The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-10-13
GASOLINE YAPORS
VERY DANGEROUS
STATIC ELECTRICITY rs
FORMED FROM OIL
Incidents Told of Unlocked For
Explosions Due To Gas
Created By Autos
[Associated Press -pisnatchl

| lAsSoclated Press DiSpatch1
Washington, d. G., OCTOBER IL
A big tank truck transporting gas
oline was blown UP by a terrific
explosion on the street recently.
because a passerby who didn't know
what he was doing picked up a
piece of chain. He saw the chain
dangling by one end from the truck
and thought he would possibly save
the truck from being wrecked
| through fouling the chain In one OF
the wheels.
The man didn't know the chain
was hanging there for purpose.
He didn't know that gasoline, un-
like water, is a nonconductor OF
electricity. Possibly he didn't even
know that flowing gasoline, es-
pecially when strained through such
materials as chamois skin filters,
sets up considerable charges of
FRACTIONAL or static electricity. But
that was not what caused the trucks
destruction. -
Usually when the big tank truck
backs up to the filling plug at a ser.
vice station or other storage place,
the metallic nozzle from the truck
touches the metallic intake pipe
and thus forms a ground for any
charge of static electricity that may
collect in the truck. Sometimes,
however, the nozzle does not touch
grounding point, and with no
other metallic ground from the
truck, the car is perfectly insulated,
standing as it does on rubber tires.
Sometimes, also, the nozzle of the
truck outlet pipe, rests against q
wooden piece in the intake pipe and
10 fhnr.erhU 1ilyayyicn inSu1afnd
dry wood is also an insulator
Amount of Vapor Arises
While the gasoline is poured into
the storage tank a certain amount
of vapor arises, and there is certain
to be \some about the intake and
the truck The flow of the liquid
will set up static charge in the
truck AS the charge increases, it
may become strong enough to leap
the gap to the nearest ground or
the two points may be brought into
contact. There is a spark, flash,
an explosion and untold damage
may result.
Consequently the careful tank
driver always has metallic part
hanging from the truck to the
ground, a rod or chain to drain OF
the electric charge as 1T collects, as
j long as the gasoline Is being drawn
off.
The same basic fact has been the
cause of numerous smaller fires and
explosions in garages, both private
and public. In one instance a car
was being filled with gasoline from
O can. While the employe ran the
gas into the can he strained It
through a channels filter in a funnel.
To make the funnel sit up straight
in the hole in the tank a wooden
ring was placed in the hole and the
funnel was placed in that. Thus
the can was isolated. After pour
ing some gasoline into the tank,
the man brough the can spout into
contact with the tank. There was
spark, fash and the resulting ex-
plosion.
Friction silk Cloth
A man was pumping gasoline In
to a can in his own garage. He huns
the pail on the hook over the spout
of the pump. He did not notice
that the pail had wooden handle.
By reason of the wooden handle
the pail was insulated from the
pump. The, flowing gasoline set
up a static charge in the pail which
leaped the gap to the pump ana
another fire was started.
Friction of silk cloth will produce
static electricity, and fires have
been caused, it = has been reported
to government agencies, when silk
cloths soaked with benzine or gaso-.
line were used to rub the CRIME on
mechanics hand. Sparks are a
prolific course of gasoline fires, es-
pecially sparks from open flames,
broken electric lights and from
friction. Even the clash on a con-
crete pavement of the nails in shoes
have been known to form sparks
which resulted in fires when gaso-
line vapor was present. -.
II gasoline is stored in an open
place. such as a pail, the United
States Bureau of Mines reports, the
room in which the pail is left viii
shortly be filled with an easily ex-
nIosibie mixture. The limits Of ev-
plosibility are between LIS percent
and percent of gasoline vapor In
air. In other words, only little
gasoline vapor is needed to render
a ir explosive-one and one half feet
of Gasoline vapor for each 81 and
one half feet of air. One gallon OF
Gasoline can under perfect condi :.
lions, render 2,100> cubic feet OF
air eYDlOSiVe. e..