The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-10-27
Mysterious Gas Explosions.

A lawyer who always wished to reach
10 office punctually at nine clock was
starting one morning when his wife
called him back and asked him to do an
errand for her. He grum5ed a little.
Tor 1t would make him late; but he went,
and so he did not reach his Office until 4
| quarter past nine. When he arrived he
/ found fire engines and Il crowd of people
around the door, and that the hall and
stairways were all blown 10 pieces The
/ people told him that there had been 4
gas explosion in the cellar at Just about
nine o clock; if the LAWYER had been 90
ing upstairs at the moment he would
probably have been killed How could
this be? How can gas which is burned
freely IN city houses, shops and halls
create such an explosion?
The secret is that, although gas is not
ordinarily explosive vet when it is mixed
with atmospheric air the compound if
lighted viii explode with great violcnce.
The best proportion is when one part af
gas Is mingled with about five parts of
air; hence there need not be great deal
OF gas at large III cellar TO make the
air explosive enough to do damage And
great many disasters are caused in
cities and large towns in this way A
pipe downstairs springs little leak,
or some one carelessly leaves a burner
turned in one of the rooms. The gas
steadily, though very slowly, perh ps.
pours into the cellar or room, and before
long the people begin 10 say, '.AYhat a
strong smell of gas; there must be a
leak somewhere. They ought never TO
use light in searching for the leak
But, often, one is used. If the trouble
nfeSfaff.s =
evening, a servant girl, very likely. goe5
in with lighted lamp to find the burner
which is open, and closes it. Or if it
be in the cellar and a gas filter or
plumber Is sent for. he very often carries
down burning candle. Then the mixed
gas and air will blow the building to
pieces, and may very likely kill the peo-
pie In the cities men walk the streets
selling toy balloons. These balloons are
made OF very thin, light india-rubber,
and are about the size of large soap
bubble. They are filled with common
gas, such as is burned in houses One
day gentleman bought one and was
carrying ii along the street, holding it
by a string about three feet long, which
lay over his shoHlder and allowed the
balloon to float in the air behind him.
bobbing up and down as he walked In
the crowd a gentleman smoking
a cigar came near and the
balloon touched the lighted end
of the cigar. The fire in the cigar burned
or melted a hole in the balloon. the gas
within and atmospheric air outside
together, forming an explosive
compound, and took fire, and imme-
diately there was an explosion in the
smoker face, singeing his whiskers and
burning his nose.
1t Is not strange that servant girls do
not know it may be dangerous to carry
a lamp into room where there has been
a little gas escaping, but one would sup
pose workmen employed in repairing |
gas pipes would understand all about it, !
Many. however, do not; the people in |
the house ought to watch a workman |
whom they send down cellar to find a |
leak, and see that he does not carry Il |
light. An Albany man once sent to the |
gas company to have leak in his cellar |
stopped, and the workman who came |
struck match. The explosion blew up |
The floors overhead So that the mans |
wife and daughter We're blown through |
he ceiling OF the room in which they /
we're sitting up into the next story. and |
hen fell into the cellar. The same sort
Of calamity has happened in a great
many cases from like carelessness OF
yas-fitters themselves.
If you notice a person lighting the
sas after the faucet has been turned a
title. youwill sometimes notice that it
lights with little puff. When what is
,alled an Argand burner is used this
)uff IS quite loud; for the chimney holds |
| little quantity of the gas mingled with
lir, and the puff you hear is the explo-
ion of this mixture. A grown person
,ould show you pretty good illustra-
ion of these explosions by holding a
mug or tumbler over gas-burner and
citing little gas pour into it, which
would Immediately mix with the air al
eady in it, and then lighting this mix
nre- But the mug or tumoler should
e pretty strong one, else the explo-
ION miOht shatter II - Chrisiin,l HMM |