Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-01
SCORED A SHINING SUCCESS.
The Iowa Board of Health Makes
Some Interesting Experiments.
1T DOES NOT eRoPe IN THE DARK,
hut Promptly Applies Scientific Tests
4 TO tho Solution of a Few Light
Problems-Glaring Evils
Remedied.
LAMPS Trimmed and burning.

= DEs MONIES, Ia, March 81, 31,-[Special TO
The BEE. THE Iowa state board of health
has two hobbies-contagious diseases and
kerosene oil. When it isn't busy devising
some scheme to head off diphtheria, scarlet
fever, etc, it is studying the matter of Il
Eliminating oils, how to give the people as
surance that their oil Is safe, and how TO use
IL properly after they get II. The assistant
secretary of the board, Mr.. L. F. Andrews,
Is the bright particular genius who does the
most of this pro bono publico business, and he
does it we'll. He takes special delight in in
vestigating and experimenting upon the
different properties of the subject before
him, and his conclusions are after very valu.
able and of great public service For several
months he has been studying the lamp prob
lem. A great many complaints come to the
Office that inferior kerosene was being sold
through the state. AS there is very rlgid
system Of oil inspection carried on under the
direction OF the board of health, he became
satisfied that the trouble was not so much
with the oil as with the way in which it was
being used. So he procured large number
OF burners, lamps and wicks of different
varieties, and supply of oil Of.
different qualities and made some
thorough tests His conclusion is that
OF arises from the improper use of oil, and
not from its qnality. The results of his in
vestigation have been embodied in a circular
which is soon to be issued by the board for
public information. He discusses first the
different kinds Of oil, and shows what is best
according to the Iowa standard. This is
kerosene that, when heated to 105 degrees
Fahrenheit, will not throw off vapor which
will ignite when brought in contact with
flame or lighted match. That is what is
known as the Iowa fash test, and is the only
test which goes in this state. The fire
test, as 1t is sometimes called, indicating the
degree OF heat at which oil placed in an open
vessel will ignite and burn without the aid OF
wick, is not recognized by the Iowa statute,
and If branded all over a barrel of oil will do
no good. Oh having flashing point of 105
degrees to ITO degrees will give better illu-
mination burn freer and with greater salts
faction in ordinary lamps than an oil with
flashing point of 120 degrees or 125 degrees.
The higher the flashing point the denser and
heavier the oil, and consequently the moro
sluggish is the capillary action.
Having settled the oil question, the circu-
lar passes with lamps and makes some help
ful suggestions about them. 1t recommends
that they be OF metal with no feeding place
except for the wick tube. The bowl should
be large In diameter and shallow, not exceed
ing two and one half inches in depth, so as to
bring the flame as near the oil as possible, to
secure an even combustion of the contents.
With deep lamps the wick will fail to raise
the oil when half consumed and imperfect
illumination will be the result. The lamps
should be filled and cleaned every day, and
once each week be entirely emptied of the
contents, to remove the dregs and sediment.
This will enable the vapor which forms over
half filled lamp to pass away safely. The
circular especially cautions the public against
leaving lamp burning with the wick turned
down. Air currents are liable to cause the
chimney to break The wick tube will then
become greatly heated and the lamp will be
filled with dangerous vapor. A burning
lamp with broken chimney becomes liable
to explosion in about fifteen minutes.
Some general suggestions are made as to
the style of burners which will secure best
results. The burner, says the circular,
should be adapted to the oil to be used,
whether heavy or light. 1t should be properly
constructed for draft and ventilation for the
escape of vapor from the vapor chamber of
the lamp. Burners should be kept perfectly
clean and free from crustation on the wick
tube, and accumulation of chared wick on
the perforated disk. The vent tubo along
the wick tube should be kept open and clean,
as it is the safety valve of the lamp.
Gummed and clogged burners can be easily
cleaned by boiling few moments In salsoda
or concentrated lye and water. A great
many other suggestions as to lamps, oil, and
things pertaining thereto, are made in this
circular They are very useful and valuable,
and IL the people of Iowa, for whom they
are principally intended, will carefully OBJ
serve them, lamp explosions will be almost
unknown, and everybody will get better
Light ana more of IL.