Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-10
Explosive Gas
Tests To Determine
Fire Hazards

Chicago, Feb. i.-Preparations are
being made by the Fire Under
writer's Laboratories, Ltd, here for
the most exhaustive tests ever con-
Quoted to determine the fire danger
from explosive gas mixtures.
Hundreds Of pieces Of specially
designed apparatus are being assem-
bled and early in February the tests
viii be started, with mixtures OF
hydrogen and air, ethyl and methyl
chloride and air, ordinary gasoline
and air: easing head" or so-callcd
wild gasoline and air: natural gas
and air, and similar gases.
As result Of the tests the labora-
tory engineers expect to develop
new information covering the handl-
ing OF dangerous gases, and new
designs to insure safety of the port
able containers in which they arc
Shipped
Because of the immense prcssures
developed in the various experiments
ranging as high as 10000 pounds to
the square inch, n pressure suffic-
leW to send locomotive hurting
through the air--special appliances
had to be, designed.
one, nickel steel bomb built out
navy armor plate at the Bethlehem
steel Works. weighs so many hun
areas or pounds, although the gas
chamber Is only four by eight inches,
mat It was necessary to install q
special hoist to handle the cover
alone. Because of the harness of the
steel and its immense tensile
strength. special tools were built for
cutting it,
nlnltHn1 of ,J,1{ 1, :
explosion. flashes travelling at a
speed of 10000 feet a second rcuuircd
inc development of special photo
/, graphic films, az no existing film
was sensitive enough to record light
travelling at such Tremendous speeds.
The explosion chamber for the
Photographic tests is a steel tube
ioHr inches in inside diameter and
zen feet long. surrounded by very
thick hardened steel walls. At
clther end narrow slit. two inches
iong, IS covered with a thick quart
Mle lens, communicating with a
perlscope attachment which in turn
/, conveys the light to special built
cameras
Ihe backs of the cameras placed
opposite each other, arc formed by a
motor driven cylinder. two feet in
diameter. driven at a speed of 1900
foNoiutlot.' minute. Around the
cNilndcr is wound the Photographic
nm. Travelling at such high speed
| the more than six feet of film passes
before the camera at speed in
excess of 10000 feet. or approximately
TWO miles, a minute.
In action the explosion flash. as it
becomes visible at the nearest edge
OF the slit in the steel cylinder. will
be reflected on one edge of the wide
nm AS 1t travels across the slit. if
VIII PRINT corresponding line across
, the him. at an angle, due to the
speed at which the film revolvos. A
corresponding photograph will be
made wnen the flash passes the slit
IN the other end of the tube, ten
1cet away. BY measuring the angles
or the two photographs, and knowing
| Inc speed OF the film. it will be
possible TO calculate the speed of the
flash. The result will show how
| rapidly and how far a fire caused
ny an explosion of the gas under
| .'st would spread in factory build
, ing.
TO determine the exact speed of
the cylinder carrying the photo
sfaphlc film. an ingenious device has
1 Deen built. \ second cylinder, carry
ing q similar film. is mounted above
/ the first on the same axle. Nearby
tuning fork. calibrated to v:brate
| ut fixed rate carries a small mir
| ror. which reflects a beam OF iight
| on the second film. BY counting the
| waves in the photograph of this
! beam. caused by the vibrations of
| the fork. 1t is possible to determine
the speed at which the cylinder and
film were travelling.