The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-10-12
Why q Kerosene Lamp Bursts.

A scientific gentleman whose attention
to the subject has been elected by the
repeated fatal and distressing accidents
resulting from the explosion of lamps
filled with kerosene oil, gives Tho follow
ing explanation. 1t should be carefully
read by all:
Girls as well as boys, need to under
stand about kerosene explosions. A
great many fatal accidents happen from
trying to pour little kerosene on e. fire
to make II kindIe better, also by pouripg
oil into lamp while it is lighted Most
persons suppose that it is kerosene itself
which explodes, and thatif they are very
careful to keep the oil itself from being
touched by the fire or tho light, thero
will be no danger. But this isnot so. If
q can or lamp is left about bal: full of
kerosene oil, the oil will dry up-that is,
evaporate a little-and will form, by
mingling with the air in the upper part,
very explosive gas. You cannot see
this gas any more than you can see air.
But If it is disturbed and driven out, and
blaze reaches it, there will be terrible
explosion, although the blaze did not
touch the oil. There are several other
liquids used in houses and workshops
which will produce an explosive vapor
in this way. Renziue Is one; burning
fluid is another; and naphtha, alcohol, :,
either, chloroform, may do the same
thing.
In New York workshop lately, there
WAS can of benzine, or gasoline, stand
ing on the floor. A boy sixteen years
old lighted cigarette, and threw the
burning match on the floor close to the
can. He did not dream there was any
danger, because the liquid was corked u p
in the can. But there was a great ex.
'osion. and he was badly hurt. This
3 very mysterious. The probab:'i-
- is that the can had been standing
there good while and good vapor
had formed, some Of which had leaked
cut around .he stopper, and was hang
ing in gort of invisible cloud over and
around the can and this cloud, when
the match struck it, exploded.
Suppose girl tries to fill kerosene
lamp without FIRST blowing it out. OF
course the lamp is nearly empty or she
| would not care to fill it. This empty
space is filled with cloud Of explosive
! vapor arising from the lamp. When she
pushes the nozzle of the can into the
lamp at the top, and begins to pour, the
| oil, running into the lamp, fills the empty
space and pushes the cloud of explosive
vapor up; the vapor is obliged to pour
out over the edges of the lamp, at the
top, into the room outside. OF course
it strikes against the blazing wick which
the girl is holding down by one side.
The blaze of the wick sets the invisible
cloud of vapor afire, and there is an ex.
plosion which ignites the oil aud scatters
it over her clothes aud over the furni.
ture of the room. This is the came way
in which kerosene lamp bursts. The
same thing may happen when girl
pours the oil over the Ere In the range
or stove if there is cloud of explosive
vapor in the upper parts Of the can, o,
If the stove is hot enough to vaporize
quickly some of the oil as 1t falls. Re
member, that it is not the oil, but the in
visible vapor which explodes. Taking
care Of the oil will not protect it. There
is no safety except in the rule: Never
put oil on lighted fire or into Lighted
lamp.