The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-27
-~essYOu Never Pay More ali MintZs''1>No@


 a flame in an adjacent room or on a flooor below may suffice to. precipitate the accident for sometime after use, in the absence of thorough ventila- ton. Y
 Aside from this, naphtha possesses a feature of extreme hazard in it's ability to accumulate electricity. This is developed by mere agitation of the naphtha, or by rubbing articles in it, and has given rise to many distressing accidents.
 Probably there is personal fac- tor in this as the electrical excita- bility or conductivity of people is an exceedingly variable quantity, but not to the extent of extending probable immunity to any one. Hence the prac- tice of rubbing or even moving about any article in an open vessel of naph- tha is accompanied by considerable danger, becoming imminent under certain unrecognized conditions of the atmosphere Cor general electrical con- ditions) and greater if silk or wool is rubbed than with vegetable flores like cotton and further varying with different individuals or the same indi- vidual at different times, but always present. Ignition in these cases pro- ceeds from a spark generated in the material or following the withdrawal of the hand, or even proceeding from external sources. The list of severe and fatal injuries from this cause is distressingly long ditions leading up to trouble is gen. | 1Ixy 1{ the only remedy is to refrain entirely.
 Another not infrequent cause of trouble is the accidental use of naph- tha for kerosene. This mistake is made possible by the similarity of ap- pearance and odor. especially where, as is too frequently the case, the le- gal flash point of kerosene is low and high test kerosene has been thinned with naphtha to reduce it to the min imum. While therefore it is clear that under any circumstances the use of naphtha (gasoHne) is always attend ed by some danger, it is possible by the observance of few simple pre- cautions to minimize the hazards. These precautions may be formulated into rules, thus:
 First: Never use naphtha where there is an open light or fire (gas, can- dies, kerosene lamps or stoves, cook stoves, all are open lights or fires) in the same room or any room on the same floor within 50 feet or on the floor below. It is an advantage to have open windows and free currents of air about the place of use. Wher- ever possible 1t should be used in the open air (out of doors). In any event, try to have one door to the out CT air open. The vapors are heavier than air and will run over the thresh- old, but will not lift to the level Of a window sill.
 Second: Never keep naphtha in any quantity (however small) in a glass bottle or other breakable con- tainer ,or one unstoppered or unse- curely stoppered. A small quantity of naphtha spilled and vaporized at of air explosive, one pint being suffi- cient 10 impart maximum explosibil- ity to 200 cubic feet of air. There is but one reasonably safe way to keep small quantities of naphtha and that is ] in safety can." This is a legal re- quirement in some localities. Such cans bearing the approval of the Un- derwriters Laboratories may be had at any hardware store. They are practically unbreakable and are closed by stoppers operating from the in- side by springs which must be held down while the contents are being with drawn. If accidently upset they do not spill their contents, and also because of their shape and the ne- cessity of special manipulation for withdrawal they cannot by any possi-