Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-03-17

IS g +" +" :" {" =" SO deg.
After the addition of 20 per cent. of
naptha the oil burned at so degrees, F.
it is, therefore, the cupidity of the refn-
er that leads him to run as much benzine
as possible into the kerosene, regardless
of the frightful consequences which re-
suit from the frequent explosions. Dread
full as these disasters often are it is with
the greatest difficulty that the public can
be convinced that all grades of naptha
and all fluids containing them, when
burned in any kind of lamp explosive or
non-eXplosive), are more dangerous than
gunpowder, because SO much more care
lessly used. These infammable and, un-
der certain circumstances, terribly ex-
plosive fluids, when known to be such
are nearly worthless as articles of COM
merce, and they burn so rapidly that
they are of comparatively little value to
the consumer as materials for illumina-
ton. The properties that render naptha
dangerous are inherent in the constitu-
ton OF the substance itself, and no HUI
man art can change them. Good kero-
sene is always safe under all conditions
attending its legitimate use. 1t is nap
tha that Injuries the quality Of kerosene,
and naptha is never safe under any cir
cumstances. The quality of illuminat-
ing oil can be ascertained easily by the
use of the Michigan close cup tester, and
the observance of certain simple rules in
conducting the test. The inspector of coal
oil at New Orleans in his annual report
of 1879 says: 'I find that all oils which
attain the standard of 125 degrees F.,
flashing point, and $50 degrees F., ig-
hitting point attain the standard of safety.
Among the hundreds of accidents which
[ have investigated [ have never found
one resulting from the use OF oils of this
class. The report of the Michigan state
inspector of illuminating oils for the six
months ending December 81, 1879, Says
''the total number Of barrels inspected
was SO, ,94S, of which 328 were rejected.
No lives have been lost in the state dur
ing this term from oil explosions, only
four of which have occurred" Contrast
these statements with the statement of
Mr.. Charles A. Ashburner, assistant geo
logist of the Pennsylvania Geological
Survey, made at the Franklin Institute
on the 10Th of January last, "From 1866
to the year 1878, 10000 lives were lost
and 500, 900, 900 worth of property des-
troyed by the use Of dangerous burning
oils" DIR. Reeve, Secretary of the Wis
consin State board of health says ''much
of the oil that is being sold in Wisconsin
will burn if touched by a fame as it
should be in any fire test, at tempera-
ture ranging anywhere from rs degrees
F., to 90 degrees T., and will emit ex-
plosive vapors at temperature from to
10 degrees lower. / have found specimens
of SO low test that | could obtain their true
flashing points only by cooling them, by
using ice, to a point below the ordinary
temperature of my rooms one such speci
men flashed at 81 degrees and another at
81 degrees, both taking fire at 20 degrees
kerosene accidents occur in Wisconsin
twenty, perhaps fifty times as often as in
Michigan, which prohibits the sale of oils
that will not bear flash test of 120 de-
grees. During the few months in which
we have been specially interested in this
subject, we have the record of twelve
persons killed, and eleven who have been
injured by explosions within our own
state, together with indirect evidence of
many other cases."
Mr.. President-No more important
subject than the subject matter of this
bill can occupy the attention of this SEN
ate. [ crave for it your most serious con-
sideration. This legislature has seen fit,
in its collective wisdom, to Withhold from
the courts of this state the power to in
fiict the death penalty-she shrank from
the awful responsibility of executing her
criminals-her murderers; can it then
be prudent, can it be wise for her to leave
the safety, the lives of her people, the
lives of her women and of her children in
the hands, and at the mercy of ignorant,
or unscrupulous traders, seekers of gain,
men whose craft annually slaughters
more innocents than there would be
criminals put to death by the public
executioner, in probably fifty years, in
this state were the death penalty restored.
Senators, plead for the peoples safety;
they are your wards, look to your respon-
sibility.
There was an effort made by Senator
Richardson to amend the bill so as to ex-
empt Rock, Green Lake and Dane coun-
ties from the operation of the bill so far
as to allow the use of certain patent
composition or burning fluid but the
amendment was voted down and on
March 1lth the bill was passed in the
senatekby unanimous vote and forward
ed for action to the assembly March
18th the assembly refused to indefinitely
postpone the bill by vote of6O to %,
the aforesaid patent burning fluid mono
poly opposing the bill with all the infu-
ence1they could bring to bear. Amotion
was made to suspend the rules and pass
the bill on its passage, the motion pre-
vailed and the bill passed by majority
of more than two to one. This is meas
ure that ought to be carried out with
frmness and integrity as it is sure to
prove safeguard to the people. 1t will
be necessary for the board of street COM
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