The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-06-05
GASOLINE HAZARDS
The Safety and the Danger Of
This Widely Used Liquid.
DEADLY PERIL IN ITS vApoR

When 1t AcoumuIates In Closed Room
Its Explosive Power Is Tremendous,
but II Takes q Naked Flame or an
Electric Spark to Ignite 1t.
Gasoline is wonderfully safe liquid
4 handled properly, says William III.
Stewart, Jr., the automobile expert.
The real danger comes from the fact
that some people do not realize how
dangerous 1t is and others do not real
lie how safe it is and so give way to
panic If any of 1t catches fire. A few
suggestions for handling it will go far
toward reducing the danger attendant
On its use.
Gasoline is mixture of several liq-
uids obtained from crude petroleum by
distillation. 1t is water white in color
that is, colorless except in large
masses, when it has a blush tinge. 1t
boils at temperature of 115 to $50
degrees F., giving off heavy vapor,
which is quite colorless, although pos
sessing a characteristic odor AS this
vapor may readily accumulate on the
floor of a closed room, it constitutes
one of the real dangers Of gasoline.
ALI 1t needs is a flame to cause it to
spread destruction on all sides.
For the present note how safe gaso-
line really is. 1t cannot be set ON fire
by the glowing end of a cigarette or
cigar, although If the cigarette paper
catches fire the gasoline will take fire
from that. This matter of safety may
easily be proved by pouring a small
quantity of gasoline into tumbler and
putting the lighted end of cigarette
into the vapor while putting it vigor-
ously. Having satisfied yourself that
1t will not ignite, dip the glowing end
into the gasoline, and it will be instant
ly extinguished. Evidently the vapor
needs the intense heat of a naked flame
or the electric spark in order to ignite.
A popular error is to the effect that
gasoline is highly explosive, some ina
agining that it is only necessary to
touch match to it in order to have it
explode like gunpowder. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Pour a
dram or two on the kitchen table and
set fire to it. 1t burns quietly with a
Characteristic yellow flame and black
smoke. Even If heated in closed
tank 1t will not explode If vent Is
provided. OF course water will ex-
plode If heated too much in tank
without a vent, and so will gasoline.
The bursting Of the tank is due to va
an6 fn n oynlOcfnY1
such as Is produced In an engine. But
the most unreasoning fear comes from
the idea of setting fire to a tank at the
filler opening. Most people in magma
ton see the tank torn to pieces and the
experimenter blown high In the air.
Nothing of the sort happens. The va
pOr takes fire at the surface and burns
quietly without any demonstration of
any kind. This is only true, however,
In case the tank has been filed several
hours. A tank just emptied of gaso-
line or one freshly filed will give as
good an explosion as one could wish.
To see why a full tank does not ex-
plode pour a few ounces of gasoline
into preserve jar. Shake it up and set
fire to the vapor at the top. No explo-
sion takes place because gasoline vapor
Is not explosive except when mixed
with air in the right proportions.
Probably the greatest danger from
gasoline comes from the fact that the
vapor is very heavy and colorless.
Since it cannot be seen there is little
indication of its presence 1t may ac-
cumulate at the bottom Of closed
room or on the floor of garage until
some one drops a lighted match and
sets fire to it. When allowed to accu-
mulate In this manner its explosive
power is tremendous. have seen the
wall of brick building blown out as
the result of an accumulation of gaso-
line vapor in the cellar. A lighted
match caused the trouble.
1t is evident, then, that care must
be taken to avoid such accumulation.
Keep the premises ventilated so that
the vapor will be dissipated as fast as
it is formed. Do not spill gasoline,
being especially careful while filing
tanks.-New York World