The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-02-05
The Kerosene Lamp

The state fire marshal in q
circular for publication calls at.
tention to the number of fire &C.
cidents originating from the kero
seue lamp, and after giving the
chemistry of fire and oil, pre-
sents the following facts. a care
ful noting of which will lessen
the casualties from this source:
The Use Of the Chimney
The chimney of lamp forces the
current OF fresh air caused by the ris-
ing OF 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 of
carbon becoming white hot before
they are burnt up. The hottest flames
make no light.
Do not try to blow out lamp while
the flame is high. Doing 90 may break
the chimney or force the flame down
into the lamp bowl and cause an ex.
plosion. Turn the wick down until
the blaze is half its usual size, and
then blow over the chimney's top; not
down 1t. 10 ourn the blaze quite
low and blow into the burner is more
dangerous. If the top of the wick is
above the top of the tube when the
lamp is not lighted, oil will. be drawn
up and will run down over the lamp
How does u Lamp Explode!
The hearing of the brass in the
burper may warm the oil until it gives
Off vapor in the lamp globe. If the
wick is too small to fill the tube the
flame will fash down to this vapor
and the lamp will blow up.
The screen must be kept open so
the flame can breathe. If the chimney
Is not clear down on the burner, the
lamp smokes because the flame gets
too much air. When lamp Is turned
too high it smokes because there is
too much fuel for the air supply.
Ire brass in the burner 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 fire, nor hung to the
ceiling over table on which q lamp
is used.
Filling the Lamp
In fling lamp, do not take OF the
burner near another light or a fire.
The vapor in the bowl of the lamp
may expand until it reaches q blaze
and explodes. Flaming oil is then
thrown over every one who Is near.
Above all. remember that filling 4
lamp without first putting 1t out is
very dan .erous.
lamp has been used it should be filled
gain. Once each week the oil left in
a lamp should be poured back into
the can through a piece OF cloth on a
fuanel to filter it clear. This ls 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 burnt up q 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 wicks are safer
than those which use fiat ones.
Air One-eighth oil vapor will blow
up. ii 1t touches flame. In South
Dakota there were more than IA build.
ings fred in 1907 by the exploding or
lpsetting of coal oil lamps or lanterns.
The damage done by fires started by
lamps and lanterns io this state for
The year ending July lst, 1908. was
S93O5 90. In the United States last
year $40 persons led from being burn
I'D by the exploding OF lamps.
FRANK A. CRAFT,
State Fire Marshal.