Telegram-herald., 1891-11-04
DEATH IN THE LAMPS
Prof Kedsie, OF lansing. Talks
About sqaswbuck Kerosene.
he DECLARES II VERY DANGEROUS
Interesting Tests Made Before the state
Beard ee Under urissTs-Ths Test
Rsqairsa By the Law -
Ensireiy Inadequate.
Lansing, Nov. 3.-Some thirty-iive
nem mhers al the State UnderWrIters'


college yesterday aiterEoon and HIST
ened TO a very entertaining and IN
ssracslve i,lustra yed lecture On oil BY |
DR.. T. O. kedzie. In his Introduction
DIR. hedxie diselaimed al desire or Ia
tcntion 70 mix Ip any political fight
wkle.l the consideration OF this ques-
tlon might preclpitate. lie had, how
ever. been requested by oommitte
representing the UNDERWRITERS Assoeia-
ton TO Instruct the members oi that
body concerning matter which en-
.orec INTO their daily business and a
thorough knowledge of which was
essenriy To a proper discharge Of their
duties and this was the sole purpose
OF his remarks today. DIR. kedzle
treated his subject exhaustiyely, COM
n,encing with brief reference 10
marsh gas, the first emanations. en-
countered after breaking ground, and
tracing each successive production to
the most refined products OF petro-
leun. The greater portion OF his re-
marks were OF course confined TO kero-
Gene oil. and moro particularly that
o. the present legal test In this state.
The oil inspected under the present
law which was tested today, was pur-
chased by DIR. Kedzic at the store of
Ferguson Brothers, OF Okemos. near
the college. One of the members of
the firm is DR.. F. A. Ferguson, the
Irgham county representative, who
introduced the present law in the house
and who at that time assured his col
leagues that it whould result in
saving OF 100000 annually TO the
people OF the state, but slngularly
enough DR.. Kedzic was requested to
pay the same price per gallon for this
oil as the same firm were wont to
charge him for tho old test oil in the
days gone by.
Tests OF this oil were made with both
the closed cup, the use OF which was
abolished by the present law, and also
with the Taylibue open cup which
was substituted therefor. With the
colsed cup the oil flashed at 100 and
burned at no degrees. DIR. Kedzie
then tried the burning as now conduct
ed by the oil inspectors under their
instructions. This consisted in passing
lighted taper at q distance OF sew
eral inches above the heated oil, and
the oil burned at 12O degrees. When
the burning taper was plunged into
| the oil, which DIR. Kedxie Insisted was
the only proper way to make the burn
ing test, the oil took fire at 12O de-
grees- In support OF his claim that a
fair test could not be made with the
| open cup, DIR. Kedzie conducted very
interesting experiment. which conclu-
siyely proved that the vapor was
heavier than air. Instead OF rising to
the point at which the lighted taper
was held, a greater portion escaped
over the edges OF the cup and fell
| away from the flame. He also ex-
planned that even the breath of the
Inspector as he leaned over the cup
tended to drive the vapor from the
| flames held to receive 1t, and that all
| the conditions were unfavorable to a
fair trial Oil Is not burned in an open
| cup by consumers, and therefore the
| only way to test it so as to ascertain
whether it could be used satisfactorily
was to test it in closed cup where
the vaper would be confined exactly as
it was in the lamps in which it is used.
In demonstrat ting the fact that in
stead OF rising 10 a flame held over
the oil the vapor actually fell away
from it, DR.. Kedz.e used a gutter,
which was held at an angle oi forty
five degrees. At a point on the gut
ter quantity OF absorbent cotton
saturated with OIL was attached and
six inches above this lighted candle
was plcaed, while at a much greater
distance below the cotton another
lighted candle was held. In a moment
u flash at the lower end of the gut
ter showed that the vapor had reached
the flame. but there was no mani
festaticn whatever at the other end
All during DR.. Kedz.e's talk n lamp
Glled with inspected oil under the law +.
which the "squawbucks' repealed,
stood on his desk lighted. As he had
talked more than an hour the oil in
the lamp had necessarily become great.
ly heated. Suddenly blowing out the
light and unscrcw.ng the burner DR..
Kedzic lighted taper at the gas lea
and plunging It into the oil 1t was
instantly ext:nguished. He was re.
quested by several of those present
to try the same experiments with oil
at the present test. but respectfully
declined TO do so as he had no desire
o. shuifliny of Just at this time. DR..
Kedzie declined 70 state In answer
TO inquiries whether Or not the oil
OF the present test fell below the
Ur!tcd States standard for the reason
that ths irJera' statute did not des-
fgnate whether tho test mentioned
therein contemplated the use OF a
closed or open cup. Hc did not. how
eyre, hesitate 70 state that the
test provided for by the present law
was fully Ten degrees below the old
te<s and that the us. ~ the new test
oil was positively dangerous.
| The question which the courts will
he called upon to decide when either
construction of the provision OF the
Michigan standard policy with refer.
ence TO the usc OF oil. or the oil law
IL required Of ttiem IL whether tho
oil sssould be tested In an open or clos
cd emp The case can readily hc made
by TIE refusal of dealer 10 pay for
the Inspector of oil nv the present
method. This would briEg that gues-
tion sguareiy before the eourt. From
tsle experirnerts conducted bv DR.. ked.
sir n IL clear to the minds OF everyone
who witnessed them that the test hv
an oper or Tsylibue cup H. = driusion
and sasrs 80 far as ascertaining
whether or not the rse OF oil in a
closed receptacle is dangerous There
Is rotsifnx in the Instructions to oil
ss-e~tcrs az 90 how far above sle
oH fhe lighted taper shall be held a.
:, Ii = the irspect or. ani tie d'etsn~r
/ ~abtiess varies from time 20 tine
acrordfrr 20 the mood ~ the Inspector
!
! ~ dos rot also vsrT With ever~ Sf
4 r.