given on a late IViaL 331 



that opinion, he replied, ** I placed a vessel of oil over a fire, 

 and a small pan of sugar in it, there was a thermometer in the 

 oil vessel, and when the oil attained 300° or 400°, the sugar 

 blackened, and I applied a candle to it, and it burnt. I applied 

 a taper to the oil, and found that it was giving no gas ; from 

 which I conclude that sugar gives out gas at a lower tempera- 

 ture than oil, and consequently that the oil is not so dangerous 

 as the sugar." On being asked at what time the oil gives out 

 inflammable gas, he said, '* I think at not less than 600°. I 

 then took the thermometer out for fear of breaking it, and, a 

 little after, I observed it gave out inflammable gas, but in a 

 very small quantity*." Mr. Brande then proceeded to state, 

 that *' if gas were generated in the oil-vessel, it would be pro- 

 ductive of no danger; that all inflammable gas from oil is 

 lighter than atmospheric air ; that the gas which the combus- 

 tion of oil produces is heavier, but it is not then an inflammable 

 gas t ; that taking the situation of things as they really are, 

 and supposing gas to be produced by an intense fire under the 

 oil, no explosion would have taken place, because the gas would 

 have gone up the steam vent ; that he agreed with Mr. Wilson 

 in aU the parts of his evidence that he was qualified to give an 

 opinion upon ; that it was his impression that the fire had 

 broken out at a higher place in the building than that where 

 the oil-vessel stood." When cross-examined, this gentleman 

 gave the following important and decisive opinion. *' If," said 

 he, '* there had been a possibility of any inflammable matter 

 passing into the steam-bin, I cannot conceive it could have 

 lodged there with that aperture X ; if any thing had closed the 

 aperture, then it might have happened." 



* It is observable that Pr9fessor Brande stated, tbat a little after the oil 

 had been heated to 000° it gave out a very small quantity of inflammable 

 gas ; but I have reason to think that if he had had an iostrument capable 

 uf measuring the temperature, he would have found it, in tiiat instance, 

 \f> have exceedediTOO®. 



t The products from the combustion of oil are generally caibonic acid 

 gas and water. 



% It should be recollected that a small leaden pipe, sixteen or eighteen 

 feet long, and connected with the inside of the oil-vessel, rose up into (he 



Z2 



