The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-04-17
ABOUT GAS METERS.
WHY THESE ERRATlc INSTRUMENTS
DO NOT EXPLODE.

sacb an Accident II No More Li<elS
60 Happen 60 Them Than 90 MIX
Bottles or Salt Bags-what Does
Happen tn Case Of Fire.
The proneness Of the average news
paper reporter to attribute cellar con-
nagrations TO the explosion OF gas me-
ters 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 the news
galherers. who go on reporting the ex-
plOslon OF gas meters, doubtless be.
cause the tremen have n tradition that
meters are explosive and give this ex-
Dlanation Of every fire which they can
not otherwise account for.
For the reinsurance OF nervous peo-
pie It 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 10 more like
~ to happen to them than to milk bot
ties or salt bags
The domestic gas meter has a more
or less well deserved reputation for
habitual mendacity. though as likely
10 lie against the gas company as for
IL: but II has never done anything to
warrant the suspicion that 1t is liable
to go Off with u bang. II 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 pipe
connecting the main with the house.
usually Of half an inch diameter. II
has very little capacity for gas storage.
and is not strong enough to carry gas
under a greater compression than, say.
balf 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 column of water two or three
inches high.
II 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. II becomes 50 only when
mixed with air in certain definite pro
portions.
Should this admiXture exist in n
meter. which Is almost impossible, It's
shell Is not strong enough TO offer any
great resistance, and should an eX'
plosion occur 10y reason of tire reach.
ing this admlXture Of gus and mir the
meter would he wrecked. but It Is
doubtful OF any other dumagc would
result. None has been wrecked from
this cause.
II the seams Of the meter are opened
by the melting Of the solder or 10y fruc
ture from accident. the gas within IL
would escape, aud, II II had the chance.
burn. Outside the meter II might have
opportunity to form the explosive miN
ture with air aud do some dnmngr.
What actually happens In the ease
OF fires attributed to the rNp,osion Of
gas meters is usually this: tias viii h
has leaked from defective pipes ol
worked into the cellar from broken OF
defective street mains 0cumulutcs In
pockets formed 10y pftVrs aud else
where aud remains there until II comes
IN contact with nn accidental lire
OF some sort. \ lire starts In the eel
lar aud the temperature gradually rises
until the smolderlng rubbish bursts In
to tame This reaches the mixture OF
gas aud air along tie ceiling nnd nm
explosion follows.
The meter, naturally enough, Is
thrown down Hnd probably torn from
It's connections. and the conclusion H.
reached that, instead OF hcing the vie
tim Of the accident. the iuotiensive mo
ter is the cause of all the tro"hlr und
has mdulgpd It's inherent propensity to
set the house attire after liftipg II from
its fouuduti -.
II Is Il pU frctly safe generalization
that the gus which makes trouble IN
cellars is wholly outside the meter and
never Inside OF H. GrindStOncs some
times eXplode with fntul1rsults In saw
factories. but the excellent old mdv
who. after readiug of such an accident
and recalling that there WAS an old
grndstonc In on" correr of the cellar
which had been there twenty years
hired couple OF trnmps To carry u TO
the extreme corner OF the garden and
pour water on II for an hour, mean
while giving thanks that Il had not
blown herself and family into eternity