after bu' ming twenty C,tnutes or half an
hour, VIII generate an explosive Gas. # has
neen also g, demo- .eGrhtad By the same authori-
~ etlaC oh With or igniting or flashing point
~ 4ov uegrees is in an explosive condition
when burned inclosed in lanterns on ship
board and railway cars. It is claimed that
until oil shall stand a test of 900 degrees there
Will be no guarantee against the dreadful
loss OF life and property which it's use regu-
tarly entails.