The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-23
The COAL OIL OR KEROSENE
LAMP.
The CHEMISTRY OF FIRE

and some burned to death by the
blowing up and by the overturning
of coal oil lamps. When lamp ex-
plodes, on is dropped or knocked
over and broken, burning oil Is
splashed about and the clothes OF
persons within reach Of this liquid
fire begin to burn upon their bodies
All the facts Of the chemistry Of
FIRE, and explosion as we'll, can be
told In a simple story Of what oc-
ours In the light of coal oil lamp
Whsle the lamp burns the oil slowly
disappears, being changed to gases
which cannot be seen. Kerosene, be-
ing the thinnest OF the oils, safe for
use In lamps, is drawn rapidly to
the top Of a wick
When q match fame is touched to
the oil in the wick's top its heat loss
ems the atoms of carbon and hrydro-
gen, Of which the oil Is made. They
then unite with atoms of oxygen OF
the air, for which they have a great
er attraction than they have for
each other. This causes a flame.
Each carbon atom Is so greedy
that It seizes two atoms of oxygen
from the air to form carbonic acid,
while each pair of hydrogen atoms
takes one of oxygen to form water.
The carbonic acid, which is a gas,
and the water in the form of vapor
are CARRIED out OF the top of the
chimney.
THE USE OF THE CHIMNEY.
The chimney Of lamp forces the
clrrent OF fresh air caused by the
rising of the heated air within It, to
pass close to the flame, so that
oxygen can be taken from It, This
movement of air is called draft.
Light IS made by the particles oi
carbon becoming white hot before
they are burnt up. The hottest
I flames make no light
DO not try to blow out lamp
while the flame is high Doing SO
may break the chimney or force the
flame down into the lamp bowl and
I cause an explosion. TIrn the wicl
down until the blaze is half its usua'
size and then blow over the ohm
/ ney's top not down it. To turn the
blaze quite low and blow into the
/ burner is more dangerous. If tht
top OF the wick is above the top o
\ the tube when the lamp is MOI
4 lighted oil will be drawn up anc
I will run down over the lamp.
/ HOW DOES A LAMP EXPLODE
The heating of the brass in thu
burner may warm the oil until 4
/ gives off vapor in the lamp glob'
/ If the wick is too small to fill tn,
tube the flame will flash down Il
this yapor and the lamp win b!ov
up.
The screen must be kept open 81
! the flame can breathe. If the chin
ney is not clear down on the burn
! err the lamp smokes because thu
! flame gets too much air When {
lamp Is turned too high II smokes
! because there is too much fuel fo'
the air supply.
The brass in the burner and collar
should be kept clean and bright Sc
that the heat will pass off. Only
dirty burners heat lamps so as tc
make them explode When a burner
can not be rubbed bright II should
he thrown away because it is danger
Gus.
"a lamp should not be set in the
sun nor close to fire nor hung tc
the ceiling over a table on which 9
lamp Is used.
FTLIING THE LAMP.
ing needs to be filled, do not take of
the burner near another light or a
fire. The vapor in the bowl of the
lamp may expand until 1t reaches a
blaze and eXplodes. Flaming Oil Is
then thrown over every one who is
near. Above all, remember that
filling a lamp without first putting II
out Is very dangerous.
When two thirds of the oil in q
lamp has been used II should be
filled again. Once each week the oil
left In a lamp should be poured back
into the can through a piece of cloth
on a funnel to filter II clear. THIS
Is to remove dirt which has settled
TO the bottom.
nHE WICK.
The char should be removed from
the wick every day. When a wick
is half burned up new one should
be put in. A lamp cared for in this
way will give a bright, white light
and will not blacken the burner nor
explode. The burners for round
wicks are safer than those which use
fiat ones.
An abr one-eight oil apor will blow
up, If II touches a. flame. In Ohio
there are more than two houses fired
each week by the exploding or up
setting of coal oil lamps. The houses
burned down by fires started by
lamps and lanterns in this state in
1907 cost $l6S,OOO, The persons
burned to death by lamp accidents
numbered seventeen.