Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-25
NEW REGULATIONS
FOR GASOLINE AND
KEROSENE STORAGE
> Ordnance to be Drawn ~ q Re-
suit Of q Conferences OF
City Officials.
THE NEED is POINTED OUT

Ph. iudisoriminate tea ring up OF city
svdewaiks for the installation of gas
I inks resulted in a conference yester-
~ afternoon in the meeting room on
= e street and Sewer Department pc
tween directors OF that department,
tho Department OF Public Safety, City
Council and the Fire Department.
Tho meeting was the outcome o. tne
action taken on May II. by the Street
and sewer Department when II
ordered the removal of pipes leading
from a 500 gaiIos gasoline tank in the
cellar OF Harry kriGer. a plumber, AT
$50 West Fourth street. The order ior
the removal was given In response 10
protests from residents ir the neighoor-
hood.
Prior 10 the conference. yesterday, the
directors of the Street and Sewer De-
partment were OF the impression that
the placing of the gasoline LEAD pipes.
n they were placed, was In violation OF
the ordinance governing such W1k.
However. yesterday IL was founo tnat
no State law existed covering the resu-
iation Of gasoline tanks.
As result, a committee wac appoint
.d hv President johnson OF the street
and sosSer Department to make an IN
y.stigation and draft an ORDNANCE
regulating the installation OF gas
tanks In the city. The cou1mi ee COM
priscs Frank w. Piersop, street com
missioner: James G.. Marns, represent
ing the law committee of city Connch'
samuel X smith. president Of the De-
partment OF Public Safety: William j.
l.utz. chief OF the Fire Department, and
John W. Huxley, city solicitor.
How Pennsylvania Does IL.
The regulation and installing of gas
fsnl.s according to the laws Of the state
cf Pennsylvania was explained by +. ".
Sherburne, an engineer expert, repre-
sontine the Rowser CO. of Philadelphia,
manufacturers OF tanks and pumps useo
Tor gasoline. Inas.nuch that no law
existed here governing the installation
cf gasoline tanks. Mr.. Sherburne advised
that stringent rules should be MAINTAIN
"a for the matter of safety and fire pre-
yention. He recommended that the
tanks be placed below the level OF any
apnroxlmate depression. or three feet
helow any cellar. The vapor of gasp
line. nc said, expanded 1000 times in
uraportion and that gasoline is is times
moro dangerous than dynamite. Ir was
further explained that by installing
4anks three feet below cellar. and in
ease of leakage. the gas and its vapor
would not ind its way into the cellar
az any other depression.
Practically no regulation has ever
been made by either the city or state
covering the installation Of gas tanks.
shc only law OF which any record could
a. found was that passed by Council
ia 1885, and which stated that not more
thar ave barrels. or 25o gallons, OF kero-
s.ne. b. Kent IN a cellar al one time"
Al prcSeng The Street and Sewer De
tartment has jurisdiction from building
Inv 70 building line, while beyond mat
line city Council has control
Kerosene I'm Stores
rhe matter 81 kerosene stored in tin
containers IL grocery stores was brougnr
10 the attention of the committee by
Esir. Chief I.utz He stated that the
greater majority Of grocery stores IN
fhts sitv Al nresen; kept these tin con-
taluers. with a capacity Of from 90 TO
81 gallons, on the inside of the stores.
ne referred 10 the numerous fires ana
assed that some action be taken IN me
matter
uhen asked whether or rot ne
thought these tin containers safe ior
s,ore use. Mr.. Sherburne repieo; d
would advise that no tin containers pe
uernnitted 70 be stored on the INSIDE OF
any building. unless the consaineT mrs
. ntst the approval on ttiS
-nder~7i.crs Kerosene is almost a.
dangerous as gasoline and II used Tor
s.r,r.rv store purposes il should be Kept
=, rnodern container with suction
pump"
FoilGSrlne the removal OF the gas
tank from the Kriger property. the
street and Sewer Department at once
communicated with other cities, asking
Tor data on their city laws covering the
Installation OF gasoline tanks. Replies
49, received and read from Cleveland,
sburg. Camden. Philadelphia, Ken
yaond. Baltimore. Boston and Buffalo.
II is expected the ordinance committee
viii report TO the Street ana sewer De-