The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-10
GASOLINE HAZARDS
The Safety and the Danger Of
This Widely Used Liquid.
DEADLY PERIL IN ITS VAPoR

When Il Accommodates In Closed Room
It's Explosive Power Is Tremendous
but II Takes a Naked Flame or ar
Electric Spark to Ignite H.
Gasoline Is wonderfully safe liquid
II handled properly, says William IT,
Stewart. Jr.. the automobile expert
The real danger comes from the fact
| that some people DO not realize bow
dangerous it il aEl others do net rea,
ize how safe it. is and so gIee<way t.
panic If any of it catches fire. \ few
suggestions for handling it will go far
toward reducing the danger attendan.
| m its use.
Gasoline is Il mixture 0f several liz
ulds obtained from crude petroleum by
| distilation. IL is water white IN color
that is. colorleSs except in large
masses. when il has Blush tiHgc. II
DOLLS at temperature of 10 10 100
degrees r.. giving OF heavy yapeS,
witch is quite cOlorless, although LOS.
sessing characteristic odor As this
yapor may readily accumulate on the
door of n closed room. il constitutes
one of the real dangers of gasoline.
All II needs is flame to cause il TO
spread destruction on all sides.
For the present note how safe saso.
line really is II cannot be set on FIRE
10y the glowing end of cigarette OF
,igar, although if the cigarette paper
catches fire the gasoline will take llre
from that. This matter of safety may
easily be proved by pouring a small
quantity of gasoline into tumblcr and
putting the lighted end of cigarette
into the yapor while putting it yigor-
ously. Having satisfied yourself that
IT will not ignite, dip the glowing end
into the gasoline and it viii he instant
~ cxtinguished. Evidently the vapor
necds the intense heat of a naked flame
or the electric spark in order to ignite
\ popular error is TO the effect that
gasoline is highly explosive, some i'm.
agning that IL is only necessary to
touch match 10 ii in order to have IL
explode like gunpowder. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Pour 2
dram or two on the kitchen table and
set fire to IL. II burns quietly with .
Characteristic yellow flame ana blacS
smoke Even If heated in closed
tank It will not explode if II vent is
provided OF course water will e..
plodc II heated TOO much in Il tank
without a vent. aud SO will gasoline.
The bursting Of the tank Is due to va-
poi pressure and not 60 an explosion
such rs is prodrced in an engine, But
the most unreasoning fear comes isom
the idea of setting ire to a TAM, az the
tllrr opening Most people in imagina-
ton see the tank torn TO pieces and the
Experimental blown high IN the air
Nothing of the sort happens. The va
pDr takes fire at the surface and burns
quietly without any demonstration of
any kind This is only tIue, however,
in case the taE@ has been filled several
hours \ tank just empted Of gaso-
line or one freshly filed will give rs
good an explosion as one could wish.
To see why full tank docs not cx.
plode pour Il few ounces OF gasoline
into preserve jar. Shake il up and set
ire T. The vapor at the top. IA cXplo.
sion takes place because gasoline vapor
is not explosive eXccp, when mixed
with air in the right proportions.
.'robGbly the greatest danger from
gasoline comes from the fact that the
yapor is very heavy ma colorlcs-
Since il cannot he seen there is little
indication Of its presence. 1t may ac.
emulate at the bottom OF a closed
room or on the floor of garage until
somc one drops a III hted match and
sets fire to IT, When allowed to accu-
muate IN this manner its explosive
power is tremendous. | have seen the
wall of brick building blown out a>
the result Of an accumulation Of gaso-
line vapor in the cellar. \ lighted
match caused the trouble.
1t is evident, then. that care must
be taken to avoid such accumulation.
Keep the promises ventilated SO that
the vapor will be dissipatcd as fast as
it Is formed 10 not spill gasoline,
being especially careful while filling
tanks-New York World.