Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-02

ELEcrRIcrrY NAY BE GENERATED BIZ
:. 30 DOME.

Whatever the degree OF danger incurred
by practice which has boon common,
there ID certainly chance to observe
the rule of 'sSafety Firsts BY needing the
suggestions Of the following which is
making tho rounds:
Garage mon, beware! Autoists, atten-
ton! There 10 death In the cham Dis
strainer. Whenever you filter gasoline
through channels You are playing hide
and seek with ono Of the deadliest COM
binations known to man-electricity and
gasoline.
II your tank 10 under the seat, be care
full when you flll 1t. II you are not, you
will be a. foolish a. the man who looks
for gas leak with . lighted candle.
Read every word Of this article. Let
It make an indelible impression upon
your memory.
Never strain gasoline through CHAM
oils. Now we'll tell you why it 10 dan
gerous.
Gasoline and channels do not get along.
They are ''incompatibles."
Let rs assume that you are about to
all your tank. The funnel 10 In the
nozzle. A channels strainer IL In the
funnel. The gasoline 10 turned on and
as 1t pours through the chamois 1t gen.
crates static electricity. Static electric
ity may be defined - electricity that 10 at
rest. It 10 an agent neither of con-
struction nor destruction, 80 long as
nothing il done to unleash II. Unleash
It, knowingly or unknowingly, by brush
ing clumsy finger against natural law,
and you have to deal with the most dia-
bolical physical agent known, force
that destroys with the quickness OF
lightning.
Static electricity, a. we have said, is
now In the funnel. The funnel 10 charged
with 1t. So long AZ the funnel fits Sc.
curely into the mouth Of the tank, thus
creating . "ground," you are safe.
You 60 about your journey not know
ing you have brushed elbows with the
most deadly as we'll as the most useful
force known 10 sciepce-electricity.
Now, for the sake of excitement, lei
Us assume that You did not allow the
funuel.to rest inside the nozzle OF your
tank, az the gasoline seeped through the
channels skin. Either yourself or some
one else held the funnel in midair, or 1t
rested free OF the sides Of the tank. M
"ground" was formed.
We have seen that gasoline, volatile
substance passing through chamois forms
static electricity, which charges the fun.
mel. When the amount of electricity is
sufficient to produce jump spark, that
spark, following the inevitable law Of
electricity attraction, jumps to the near.
| eat ''pround." which Ia your tank. In
doing so 1t must pass across the opening
between the end OF the funnel and the
edge OF the tank through which the gas.
oline vapor is rising. Suddenly there Is
violent discb arge like that OF light
ming, which is, after all, agigantic jump
spark. All those In close relation are, "a
It were, struck by lightning.
Many have been burned and SCARED
for life through ignorance of this fiend
OF electricity. Many more, 1t is sad to
relate, have been measured out on their
last cool bed. No one was able to tell
just why they died.
The moral to DO derived from this ar
ticle is this: Do not put gasoline through
channels skin. But II you will insist on
taking chances, be sure that you have a
aground" on it, by seeing that the fun
mel touches the opening OF the tank. Be
doubly sure that you take this precau-
ton.
Fire department statistics of many
cities show that an overwhelming per
cent of auto fires are caused by using
chamois with gasoline fatal combina.
ton.