The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-28

has g. more or less well-deserved re-
putation for habitual mendacity,
though as likely to lie against the gas
company as for 1t, but it has never
done anything to warrant the suspic-
ion that it is liable to go off with a
bang. 1t is tin box of a little less
than one cubic foot capacity, put to-
gether with soldered seams and japan
ned. Into and through it passes the
gas. which enters through the service
pipe connecting the main with the
house-usually of half-inch diameter.
It has very little capacity for gas
storage, and is not strong enough to
carry gas under great compression
than, say, half a pound per square
inch. More than this would bulge it's
sides. In point of fact the pressure of
gas in meters is rarely more than
enough to balance a column of water
two or three inches high.
If a 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. 1t becomes so only when
mixed with air in certain definite pro-
portions. Should this admixture exist
In a meter, which is almost impossi-
BILE its shell is not strong enough to
orer any resistance, and should an ex-
plcsion occur by reason of fire reach
ing this admxture of gas and air. the
meter would be wrecked, but it is
doubtful If any other damage would
result. None have been wracked from
this cause. If the seams of the meter
are opened by melting of the solder or
by fracture from accident the gas with
IN IL would escape. and, if it had the
chance. hllrn OIItcidn "a
might have opportunity to form the
explosive mixture with air and do
some damage
what actually happens in the case
OF hres attributed to the explosion of
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 it comes
III contact with an accidental fire of
some sort. fire starts in the cellar.
ana the temperature gradually rises
until the smoldering. rubbish bursts into
names. This reaches the mixture of gas
ana air along the ceiling, and an ex-
ploSlon follows. The meter naturally
enough, Is thrown down and probably
torn from It's connections, and the con-
cluslon is reached that. instead of he
ing the victim OF the accident. the in
offensive meter is the cause of all the
trouble and has INDUCED its inherent
propensity to set the house afire. after
htting 1t from its foundations.
1t Is 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 i'm saw
factories, but the excellent old lady
VINO after reading of such an accident
ana recalling that there was an old
grlndstone in one corner of the cellar
which had been there 20 years. hired
couple OF tranps to carry IL TO the
extreme corner of the garden and pour
water on II for an hour. meanwhile
giving thanks that u had not blown
herself and family into eternity ''un-
beknownst 10 any Of us" was of the
type OF those who. through fear OF gas
meter explosion. are all their lifetime
subject 10 nervous chills. There is not
. gas meter In use under which II
would not be perfectly safe 10 build
a bonfire provided. Of course. there
was not quantity 81 gas outside of
" which the same IRE could reach