Evening star., 1916-03-26
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

| Recognizing this to be largely an age
of gasoline, Uncle Sam is coaching his
citizens in the proper way
Dangers of to handle the dangerous
| . fluid. SO that there may
oaSoIlne. be as little injury to life
and limb and as little damage 70 prop
erty as possible He is spreading his
| warnings and suggestions through the
bureau of mines of the Interior Depart
ment.
| The need for spreading a knowledge
| of the hazards involved in handling
gasoline is shown strikingly by the
| fact that in this country in 1913. the
| latest year for which data are avail
able. twenty persons were killed and
sixty injured each week in fires caused
| by gasoline explosions and ignitfons.
The same year railroads lost more than
$4,000 from fires and explosions while
transporting gasoline. AS the con-
sumption of the liquid has increased
| by leaps and bounds in the past two
years. it is believed that the toll of
| lives and injuries and property DAM
age taken by the highly explosive fluid
has been even greater unless the very
prevalence of accidents has stimulated
greater carefulness.
One fundamental fact in regard to
gasoline which the bureau of mines
is. pointing out is that 1t Is the mix
| ture of the vapor with air that pro-
duces the explosive substance which
| works such havoc. Until the mixture
contains at least IA per cent of gaso-
line vapor, the bureau found. there Is
no danger of explosion; and. again,
when the proportion is greater than
6 per cent the danger point is passed.
Flashes of flame will occur in mixtures
| in which the percentage of gasoline is
stronger or weaker than the limits
given. but they will not bring destruc-
tive explosions in their train. The
seeming advantage Of this situation.
however, is compensated for by the
fact that in a room it Is very likely
that the strength of the mixture will
vary and that in some Localized areas
it will nearly always be capable or
violently exploding.
One of the valuable bits Of informa
ton given to users of gasoline by the
bureau of mines is that it is dangerous
to rub surfaces of silk violently TO-
gether when cleaning it, since the fric-
tion may generate electricity and cause
an explosion. Cleaning automobiles
with gasoline from an open receptacle
Is another danger to be guarded
against it is explained. Cases are on
record in which the striking. of a
wrench on a nut has been sufficient to
cause an explosion which enVeioped the
car in flames.
The bureaus suggestions for safety
range from warnings not to allow gaso-
line to evaporate in rooms containing
belts and shafting, because of the dan
ger from friction, or in rooms equipped
with uninclosed electric bulbs. to the
injunction to turn the bIng-holes OF
empty gasoline barrels aud drums
down. In the fighting of gasoline fires
on dry materials, the bureau advocates
the use of sand. When the names are
on the surface Of liquids. however. II
has found sawdust best, as it hoats and
smothers out the fire.
A final warning which the government
gives users of gasoline is to avoid a
feeling of false security because dan
gerous sparks or sparkproducing OBJ
jects may be at a considerable distance
1t has often happened. it is pointed out
that a gasoline and air mixture formed
from some one working with an open
can of the fluid has filled adjoining
rooms. and that spark in one OF these
has flashed back to the container. pro-
ducing in an instant a roaring hre.