The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-05-03
Prof. Peckham Replies to Mr.. Stacy
on the Oil Test.

Prof. Peckham Replies to Mr.. Stacy
on the Oil Test.
No better illustration of the fact that a
man convinced against his will land in
terest) is Of the same opinion still can be
found than the course taken by Mr. J. n.
Stacy for the last two years on the kero
sene question.
| Without either scientific Or practical
| knowledge OF the subject he discusses,
and with a sublime Indifference to the
opinions of those who have such informa
ton, he frames bills. makes speeches, and
writes articles without limit. This In
domitable persistence in itself inspires
certain quality of respect, and so long as
people who have no acquaintance with
the subject have no reason to question his
motives. and believe that he has an ele
mentary knowledge of what he is talking
about, he no doubt exerts an influence.
In consideration of this fact and also in
the belief that this community has only
to be instructed in order that it may de-
mand the repeal of the present Ubiquitous
law. propose to answer at some length
the article of Mr. Stacy in your issue OF
the 18th 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 |
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 a 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
talOw 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.
have used the oil sold under the name OF
"crystal" oil, which is an Oil of $50 de-
, grees.
f Mr. Stacy wisely concludes that the 12O
degree Oil ought not to have exploded
from the temperature of the room in ques
i ton He says, therefore, 'the result
would have been the same whether the OF
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
G agination. he would know that expert
J.. ments have long ago proved that the OF
d in burning lamp is usually many de
grees above that of the room in which thu
# lamp is burning These experiment.
9 show that with the temperature of thu
d air in the room at 72 to "A degrees, thu
: temperature of the oil in the lamp is rs t.
n 100 degrees; the temperature of the air il
n the room at SO to 81 degrees, the temper
r AZURE of the oil in the lamp is 80 to 12'
n degrees, and the temperature of the air il
5, the room at 90 to 90 degrees, the temper
IS allure of the oil in the lamp is "a to ~
e degrees.
h The experiments were made with tn
. same oil, but with different lamps. elias
is lamps showed the lowest temperature, an
y metal lamps the highest. The tempera
* ture also varied with the size and shap
in of the lamps.
10 To still further show the fallacies int
which Mr.. Stacy's imagination leads hin
o. | will state that the lamp which explode
70 in ST. Paul had new wick placed in
!, the same day or the day before. More
49, over. wicks do not become saturated wit
b paraffine, and high test oils of good qua
: ity do not contain an excess of paraffin
r. Mr.. Stacy's "brief" explanation resen
.a bles the natural philosophy of the midd
n ages. in which observation was wholly i!
a. nored. and pure speculation submitte
"a for knowledge He, however, admi
=, enough to ruin his cause. He admits tn
in the oil gave off vapor at the temperatu
. to which it arose in the lamp; that as Il
n, oil burned out air entered; that the mike
81 vapor and oil formed an explosive mi
70. ture ignited and exploded, setting Il
If house on fire. This is all we want of tn
be witness on this point
az Mr.. Stacy says that properly refine
i unauthorized 100 oil is not likely
.he produce charred wicks," which he il
The agines was the cause of this explosio
The But 10 degree oil gives off a vapor
;cb 40 degrees, which if mixed with air v
to explode. This temperature is 10 degre
to below that to which the oil in lamps
en- known to attain in rooms heated to
.r,x degrees. and 30 degrees is not an unco
hy mon temperature IN the vicinity o
az. kitchen stove In q small room. Oil
i $50 degrees when properly refined a
dis unadulterated, is not likely to prod,
,fnl charred wicks. There has never beel
the time since this question was first agita'
,rd- two years ago, when oil of $50 degre
n / properly refined and nnadulterated, COZ
,cy. not be purchased in this State. Such
the under the brands of bay State .
Of 8 Brilliant" was for sale all Of last fall .
res winter for two cents q gallon m
the than the miserable stuff, the sale of VIII
apa- has so stirred Mr.. Stacy's philanthro
heart
8. It IS utterly useless to expect the m
Var. ufActurers to send to this market prof.
vere refined and unadulterated oil for
loon same price that they viii sell the cheaI
heir stuff that they can make. HretAilers'