The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-19
LAMPS AND THEIR CARE.
Many of the Accidents Are Doe to Neg
lect of the SIMPLEST Precautions

| ing the past few years that there is
hardly home which does not possess
one or more. They are usually orna-
mental, but they are also kept in con-
slant use even in houses lighted by gas
or electricity. There are several excel
lent makes of these lamps, but the best
of them will fail to give a good light
unless it receives careful treatment.
10 begin with, the lamp should be
trimmed and the oil filed up in the
morning every day. Once week
the oil contained should be thoroughly
emptied out, and the small amount of
dirty oil thrown away. Next see that
the burner is clean. Whenever the
lamp burns badly this should be at once
looked to, as it often is the cause. If
the burners are boiled for few min
utes in soda and water at regular inter
walls there will be little difficulty in the
burning. Next see that the wicks fit
exactly. .eFor this purpose, when new
wicks are required, the lamp burner
should always be sent Some people
buy the w!cks by guess a most foolish
plan, for not only must it be of the
right width. but also of the right thick
| ness so as to allow of the oil reaching
the flame properly and also to let the
wick be turned up or down easily.
Another thing TO ascertain is il the
wick is worn out A lamp should have
fresh wick every month at least BE
careful before fitting in a new wick to
see that the latter is perfectly dry. II
should be placed for ten or fifteen min
utes on a hot plate before fixing it on
the lamp, SO as to remove any moisture.
1t is said that soaking the wiclls in vim.
| egar and then drying them thoroughly
prevents all chance of smoking: of this
there should be no fear where the lamp
| is regularly and properly cleaned and
trimmed. BE very careful in trimming
the wick, not to let any of the charred
part fall into the burner. Do not cut
the wick, but scrape off the charred
part with match or bit of stick
We frequently hear of lamps explod-
ing, and for such explosions the most
apparently scientific reasons will be
given; but it may be safely asserted
that not once in a hundred times does
such an accident occur. What does
| OCSut 10 thdt d Which, HAS Dtcu
burning in warm room for some time,
is moved either to another part of the
| apartment or into another room alto
gether, when the sudden rush of cold
or cooler air causes the heated chimney
to fly; this report startles the person
carrying the lamp, which is dropped,
the oil container breaks, the oil is
spilled, and in some cases catches fire.
OF course such an accident is urpleas-
ant at best, and decide dly dangerous at
worst, but at the same time it is en-
phatically not case of lamp explosion,
though it will rank as such in most
peoples minds
The two great and very real dangers
in connection with the lamps are dirt
and carelessness. and to these two
causes may be safely attributed most
of the so-called lamp accidents Con-
suit any good lamp seller and he will
give you any number of facts bearing
out this assertion. He will tell you the
great sources of danger in lamps are
dirty burners and badly fitting wicks
How inconceivably careless people can
be on these points it is difficult to real
ize without personal observation.
A dealer in lamps gives instances of
neglect that had come under his own
observation:
"A short time since received letter
from gentleman stating that lamp
which had been in use some three or
four years, and had always given the
most satisfactory results. had recently
taken fire, the consequence being that
the lighted burner fell from the con-
tainer, very nearly causing a serious
disaster. / at once wrote, requesting
that the burner might be sent for exam
nation, and on receipt found that the
gauze was completely choked up with
a hard coating of dirt, but very few of
the holes being free, and that the wick
was one size too small. l requested my
correspondent to call, and on bis doing
so pointed out the condition of the
! burner to him. tie at once admitted
that the sole blame rested on himself or
his servant, but at the same time in
formed me that he was not aware that
! a lamp needed so much attention in this
! particular
During each year l handle thou
sands of burners, which are sent to me
for repairs, wicks or glasses. and it is
surprising what small percentage have
any pretense to cleanliness: some. in.
deed, are scrupulously clean on the out
side; the inside, however, is filthy, and
wonder how they burn at all. Recently
l received a circular lamp burner to put
right, and found it caked inside with
wax from candles, which were foolishly
used to ignite the wicks. My repairs
consisted in scraping off this wax and
cleaning the burner, after which the
lamp burned perfectly. Another burner
brought to me held inside n store of
dead flies Il counted forty odd. After
removing these and the dust the lamp
was all ri hit"
In spite of the many accidents that
have happened in such circumstances.
some people still persist in filling a
lighted lamp Even those who are not
guilty of this browning act of folly think
nothing of filling lamp after dark by
the light of candle. There is always
risk in doing this, for the gas from the
oil is very volatile and might easily
catch fire from the flame of the candle.
Soma In haua trick Of Snnl,inr ~