The Portland daily press., 1898-01-29
THE HEARING POSTPONED.
People Living Near Eye and Ear
Infirmary
OBJECT TO THE USE OF GASOLINE
IN THAT INSTITUTION.

in THAT INSTITUTION.
The Matter Will Be the Subject of a Hear
ing Week From Today-A Special
Meeting of the City Government and
The Business Transacted.
There was special meeting of the city
government last night called for action
on two important matters. One of these
was the petitions of the Maine Eye anu
Ear Infirmary and Owen, Moore anu
company for permission to keep gasoilne
on their premises and thu other matter
was to transfer considerable money 1rolh
various appropriations to other appropfi-
ations which have become exhausted.
Alderman Ilsley was the only absentee
in the Board of Mayor and Alderman
when that body was called to order at
about ght O'Clock.
An order calling for the transfer OF
st1OO, from the appropriation for interest,
$1293 from the appropriation for widening
Franklin street, $500 for the appropriation
for the City building and $3.50 from the
appropriation for public buildings to the
appropriation for the support OF the poor
the sum of $500 from the appropriation
for the city building to the appropriation
for police contingent; the sum OF Sou
from the appropriation for state reform
school to the appropriation for electrical
IL
appliances, the sum of S1l00 from the ap-
preparation for public buildings to the
appropriation for armory and auditorium,
the sum of $500 from the appropriation
for new school building to the appropria-
ton for evening school. and the sum of
s47. 80 from the appropriation for sanitary
committee to the appropriation for health
was passed after some discussion and OBJ
lection by Alderman Rounds who wanted
each transfer to be made into separate
order and considered separately.
Aldermen Kehoe and Rounds voted
against the passage of the order and the
other voted for 1t SO that it passed the
upper board by majority Of two.
Then the aldermen took up the matter
of the storage of gasoline on the premises
of the Eye and Ear Infirmary and at
Owen and Moore's store. Both the Maine
Eye and Ear Infirmary and the firm Of
Owen and Moore had put in petitions for
/. the storage of gasoline and the matter
had been referred to chief Engineer
/ Eldredge of the fire department for re-
+ port. Chief Eldridge submitted the fol-
lowing report which was read by the
mayor:
Chief Engineers Office,
Fire Department, Central Station,
Portland, Me-, January "a, 1898.
To His Honor the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen: b.
Gentlemen ACTING under orders from
your honorable body, | have obtained
The best information / can on the ques-
ton OF gasoline and beg leave to submit
the following report:
I find that our laws in regard to the
storage of explosives must be changed
before anything can be done to improve
the present state of affairs.
Our laws allow the storage of 100 gal
Ions of gasoline without a permit and IN
my Judgment the dams er is as great from
100 gallons as from 400 gallons.
I visited Boston and had long talk
with M. G. F. Cabot who is chief inspec-
tor for the New England Exchange and
who is, am told, as good authority as
can be found in Boston.
He told me that in Boston they did not
allow but one days supply on the premis-
es at any one time and then not more
than two to five quarts, and none to re-
main over night He was very much sur
prised at the amount that WAS allowed IN
Portland and thought it was very great
rsk. He told me the insurance cOmpa-
MES charged one fourth of one per cent
extra on premises where gasoline was al
lowed Their laws are that gasoline shall be
stored in tanks, the tanks to be not less
than 500 feet from any building and top
of tank at least five feet under ground.
/ find that there are but two gasoline
engines in Boston, and they are on the
outskirts. I find that gasoline evapo-
rates very fast and forms very explo-
siye vapor which is much heavier than
air. and it is this vapor that causes all
the trouble I find that one pint of
gasoline will impregnate 200 cubic feet
of air and make it explosive.
Now I should say even 100 gallons in a
tank where there was much chance for
evaporation would be very dangerous,
and another thing, with these tanks
buried in the ground, continual forming
of this yapor must sooner or later make
danger for o spark or flame some distance
away will ignite the vapor and cause an
explosion.
body that hearing be granted.
Yours very respectfully,
NJ N. ELDRIDGE,
Chief of Fire Department.
Mayor Randallthen state that the board
was willing to grant hearing on this
matter and Mr.. Hiram Knowlton stated
that he was present as an attorney for the
remonstrants to the granting OF the
petition of the Maine Eye and Ear In
Urinary. He then read remonstrance
against the granting of this particular
petition signed by forty citizens who re-
side Hear the Maine Eye and Ear In
Urinary and who claimed that the using
of gasoline in running the engine IN the
electric power station Of the indrmary Is
a menace to life and limb of the people ID
the vicinity and constantly endangers
their property. More than this the Ioise
made by the engine in the plant Of the
Eye and Ear IDfirmary is constant
source of annoyance and the remonstrants