The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-10-27

- s,..'.iNsHoSESE N AND HowTo Use IT. Many
and terrible are the accidents annually from
the use ct kerosene or coal OIL and anything
in regard to testing illuminating oils and
how to use them wi be of valuable interest
to all The following extracts from pa
per by that noted physician, Professor J. X.
Nlacombcr, of the Iowa State Agricultural
College, are given for the benefit of our rca
ders, and in the hop, that it may prevent
mary sad accident from Kerosene. After
enumcratins the various "hyirocarbvns,'
and describing their qualities and produc-
tions, and stating the requirements of
lIws of lowa, as to the inspection of oil, the
professor gives the method of testing oils
as follows:
Wth'a htrfc any ORC c1u--tcst-- a
specimen of oil and determine whether it is
hit for use. \ commcn thermometer,
tcacup, saucer aud Il little warm water in.
ciude the apparatus needed. First, remove
all the objects from the table which arc in>
tammablc. Put some boiling water in the
teacup snd gradually pour in cold water, un.
I'll It's temperature is about one hundrc
and forty.iivo degrees Pour little oil
on the warm water aud sti: well until the
OIL has the same temperature as the water.
Light match and move it quickly two or
three times over the surface ofthe oil. Do
not hold it still Il moment. The test is for
the purpose Of determining the prcscnc. of
iniiammabc vapors above the liquid FL
naIIy, plunge the match quickly into the oil
If docs not isuitc the oil is all right. If
it lights reject it as below standard and dan.
Scrous. To cxtinguish the oil when lighted
place the saucer over the tcacup. If the
oil is suspected to DC very bad, pour little
on water about sixty or seventy degrees
Hit contains ma. h;ha or gasoline it will
| ignite The moment the match comes over it.
and it will burn furiously. Again, pour
little good kerosene oil on smooth board
and apply li,htcd match. 1t will ignite
with great difficulty aud probably 20 out
Now pour little which contains naphtha
or little pure naphtha on the board, and
apply lighted match. 1t will burst into
great fame instantly, and unless very lit.
tie Is US, d the fame will Use up several
feet. All these tests should be made in room,
where there is no fire or light near, us apv
specimen may prove dangerous one.
Accidents arc most likely to occur when
juslng Lamp onlY partially full Of the dan.
Serous oil. When the lamp cools air Gu.
tcrs and mixes with the vapor, and the next
time it is lighted perhaps the flame will run
down beside the wick, and an explosion 10
suits. In testing an oil, Il blush flame will
sometimes be seen to run over tho ourtace
OF the fluid, and then so out at a tempera>
turc below where the oil burns The first
temperature is called the Flashing point"
In some States the "flashing point
is used as the basis for testing oils This
is lower temperature by five or ten de.
grces than the burning point"
The dangerous properties Of the naphtha
and gasoline are inherent in the nature of
the liquids themselves, and no human de-
vice can alter them, and yet there are men
who go about pretending to sell non.explo-
sivc naphthas, lamps and stoves. lamps
and safety fluids are only safe when the
fluid used is good Kerosene and this is al
ways safe. The victims of these disasters
are generally innocent women and children
BY purchasing oils in quantities of five gal.
Ions at time and applying the tests as
described in this, AL danger can be avoided
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