Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-10-02
Destruction and Death From the Domestic
Use OF Gasoline.

Use OF Gasoline.
In the United States no honr passe
without house being set afre by
gasoline explosion.
The igniting of the vapor from case
line, burns to death more than twent
persons every week and dangerousl
burns more than sixty. Its burns ar
: so deep that they leave ugly scars. !
has marred the beauty of many a maid
en-, but most of the burned were tn
mothers.
The gasoline sounds a fire alarm il
advance and the blistered person who's,
carelessness caused the explosion, run
screaming for help. This brings neigh
bors and the fire department at once
The fact that the alarm is given quickly
and the added fact that the heat from
an explosion is sustained but for an in
stant so that only light materials ir
which blaze is easily extinguished are
fired by it, make the average loss from
gasoline fired but $3.50, which is les.
thap one-fourth the average cost of al
fires. Still the annual loss from gaso
line fires approximates 100000.
| DANGEROUS FOR USE IN HOMES.
Gasoline is the lightest and most dan
gerous fluid derived from petroleum
Naptha, which is little less dangerous
is usually called gasoline. Both contin.
uously give off vapor that makes an
explosive of the air with which 1t mixes
A canful OF air or roomful of air
which has mixed in it as much as one.
twelfth of the vapor of gasoline, Is more
dangerous than a canful or roomful OF
gunpowder. Air with that much or
more gasolene vapor in it explodes
harder and makes a hotter blaze than
gunpowder. Gunpowder will stay where
it is put and can be seen. Gasolene
vapor being little heavier than air falls
to the floor aud cannot be seen. In
very rare instances gasoline explosions
have occurred next the ceiling This is
possible when the air Of the room is sat
urated with moisture, as on wash-day, so
the vapor will float in it.
Ifa painful of gasoline is left in clos
ed room for few hours, the house is
blown to pieces as soon as a match is
struck in the room, or if a flying spark
enters it. When vapor ON the floor
spreads until it gets under a gas jet, or
lamp. or stove. it is drawn up by the
current of air made by the heat of the
blaze, and there is an explosion. All
other ignitable gases being lighter than
air rise and are born away on the wind.
CLEANING CLOVES AND RIBBONS.
Gasoline cleans grease from leather
and silk much better than any other fluid
which can be bought for little money.
Grease melts in the gasoline and is car
ried away. So mothers and daughters
use it for washing gloves and ribbons
and party dresses.
One who uses gasoline for any purpose
in room in which there is candle,
lamp or fire, is likely, very likely, to be
badly burned. A lighted cigar or pipe
carried into room in which it is being
used, will explode the air. The ghost
like vapor will hunt for something to ig-
mite it.
A beautiful girl of fifteen cleaned her
long kid gloves on a porch and had them
on her hands drying. Her brother, as
he left the house, struck a match to
light cigar. In the explosion which
followed one of her arms was 80 deep.
ly burned that she can never straighten
it, and her face is disfgured for life.
A man who had pipe in his mouth
while pouring gasoline from one can to
another, was badly burned by an explo-
sion.
DON'T USE IT in THE HOUSE.
Gasoline should only be used for
washing out of doors and away from
buildings and smokers. When the wash
ing is done the gasoline should be thrown
on loose ground which will drink it up
at once. Several explosions have come
from pouring the dirty gasoline down
the whole in the sink. 4 large number
have come from pouring 1t in the slop
bucket where it foated and gave off
vapor.
Putting gasoline in the water in a
wash-boiler is always followed by an ex-
plosion.
Silk in dresses, ribbons or gloves may
if rubbed hard make spark which will
fire gasoline.
Clothing can be cleaned by ammonia
or benzine soap without danger. safe
substitute is gelatinized benzine in which
% per cent. benzine is added to a mass
of soap, water and ammonia. 1t can be
handled without spilling the amount
of Vapor given of is Slight and the
amount of infammable material in it i'd
small.
FRANK A. CRAFT,
State Fire Marshal.