Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-04-26
Prof. Peckham Replies to Mr.. Stacy
on the Oil Test.


motives, and believe that he has an elc-
mcntary knowledge of what he is talking
about, he no doubt excrts an influence.
In consideration Of this fact, and also in
the belief that this community has only
to he instructed in order that it may de-
mand the repeal Of the present iniquitous
law, I propose to answer at some length
the article Of Mr.. Stacy in your issue of
the 10th inst.
If $50 degree oil has produced ex-
plosions, which, while have never heard
Of case, do not deny, the proof is over
whelming that the lower the test the
greater is the liability to explosion, and l
believe that for every single case that can
be proved to have occurred from $50 de-
gree oil at least fifty cases can be proved
from the use of 10 degree oil. With
safe oil any lamp is safe, while with un-
safe oil no lamp is safe, although some
kinds are safer than others.
With safe oil lamp can be burned un-
til both lamp and wick are dry without
the slightest danger, with no more dan
ger than would result from allowing a
tallow candle to burn out in candle
stick. In my own house since last Octo-
Der, both student lamps and common
lamps have burned dry repeatedly. I
have used the oil sold under the name Of
"crystal" oil, which is an oil of $50 de-
grees.
Mr.. Stacy wisely concludes that the 120
degree oil ought not to have exploded
from the temperature of the room in ques-
ton. He says, therefore, "the result
would have been the same whether the oil
was high or low test.'' If Mr.. Stacy
would take the trouble to read the cur
rent literature on the subject and base his
argument on facts instead of his own i'm
agination, he would know that expert
ments have long ago proved that the oil
in burning lamp is usually many de-
grees above that Of the room in which the
lamp is burning. These experiments
show that with the temperature OF the
air in the room at 70 to "a degrees, the
temperature of the oil in the lamp is 76 to
100 degrees; the temperature Of the air in
the room at 50 to "a degrees, the temper
aturc of the oil in the lamp is 50 to 12O
degrees, and the temperature of the air in
the room at 90 to % degrees, the temper
aturc of the oil in the lamp is "a to 120
degrees.
The experiments were made with the
same oil, but with different lamps. Glass
lamps showed the lowest temperature, and
metal lamps the highest. The tempera-
ture also varied with the size and shape
Of tho lamps.
To still further show the fallacies into
which Mr.. Stacys imagination leads him.
l will state that the lamp which exploded
in St. Paul had new wick placed in it
the same day or the day before. More
over. wicks do not become saturated will,
paraf1ine, and high test oils of good quail.
ity do not contain an excess of parattine
Mr.. Stacy's "brief" explanation resem.
bles the natural philosophy of the mitd: :e
ages, in which observation was wholly ig-
norcd, and pure speculation submitted
for knowledge. He, however, admits
enough to ruin his cause. He admits thai
the oil gave off vapor at the temperature
to which it arose in the lamp; that as the
oil burned out air entered; that the mixed
vapor and oil formed an explosive mix
ture ignited and exploded, setting the
house on fire. This is all We want of this
witness on this point.
Mr.. Stacy says that properly refined
unadulterated 110e oil is not likely te
produce charred wicks," which he i'm
sgines was the cause of this explosion
But 10 degree oil gives off a vapor a
10 degrees, which if mixed with air will
explode. This temperature is 10 degrees
below that to which the oil in lamps il
known to attain in rooms heated to &C
degrees, and 90 degrees is not an uncom
mon temperature in the vicinity Of .
kitchen stove in small room. Oil o.
$50 degrees when properly refined and
unadulterated, is not likely to produce
charred wicks. There has never been
time since this question was first agitatet
two years ago, when oil Of $50 degrees
properly refined and unadulterated, coult
not be purchased IN this State. Such OF
under the brands Of :" Bay State" ant
Brilliant" was for sale sll Of last fall ant
winter for two cents gallon nor,
than the miserable stud, the sale Of whicl
has 90 stirred Mr.. stacys philanthropi
heart.
tits utterly useless to expect the man