Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-11
|vAPOR OF GASOLINE
IS VERY DANGEROUS
Liquid Does Not Burn, but Its Vapor
Is us Powerful us Gunpow-
der When Ignited.
GASOLINE FIRES ON INCREASE
In Cleaning Silk, Great Care Should
DO Taken, as 1t Generates Static
Electricity When Rubbed Violent
Iy-Safoty Cans Should 30 Used.

Since the development of the motor
car. lin, number OF fires due to gasoline
has enormously Increased. To-day gas
oliu, is rcckoncd as one Of tho primary
causes OF condensation
one of the pcculiaritles OF gasoline
that Is little known TO tho general
uuhlic is that i, will not burn or ex-
plodc The explosion so often referred
| 10 is due to gasoline vapor. And gaso-
lire vapOr Is one of the most deadly
explosives known. 1T is us powerful
~ gun powder ana far more likely
to he set off.
An explosion ot Il mixture of 10 pcr
cent Of gasoline vapor with air has
been knowu TO wreck Il small house
completely The sides of the house
were blown out. the roof collapsed, the
wrcckag" was set on fire and the whole
thing destroyed
G.Suln" vapOr is heavier than air
aud falling to the floor follows the
course of the drauEht. If this dIauEht
"arrics il To Il fire, which il is very
likely to do. the flame shoots back like
a train at gun powder to the source
of supply. and either iknitcs the gaso-
line vti'"r or causes an uAplosiu,i
In spite Of Ties. things household. ~
usr gasoline as II It was 50 inuch wa-
tor. {, Is used for SO many household
purp"s"s-all the Way from clearing
gloves I" killing vcriniil-that intimacy
las bred contempt. Hut sooner or later
the careless user Of gasoline comes to
grief. AMI if he is not killed. he stands
a "u"'l show Of losing all his posses
>nnS.
Gasoline should never be used in "a
r"c'0 whcr" there is u fire. II >hu,lId
never i,' used at night. and never in
thr house II II is possibl. to so out
OF doors.
In cleaning silk great care should
be taken. The tendency OF silk 10 zen.
crate static electricity is w.u Known
and when IL is rubbed Violently that Is
Increased. The DISCHARGE Of this cleo
ririiy may take the form of an in
Visible spark. but that spark IS hot
enough |" ignite the gasoline vapor.
liner" Is no excuse for k".p!n,: .:aso-
line In the house in anything except
one Of the modern safety cans Thes.
cams ar" SO ingcuousiy contrivc,! thn,
L IL mDo iIble for n spark to enter
III" can. The mouth of the c,n IL uro.
t'"'en by fine mesh screen. which
on tn" rrincirl" Of The miners Ia,,p.
orc vents Tho entrance of nic
nncr no circumstances Shc,il! .-,so
i'm" hc stored in the house II 1t is
necessary to kccr on hand a Eniion or
more II should bc placed MS Tar from,
ih' house as possible. Whore I, is
stored in larger quantities. IL should he
contained in an underground tank ana
raised by pump. The further AWAY
~, .'i''' ''I'h ~ kept ttc
better These rules, which apply TO the
as" "i gasoline should also he followed
IN handling Kerosene. bcnzinr aud the
other highly volatile oiIs.
u Is NOT $" many years ago that the
starting OF iirc ~ the stove win
Kerosene oil was ono Of the standard
l"h"S OF the comic papers. II WAS no
lok", however to the person who tried
- once toe often
'tnrrnt experiments have shown tina,
static electricity frequently Is ueu,
eratr5 ny mourning gasoline into an I'm
sulhtcd metal container. This IL the
-Allst undoubtedly or many fires In IN.