The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-01-09
DANGERS FROM GAS

BY Bert b. Buckley, state fire marshal
The fact that air containing any
where from IL to 80 per cent of nat
ural or manufactured gas is an ex-
plosive mixture which will ignite
from a spark OF the blaze of match
or lamp, or from iron that is heated
to bright red, makes the regulation
of its distribution in living rooms of
vital importance-the danger of as
phyxiatiOn from it aside.
Gas is a fluid composed of large
number of molecules which are We
hicIes of energy continually in motion
and having an inherent tendency to
get farther and farther apart. The
range of motion of the molecules is
limited only by the volume of the
closed containing vessel in which
they constantly move to and fro. The
most distinguishing characteristic OF
gas is its universal property of com
pletely filling an enclosed space.
To increase the volume which can
be delivered through the pipe lines
gas comes from the we'll to the city
under a pressure of about 900 pounds,
passes through street mains at 10 or
12 pounds, and this pressure is re-
duced to ounces before it reaches
the meter and is distributed in
building. A thousand feet of gas at
the house meter is but as feet when
in the pipe line.
The Way to Find Lost Gas
Unfortunately, the only way in
which leaked artificial gas can be
found is by exploding it, for In filter
ing through the earth about the ser
vice pipe il loses its odor but artific-
ial gas is now used in but nine county
seats in Ohio of which Bellefontaine
is the largest. Sixty-eight county
seats have natural gas
Really, natural gas has no odor but
makes its presence felt by irritating
the lining of ones nose. 1t is not as
high an explosive as air mixed with
gasolene yapor. Experiments with
the two in internal combustion en-
gines shows the gasolene mixture to
be 10 per cent the more powerful.
In case gas escaping from a street
line should follow the service pipe
into the cellar, it, being lighter than
air, Will rise to the ceiling of the Gel
lar and then spread downward. As
soon as the presence of gas is no
ticed In cellar, Immediately shut off
all fires and lights, open all doors
and windows in the cellar and then
notify the gas company. Do not, uu-
der any condition, go searching for
the trouble with a lighted match.
lamp lantern or candle as there
might he an explosion. If one uses
either of these methods he does not
find the leak but the coroner may.
Testing for Leaks
Some gas companies do, as all
should when meter is set in a
house recently piped, have the meter
setter first test the lines by pumping
air into them until the pressure is
about 10 pounds per square inch,
leaving this pressure in the lines for
70 minutes. If the pressure does not
change he knows the lines are tight,
If the pressure diminishes at all, he
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does not set the meter, but notifies
the property owner that the house
lines leak and that the plumber must
make the necessary repairs. After
this is done, he tests again.
There is no foundation for the opin-
ion that reduction OF pressure in zero
weather results from cold contract
ing the volume of the gas; lowered
pressure results from the vents In
heaters being opened wider
The introduction OF artificial gas
into cities lessened the fire loss be-
cause II took the place Of hand lamps,
which were easily broken. The in
PRODUCTION of natural gas as fuel in
a community lessons the great fire
loss from sparks escaping from chin
ney mouths and defective flues. In
the state last year sos fires were
caused by the sparks from wood and
coal stoves. Gas is safer for heating
than wood, just as the kerosene lamy
is safer than the taIlow dip
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