The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1922-11-04
STATIC DANGER
IS PREVENTED

Washington, Oct. 31.-A big tank
truck transporting gasoline was
blown up by a terrific explosion on
the street, recently, because a passer-
by who didn't know what he was do
ing 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 a purpose. He
didn't know that gasoline. unlike wa
ter, is a non-conductor oil electricity.
Possibly he didn't even know that
flowing gasoline. especially when
strained through such materials as
chamois skin filters. sets up consid-
cradle charges of FRACTIONAL or static
electricity. But that was what caused
the trucks destruction.
Usually when the big tank truck
backs up to the filing plug at q 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 a ground
ing point, and with no other metallic
ground from the truck. the a is per-
fectly insulated, standing as 1t does
on rubber tires. Sometimes, also,
the nozzle of the truck outlet pipe
rests against a wooden piece in the
.-A~f- ~s-. o-I fu thArnhv Iknuvfoa
insulated for dry wood Is also an In
sulator.
While the gasoline Is poured into
the storage tank q certain amount OF
vapor arises, and there is certain to
be some about the intake and the
truck. AS the charge increases. 1t
may become strong enough to leap
the gap to the nearest ground, or the
two points may be brought into con-
tact. There is a spark. a fash. an
explosion and untold damage may
result.
Consequently the careful tank
driver always has a metallic part
hanging from the truck to the
ground, a rod or chain, to drain all
the electric charge as 1t collects, as
long as the gasoline Is being drawn
of.
The same basic fact has been the
cause of g smaller fires and
explosions in garages. both private
and public. In n instance q car
was being filled with gasoline from
a can. While the employe ran the
gas into the can he strained 1t
through a chamois filter In a funnel.
To make the funnel sit up straight
In the hole a wooden ring was placed
in the hole and the funnel was placed
| against that. Thus the a was in
sulated. After pouring some gasoline
| into the tank, the man brought the
| can spout into contact with the tank.
| There was a spark, a fash and the re-
| sulting explosion.
A mar was pumping gasoline into
a can In his W garage. He hung
| the pail ON the hook over the spout
| of the pump. He did not notice that
| the pail had a wooden handle. By
| reason of the wooden handle the pail
was insulated from the pump. The
| flowing gasoline set up a static cleo
tricity, and fires have been caused. II
has been reported to Government
agencies, when silk cloths soaked
with benzine or gasoline were used to
rub the CRIME on mechanics hands.
Sparks are a prolific course Of gaso-
line fires. especially sparks from open
flames, broken electric lights, and
from friction. Even the clash on a
concrete pavement OF the nails in
shoes have been known to form
sparks which resulted In fires when
gasoline 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 will
shortly be filled with an easily ex-
plosible mixture. The limits of az
possibility are between 1.5 per cent
and 6 per cent of the gasoline vapor
in the air. In other words. only a
little gasoline vapor Is needed to
render air explosive-one and one
half feet of gasoline vapor for each
ninety-seven and one-half feet 81 air.
One gallon of gasoline can. under
perfect conditions, render 200 cubic