Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-12-24
ABOUT GAS METERS.
WHY THESE eRRATIc INSTRUMENTS
90 NOT EXPLODE.

Such an Accident In No More Likely
to Happen to Them Than to Milk
Bottles or Salt Bags-What Does
Happen Jn Case of Fire.
The proneness Of the average news
paper reporter to attribute cellar con-
fagrations to the explosion Of gas me-
tiers represents what appears to be an
ineradicable race trait No amount OF
contradiction and no accumulation Of
proof that such an accident is an i'm.
possibility seems to reach tine news
gatherers. who go OH reporting the ex-
plosion Of gas meters. doubtless be-
cause the firemen have a tradition that
meters are explosive and give this ex-
PLANTATION Of every fire which they can
not otherwise account for.
For the reinsurance Of nervous peo-
pie 1t gives us pleasure to say that no
gas meter ever exploded since the
world began. and until they are made
on very different plans and contain
gas of very different composition from
that now used for Illuminating pur-
poses such an accident is no more like
ly to happen to them than to milk hot
ties or salt bags.
The domestic gas meter has a more
or less well deserved reputation Tor
habltual mendacity. though as likely
TO lie against the gas company as Tor
It; but 1t has never done anything 10
warrant the suspicion that 1t is liable
to 90 of with a bang. 1t is a tin box
Of a little less than one cubic foot
capacity. put together with soldered
seams and japanned.
Into and through II passes the gas,
which enters through the service plpe
connecting the main with the house,
usually of half an inch diameter. 1t
has very little capacity for gas storage.
and Is not strong enough to carry gas
under a greater compression than' say,
half a pound per square inch. More
than this would bulge its sides. In
point of fact the pressure OF gas I'D
meters Is rarely more than enough 10
balance a column Of water two or three
inches high.
II q gas meter Is exposed to great
heat from external fire. nothing very
serious happens The soldered seams
will probably melt. allowing the gas
to escape This gas is not explosive,
however It becomes so only when
mixed with air In certain definite pro-
portions.
Should this admixture exist Ia n
meter, which is almost impossible its
shell Is not strong enough to offer any
great resistance. and should an eX-
plosion occur by reason of fire reach
ing this admixture Of gas and air the
meter would be wrecked. but II IS
doubtful OF any other damage would
result. More hos been wrecked from
this cause.
If the seams Of the meter are opened
by the melting Of the solder or by Irac-
ture from accident, the gas within 1t
would escape, and, If 1t had the ch'ace'
burn. Outside the meter 1t might Lave
opportunity to form the explosive 'hlS'
ture with air and do some damage.
What actually happens in the case
of fires attributed to the explosion or
gas meters is usually this: Gas when
has leaked from defective pipes or
worked into the cellar from broken or
defective street mains accumulat's III
pockets formed by rafters and else
where aud remains there until 1t comes
in contact with an accidental hre
of some sort. 4 fire starts IN the cei-
lar and the temperature gradually rises
until the smoldering rubbish bursts ln-
TO fame. This reaches the mixture OF
gas and air along the ceiling AMI an
explosion follows.
The meter, naturally enough. 's
thrown down and probably torn from
its connections. and the conclusion IL
reached that. instead OF being the We
tim of the accident. the inotfenslve me-
Ter Is the cause Of all the trouble ana
has INDUCED its inherent propensity 10
set the house afire after lifting 1t from
its foundations
1t is a perfectly safe generalization
that the gas which makes trouble 'n
cellars is wholly outside the meter ana
never inside of 1t. Grindstones some
times explode with fatal results In saw
factories. but the excellent old lady
who. after reading Of such an accident
and recalling that there was an OLD
crindstone In one corner Of the cellar
which had been there twenty years,
hired couple of tramps to carry II TO
the extreme corner OF the garden ana
pour water on it for an hour. mean'
while giving thanks that 1t had NOT
blown herself and family into eternity
"unbeknowrst to any OF u.s." was or
the type of those who. through fear OF
gas meter explosions. are all their life-
time subject to nervous chills.
There is not a gas meter In use under
which II would not be perfectly safe
to build bonfire, provided. OF course
there was not a quantity Of gas out
side of It which the same fire could
reach.-New York Times.