Year: 1877

Dangerous Oils.


w. E. Hathaway writes to the Gin
cinnati Commercial: Some weeks ago l
read valuable and interesting article
in the Commercialon the subject of oils,
dangerous and otherwise, and was led
thereby to investigate the character of
the fluid upon which my family was de-
pending for light. happen to be one
of the many who feel that they can not
afford to burn gas, or who, barring the
necessary unpleasant odors of the lamp,
etc., really prefer the steady light of a
good argand burner to Pickering gas
jet. But to the experiments and my ex-
perience. found that the oil we were
using-and which came from a grocery
near by-would flame up when touched
with lighted match at 1889, and so,
though not positively satisfactory, was
comparatively safe. But my fears were
now somewhat aroused, and / deter
mined to take some trouble to obtain
really safe oil. 1 therefore procured a
large-sized can and proceeded to a
prominent, and, as l supposed, a thor
oughly reliable grocer on Fifth Street,
where after some inquiry bought what
was recommended to me as " Kentucky
test" oil, warranted to stand 1862 before
flaming. This can full of oil l did not
test, and we used it "on faith" as it
were, and met with no accident. then
returned my can to be refilled, and
specifed-and l am sure I was clearly
understood wanted the same oil
/ had purchased before, viz, the "Ken-
lucky test" / pinned my faith, as it
were, to that. In due time the oil was
sent home, and the lamps filled and
lighted; but soon thereafter our kitchen
girl came running upstairs in breathless
haste for me to "come and see whatever
allied that ERE lamp" went down
stairs, three steps at a time, to find
large lamp on the dining-table blazing
nearly to the ceiling, Notwithstanding
the wick was turned down much below
the top, and in such condition that,
with safe oil, the light would simply
have gone out.


A glance explained matters. The
lamp was quite full, and the heat of
the brass top was Transforming the oil
into gas, which, as the gas had center
and free draught, was passing up and
being burned as fast as generated. 1t
was magnificent but formidable dis
play, and had not the lamp been quite
full of oil, might have been more diff
cult to deal with. AS it was, 1 knew
that there could notbe any considerable
amount of gas in the lamp, and GER
tainly not more than would easily pass
of without an explosion, and so did
not fear to blow it out. Many if not
most argand burners have small brass
ratchet strip which extends down some
inches along with the wick into the oil.
This is always heated by its immediate
connection with the flame at its upper
part, or by contact with other metal por-
tions of the lamp, and being good con-
ductor of heat, is capable of generating
sufficient quantity of gas to produce
an explosion, unless the oil is so refined
as to endure a high degree of heat be-
fore changing into gas.


1 next allowed the lamp to cool off,
and tried it again with less quantity
of oil, but eventually small quantities
of gas were continually generated in the
lamp, which rose like bubbles, and kept
up an interesting but disagreeable pop
ping as they came in contact with the
flame. 1t is putting it mild to say that
we didn't thoroughly enjoy our suppers
around that lamp, the "women folks"
to their credit, being too much afraid of
it to stay in the room, or to return to it
until the threatening boom was re-
moved.


Next morning, bright and early, l
armed myself with my thermometer,
teakettle of hot water, a tin cup, etc., a
small quantity of the oil and box of
matches, and repaired to the back yard.
l first tried the oil at 1902, and it famed
savagely; at 1902, and it caught like
flash; atl100, fare it went again without
the slightest hesitation; at 1000, and the
blaze again answered the match; at 950,
and it burned more languidly at first;
at 800, and the limit seemed to have
been reached, for while it would not ex-
tinguish the match, the oil would only
burn in connection with the match. Be
low 900, and the matches were extin-
guished in the oil. Here was oil, then,
Kentucky test" that only needed the
heat of warm summers day to become
as explosive as nitro-glycerine, and it
was merciful Providence that we es-
capped without having added another
to the long and woeful list of "coal oil
horrors" Only think of the extreme
peril into which your former cores
pondent was thus the means of leading
me; and note, if you please, the per-
nicious influence of the. unbridled
press" But what shall be said of the
respectable and reliable grocer who is
guilty of exposing his confding custom
ers to such danger. The fellow who in
vented the gunpowder plot isn't cir
cumstance by comparison! Go to; let
us exterminate him!