The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29
Good Advice From Authoritative /SOurCe-hOuse-
holders Who Use Oil Should Peruse and Preserve.

was they were not injured. When they
! struck the ground they were running. and
! the employees of the company declare they
/ were running when last seen. They have
! never been noticed around that neighbour
| hood since
1T is nothing unusual for this office TO
I ceive complaints that dealers are selling
| cCal oil that is not up TO standard. We al
| ways Investigate these complaints. nut as
a rule find that the fault is not in the coal
| oil, but in the haniling of It. Upon one oc-
| casion recently a gentleman came in with
| his hand in a bandage, and stated that
I there had been a coal oil explosion at his
house the night before. He wanted tho
dealer proceeded against We Investigated
and found that his wife. a servant, had
sent the gasoline can To be filed with coal
oil There was a small quantity OF gaso-
lire In the can. and it rendered the whole
can full nj coal oil below proof As soon
as the burner had become heated II began
to generate gas rapidly. and in few mo-
ments the lamp WAS alame.
Recently a lady in the West End flled
parlor lamp and then lighted it. The fame
! behaved in an alarming manner and she
turned it out. She thought there was too
much oil in the lamp and poured some of II
back into the can. Then she lighted the
lamp again. But IL behaved worse than
ever She took the can to her grocer snd
told him he had sent her bad coal oil. He
examined it and told her she had been try
ing to burn gasoline in her lamp The
grocer's porter mad filed the coal oil can
with gasoline.
There certain rules that should BE-
carefully followed in handling coal oil. IL
they are observed. there is little danger Of
an explosion.
Provide cans tina, are easily distinguish
nlI oil r- I.,fI
line Bt sides having them OF an entirely
different pattern. that there is no danger
of mist taking ore fer the other even In the
dark would suggest having one of glass
or tin and one Of wood-mark them plainly
So that there may be no danger that the
gasoline can, when empty. will be filed
with ccal oil.
Keep both cans in a reasonably cool
place. and 10 not shake them violently.
IF. by any possible chance, gasoline
should be poured into the coal oil lamp or
can. be sure not only that it is poured out,
but that the lamp or can is thoroughly
cleansed before coal oil is poured in. 1t
is well to rennemhr that very few drops
of gasoline will make gallon of coal oil
unsafe.
Never allow the use of a gasoline meas
ure or funnel in measuring or pouring coal
oil
"Ncver allow the lamp to get too nearly
empty. \ full lamp will never explode. but
one that is only one-half one-thrd full
may b.. dangerous. There is too much va
cant space III which gas may form
Keep all burners clean. so that there
may be a free passage fer the natural
amount of gas that will be generated by
even the best lamp.
And be sure not TO use the coal oil In
starting a fire. II Is possible to use cod
oil with some degree of safety for that
purpose If the coal oil is placed in an open
vessel ard is then dashed upon the kindling.
But IL Is dangerous ard in"Xcusable To pour
coal oil through the spout of small can
into a fire box.