Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-02-24
ABOUT AcETYLENE GAS.
Dangers Connected With Its Use Sc,
Forth

I
Forth.
The Progressive Age, of New York.
one of the best engineering author
ities in this country has the following
article in It's issue OF February Is,
1898:
Many recent accidents, of which
two have been followed by the death
OF men. and Others by serious wounds,
add to the list, already numerous, of
acetylene victims, showing that we
cannot be too careful in the handling
of carbide and the generation of
acet) lene.
One of these accidents took place in
the suburbs Of Toulouse, in a house
where tinsmith and his helper were
endeavOring to make an acetylene
generator work. The apparatus burst
into pieces and the two workmen
were killed upon the SPOT.
Another accident occurred at Com.
piegne, at the works of NJ. Thomas,
manufacturer of acetyleDe generators.
occasioneG by the imprudence of a
workman who approached the gener-
ator with candle while the bell was
removed for examination. The fore
man had advised the two woTkmen
with him not to approach the appar-
atus with any flame whatever. Dur
ing some momenG's absence of the
foreman one OF the workman who
neglected this precaution approached
with a candle and paid by his life for
the heedlessneSs, which caused the
gas-holder to explode, the fragrants
of which struck his head, causing
death.
These accidents do not differ as to
origin from most of those already
well known; but this is not the case
with the following, produced under
different circumstances, and which
reveals new danger. against which,
without doubt, not sufficient care has
been taken up to the present, the
danger of explosions from handling
casks of carbide. These are the facts
which we find described by contem-
pOrary journal:
IN. Caron, maker of bicycles at 50
Rue d'Angouleme, had received that
morning a cask of carbide of calcium
intended to supply the acetylene
lamps used by wheelmen. He prof ted
by the absence Of a plumber, who was
putting pipes into the shop, TO open
the cask. To melt the solder, instead
of using the soldering iron, lie used
the plumbers lamp; the contact of
the flame and carbine, which was
probably moist, produced the acety.
lene gas which caused the explosion.
M. Caron, who was sitting upon the
cask, was burned at the upper part Of
his body; the workman. Alphonse
Tiyat, who at this moment entered
the shop, was wounded also at the
base of his nose, on the body and
chest. The explosion was not very
strong and did no damage, but the
wounded men were severely hurt and
had to be taken to the hospital Saint
Louis. The most injured is M.CarOn.
who this evening had not yet regained
consciousness, and has, therefore,
given no explanation to NJ. DaltrOff,
of roliIe of that
quarter" Thus, carbide of calcium
confined in vessels supposed to be
tight lin this case sealed cask) can
give off acetylene. Tue hygrometic
state of the air has, hence, a very
great influence upon The preservation
of carbide, and if the air inclOsed in
a flask cause the generation of acety-
lene, carbide should not be trans
ported in large cans unless there is
some assurance of careful opening by
the consumer.
This is why l think, and have
always ,thought so, that the use of
lighting material based upon sup
plies which are costly and limited in
is not adapted TO the
wide and general use which enthus-
lasts have claimed for acetylene, But
one can consider also as one of the
reasons unfavorable to its develop
ment the precautions necessary for
storage and shipping to AVOID the un-
pleasant smell which 1T gives off and
the decomposition resulting from con-
tact with more or less moisture con-
tained in air. If carbide must be in
closed in Theoretically sealed vessels,
one can readily understand the
difficulties which will follow the
of large quantities of this
in works which makes car
bide on large scale or uses it for
acetylene, and also upon a
small scale--particularily as the
product is given off with extreme
facility-the production Of acetylene
requires great precautions, still more
precautions always.