New Britain herald., 1924-03-24
AUTOS MENACED BY
 STATIC ELECTRICITY
Expert Suggests Idea to Prevent
 Explosions at Gas Stations

|. Hartford, March .4.--Explosions of
 the gasoline tanks of automobiles
 while at filling stations, due to static
 electricity ignitiDg the gasoline vapor when the cap of tho tanks is removed.
 have caused Connecticut authorities
 to give serious attention to 4 pro-
 posed safeguard against such scci-
 dents.
 At the invitation of the Connecij- cut motor vehicle department, Alan-
 son l.. Stewart, superintendent of the
 Jitney department of the Connect.
 cut public utilities commission, has
 laid before the Eastern Conference of
 Molor Vehicles Administrators & plan I which he believes should be univer- sally adopted to guard against such explosions. The following statement by
 him. has been referred to 'subcon-
 mlttee of the conference consisting of Commissioner Robbins E. StoeckeI of
 Connecticut and Robert J. Howard
 director of the automobile bureau of
 the New York state department:
 of and on We read or hear of fa tallties occurring in different localities
 while automobiles are being refuelcd at gas stations. Apparently, for some unknown cause 10 the layman. whom the hose nozzle was inserted in the cars fuel tank an explosion occurred burning to death the occupants of the car, seriously injuring those near and causing more or less property dam age.
 "We have all heard Of static elec- l tricity. It is ever present and can be | easily generated by the friction of l moving parts. We have heard crack | fings in our hair when being eambed; | or when you shuttle over carpet and | touch radiator or water pipe. you will see d spark and feel slight shock as this static cleo lricity leaves the body upon contract with the aforementioned: or, in other words, when the body is grounded. The body is grounded we'll us all pipes enter a~building from deep in tho earth-at least below the frost inc.
 'Nt lets take the case of an auto mobile which has been travelng for some time at a fair rate of speed on well paved highway. The car is 'eing chargedf with static electricity trough friction of the tires, the air, he fan belt and other moving parts, l When the car is slowed ID or brought o a standstill, this static electricity discharged into the air or other 'lse. If the car has been trareling Nef a cement or asphalt highway nd stops at gas filling station, uo- ay the grounds or driveway at most Hing stations are we'll paved with ohcrete) you will note that the ma srial in such roadway construction goo1 non conductor and ihe car echmnlates quite charge of static Ieetrieity. The gas station man hnr- edly removes the gas tank cap on 1e car, inserts the wet gas pump oSc to refnel the car with the five ten gallons ordered, and what is able 10 happen? The static electric y generated by the car upon con Lct with the nozzle flows from same ] the hose, then to tho earth below e pavement where the gasoline oraGe tank is buried; in other words, 10 car becomes well grounded. In
 doing, a spark can leap from the T 10 the hose, ignite the gasoline DOT and fatalities result
 Tn a coroner's finding, subsequent
 an explosion fatal To those in- lived while car was being filled tn gasoline, he suggests that all r owners carry q chain, and before owing the hose to be inserted in tank. 10 throw one end of said ain over mud guard. leaving the lcr end on the pavement. thus the car of all static cleo city.
 'tl is hardly conceivable that each