Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-12-22
ABOUT GAS METERS.
WHY THESE eRRATIc INSTRUMENTS
90 NOT EXPLODE.
such an Accident L. No More Likely
GO Happen to Them Than co MIX
Dottie. or salt DsEs-what Does
Ilauuen I'm Case of Pre-.

Happen ,n Case OF Fire.
The proneness OF the average news
paper reporter 10 attribute cellar con-
iagrations 10 the explosion Of gas me-
tiers represents what appears 20 be an
ineradlcable race trait. No amount OF
contradiction and no accumulation Of
proof that such an accident is an Inn
possibility seems TO reach the news
gatherers. who go ON reporting the ex-
ploslon OF gas meters. doubtless be-
cause the firemen have tradition that
meters are explosive and give this ex-
planatlon OF every fire which they can
not otherwise account for.
For the reinsurance OF nervous peo-
pie IL gives us pleasure 10 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
IN 10 happen TO them than TO milk bot
ties or salt bags.
The domestic gas meter has n more
or less well deserved reputation Tor
habltual mendaclty, though as likely
10 lie against the gas company as Tor
II; but Il has never done anything to
warrant the suspicion that II Is liable
10 20 of with a bang. IL Is TIN box
OF A little less than one cubic foot
capacity. put together with soldered
seams and japanned.
Into aud through II passes the gas
which enters through the service pipe
connecting the main with the house.
usually OF half an inch diameter. IL
has very little capacity for gas storage.
aud is not strong enough TO carry gas
under n 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 to
balance a column Of water two or three
inches high.
III n gas meter Is exposed 10 great
heat from external ire. nothing very
serious happens. The soldered seams
will probably melt. allowing the gas
TO escape. This gas is not explosive
however. II becomes so only when
mixed with air In certain definite pro-
| portions.
should this admixture exist In
meter. which is almost impossible. It's
shell Is not strong enough To ouer any
great resistance. and should an ex-
ploslon occur 10y reason Of Dire reach
ing this admixture Of gas and air the
meter would be wrecked. but II Is
doubtful OF any other damage would
result. None has been wrecked from
this cause.
II the seams OF the meter are opened
by the melting OF the solder or by frae-
ture from accident. the gas within IL
would escape. and. II II had the chance,
burn Outside the meter II might have
opportunlty to form the explosive mix
ture with air and do some damage.
What actually happens In the case
OF fires attributed 10 the explosion or
gas meters is usually this: Gas which
has leaked from defective pipes or
worked into the cellar from broken or
defective street mains accumulates In
pockets formed by rafters and else
where and remains there until II comes
in contact with an accidental tire
OF some sort A fire starts In the Gel
lar and the temperature gradually rises
until the smoldering rubbish bursts In
10 fame. This reaches the mixture OF
gas and air along the ceiling and an
explosion follows.
The meter. naturally enough. IS
thrown down and probably torn from
its connections. and the conclusion Is
reached that. instead OF being the vic
tim OF the accident. the inonensiye me
ter Is the cause OF all the trouble and
has INDUCED It's inherent propensity 70
set the house afire after lifting II from
its foundations.
II Is a perfectly safe generalization
that the gas which makes trouble In
cellars Is wholly outside the meter and
never inside OF II. 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
grindstone In one corner OF the cellar
which had been there twenty years.
hired couple Of tramps 20 carry u TO
the extreme corner Of the garden and
pour water on Il for an hour. mean
while giving thanks that II had not
blown herself and family into eternity
sunbeknownst 10 any OF US" was OF
the type OF those who. through fear or
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
20 build n bonfire. provided. Of course.
there was not a quantity Of gas out
side OF II which the same fire could
reach. New York Times.