1885.] on Accidental Explosions hy Non-explosive Liquids. 223 



the explosion in her of a mixture of i)etrolenm vapour and air, and a 

 similar accident occurred about the same time in Glasgow harbour. 

 In the case of the Maria Lee it was clearly proved that the vapour 

 resulting from leakage and evaporation of the spirit in the hold had 

 diffused itself through the ship during the night, which was very hot, 

 the hatches having been kept closed and covered with tarpaulin, in 

 consequence of the occurrence of a thunderstorm. Upon the captain 

 entering his cabin in the after-part of the ship early in the morning 

 (and probably striking a light) a loud explosion took place, and 

 flame was immediately seen issuing from the fore-part of the ship. 



A very similar casualty to the foregoing occurred at Liverpool 

 four years afterwards, in a small vessel laden with petroleum spirit, 

 which proved not to have been at all adapted by internal construction 

 for the safe carriage of such a freight. The cargo of 214 barrels of 

 spirit had been stowed on board, and the hatches were put down and 

 covered with tarpaulin. The cabin and forecastle of the smack were 

 below deck, and were only separated by a thin partition from the 

 hold. The loading had been completed between 6 and 7 o'clock in 

 the evening, and at about 8 o'clock the captain went into the cabin 

 and kindled a lamp. A man upon deck, who with another was in- 

 jured by the explosion and fire, saw the light burning in the forecastle, 

 and almost immediately afterwards the deck was lifted and the man 

 was thrown some distance, while flame issued from the hold. The 

 captain was terribly burned, and died shortly afterwards. In vessels 

 which are constructed for the American petroleum trade, the cabins 

 and forecastles are all upon deck, that part of the vessel which carries 

 the freight, between decks, being as completely as possible separated 

 from the other parts of the shij). 



In some instances, ships laden with petroleum oil have become 

 inflamed, in an unexplained manner, without the occurrence of any 

 noticeable explosion, as was the case last year with a large vessel (the 

 Aurora) in the port of Calcutta, after she had discharged more 

 than half her cargo of 59,000 cases. The vessel burned for nine 

 hours, the river becoming covered with burning oil as she gradually 

 filled with water ; the direction of the wind and the condition of the 

 tide at the time of her sinking fortunately prevented the fire from 

 reaching the shipping higher up the river. 



There is no doubt that, while with cargoes of the more volatile 

 petroleum products, classed as spirit, the greatest precautions are 

 necessary to guard against the possible ignition of more or less ex- 

 plosive mixtures of vapour and air which will be formed in the 

 stowage spaces of ships, and which may extend to other parts of the 

 vessels unless very efficient ventilation be maintained, ships laden 

 with the oils produced for use in ordinary petroleum- or paraffin- 

 lamps, and which, yielding vapours at temperatures above the standard 

 fixed as a guarantee of safety, incur comparatively very little risk of 

 accident, ijrovided simple precautions be observed. If moreover, by 

 yome act of carelessness, or some accident not guarded against by the 



