The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-17
KiNDLlNG A FIRE;
DANGER IN KEROSENE FOR
That USE

lHAI USE
The use of coal oil in starting a FIRE
in stove or crate is the most dan
geTous practice that Is common.
TO understand what Is happening
while fire is being kindled one must
know about flash point" and about
burning point" II shaving or bit
of paper Is held above lamp, it will
first turn brown and then suddenly
a gas, which has been roasted out
of 1t, will fash This flash adds
enough heat to make the shaving or
PAPER burn to ashes IN Ohio the law
requires coal oil to be tested to de
termine its flash point . II 1t flashes
before it is heated to l2O degrees
Fahrenheit, II must not be sold for
making a light If heated to $50 de-
grees II will take fire without contact
with flame.
IL takes less flame to light a
small or thin piece Oh wood because
there is more surface in proportion
to its mass. So "kindling wood" is
used
BEGINNING WITH A MATCH.
We begin by heating the little piece
of wood in a match so that It will
flame. The match head has powdered
flint or glass in 1t which gets hot
enough when rubbed to light the
phosphorus in 1t which takes fire at
14O degrees. The phosphorus lights
the chlorate of potash in the match
head making heat great enough to
fire a shaving or a piece of paper
either of these will, in burning, heat
kindling in contact with Il to the
burning point, and the flame of the
kindlng will fire the coal. Anthra-
cite or hard coal takes fire at 572 de-
grees Fahrenheit. Bitumlnous or
soft coal, which Is produced In Ohio,
takes fire with less heat, the degree
depending on the amount Of Dltural
gas in it. A pound of coal gives off
as much heat as three pounds OF dry
wood. The water in green wood
weighs half as much as wood itself.
So, to start it burning, extra neat
must be furnished to drive out the
water by changing it to steam.
Glowing Goals readily light shaw
ings or paper If they are blown upon.
Blowing forces more air past the coal
and the more air 1t gets the more
oxygen it has to sustain the COM
bustion necessary to make 1t hotter.
4 coal hot enough to make a bright
light has a temperature OF about 900
degrees.
USING COAL OIL.
Coal Oil or kerosene as II is prop.
erly called, starts a fire in hurry |
because it gives off six times as
much heat as wood in burning and
can be lighted by a match. But it
can not be used safely even in a
stove that is cold, II the iron of
the stove is warm, or IL there is a
blaze or hot coal in the ashes the coal
oil poured on Is changed to vapor.
This vapor forms a mixture with |
air, which is a powerful explosive. |
If there is the tiniest blaze in the
SlONt, Ut Teu COdl Ill lDe dSneS, III ]
blows up at once. If there is
neither blaze nor hot coal and the
stove Is warm the explosion does !
not occur until the fire builder strikes
a match.
Every week some newspaper has a
story much like on Of these: Mrs. /
Wood, on returning from church
last evening found the house cold.
She made an effort to revive the
fire by pouring coal oil on the dying
An explosion followed and,
Daralyzed by fear, she stood helpless
while angry tongues of fame con-
'umed her clothing. Friends found
her unconscious and in two hours
she died"
''Mrs. Litz, expecting her husband
lome any minute, was in a hurry to
start fire. She filled the stove with
wood and poured coal oil on it. An
xplosion occurred and Mrs. Litz,