The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-02-06
CAUTIONS IN USING | {.
" !. I. The !. KEROSENE /; !. /: \ ;
~. 81. 49,
Chemistry Of Fire and the Causes
Which Result in Explosions =
Fully Explained. ~.-


ST. PAUL, Feb. Bulletin No. IL
has just been issued by Edward Pet:
erson, state fire marshal, which is so
full of information on the ,subjec. 10
which it refers that we publish it in
full:
| The kenosene Lamp. VIZ
! Many children are badly burned and
some burned to death by the blowing
up and by the overturning Of coal
oil lamps When a lamp explodes, or
is dropped or knocked over and brok-
EN-, 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
| lire, and of explosion as WE'LL. can be
told in a simple story of what occurs
in the light of coal oil lamp. While
the lamp burns the oil slowly disap-
pears, being changed to gases which
cannot be seen. Kerosene, being the
thlnnest of the oils, sale for use in in
lamps, is drawn rapidly to the top
of a wick.
When a match flame is touched to
the Oil in the >wick's top it's heat loos-
ems the atoms of carbon and hydrogen,
OF which the Oil is made. They then
unite with atoms of oxygen of the
air, for which they have a greater at
traction than they have for each other.
This causes a flame.
Atoms That Are Greedy.
Each carbon atoms is so greedy that
1t seizes two atoms of oxygen from the
air 60 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 a vapor are carried out of
the top Of the chimney.
GunpoWder and dynamite do not
need air to burn them because they
already contain oxygen. Having
oxygen of their own they can be set
Attire by a. spark and exploded while
shut in gun or cannon. The force
Of an explosion is from the solid mat
ter being quickly changed to gas
which takes up hundreds Of times
more room.
The Use Of the Chimney.
The chimney of lamp forces the
current of fresh air caused by the ris-
! ing of the heated air with it, to pass
close to the flame, SO that oxygen can
be taken from it. This movement of
air is called a. draft.
| Light is made by the particles Of
carbon becoming white hot before
|
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
cause an explosion. Turn tn. ~;
down until the blaze is half I1s usu<;I
size and then blow over thet chimney
top; not down it. To turnsttbn oiHae
quite >low-and blow into stih1e~I .,',f2 l.
more dangerous. If tine top q w.:
wick is aboye the, top Of ;-'i: t!,>e
when the lamp is not lighted. I @si.t
be drawn up and will run dow p>:Ly
che lamp.
How Does Lamp Expl>1e:r
The heating of the brass in the
burner may warm the oil until it gives
off vapor in the lamp globe. If tne
wick is too small to fill the tube the
flame will flash down to this vapor
and the lamp will blow up.
The screen must be kept open so
the flame can breathe. If the CHM
ney is not clear down on the burner,
the lamp smokes because the flame
gets too much air. When a lamp
wick is too high it smokes because
there is too much fuel for the air
supply.
The brass in t heburner and collar
should be kept clean and bright SO
that the heat will pass off. Only
dirty burners heat lamps so as to
make them explode. When a burner
can not be rubbed bright it should be
thrown away because it is dangerous.
A lamp should not be set in the sun
nor close to a fire, nor hung to the
ceiling over a table on, which a lamp
is used.
Filling the Lamp.
When lamp that has been burning
needs to be filled, do not take off the
burner near another light or a fire.
The vapor in the bowl Of the lamp
may expand until it reaches blaze
and explodes. Flaming oil is then
thrown over every one who is near.
Above ali, remember that filling a.
lamp without first putting it out is
very dangerous.
When two-thirds Of the oil in a
lamp has been used it should be
filed again. Once each week the oil
left in a lamp should be poured back
into the can through piece of cloth
on a funnel to filter it clear. This is
to remove dirt which has settled to
the bottom.
The Wick.
The char should be removed, from
the wick every day. When a wick is
half burned up. a. new one should be
put in. A lamp cared for in this way
will give bright, white light and will
not blacken the burner nor explode.
The burners for round wicksz are safer
than those. which use. fiat ones. -
Air mixed with one-eighth oil vapor
will blow up, if ittouches flame.