1885.] on Accidental Explosions hy Non-explosive Liquids. 235 



operated very beneficially in diminishing the frequency of accidents 

 with it, by constantly admonishing to caution. It is a matter for 

 much siu'prise and regret that the manufacturers of a class of miners' 

 safety lamps, consisting of modifications of well-known types, with the 

 ordinary oil lamp replaced by the sponge lamp, in which petroleum- 

 spirit is burned, should have allowed trade interests to induce them 

 to mislead those who use these lamps with regard to the nature of 

 the illuminant supplied with them, by devising a name for it which 

 gives a false indication of its nature, being designed to create the 

 belief that it is an article of special manufacture, allied in cliaracter 

 to a comparatively very safe oil largely used in miners' lamjDs, while in 

 reality it is a well-known article of commerce, the safe storage and 

 use of which demand special precautions and vigilance. 



The lecturer took occasion to point out here, ten years ago, that a 

 large proportion of the accidents arising out of the employment of 

 petroleum- or paraf&n-lamps were not actually due to the occurrence 

 of explosions. Thus the incautious carrying of a lamp, whereby the 

 liquid is brought into contact with the warm portion of the lamp close 

 to the burner, may give rise to a liberation of vapour which in 

 escaping from the lamp may be ignited, causing an outburst of flame 

 which may alarm a nervous person and cause the dropping or overturn- 

 ing of the lamp. The accident which occurred in some apartments in 

 Hampton Court Palace, in December 1882, andl'gave rise to a some- 

 what alarming fire, appeared almost beyond doubt to have originated 

 from the employment by a domestic servant of a contrivance in which 

 petroleum sjjirit was used for heating water ; but, as petroleum- 

 lamps were used in the particular residence \vhere the fire actually 

 occurred, public correspondence ensued regarding the dangers 

 attending the use of such lam|)S, although all which were known to 

 have been on the premises were forthcoming after the fire and found to 

 be intact. There was, at any rate, no evidence whatever adduced in 

 support of an assumption that the casualty was due to the explosion 

 of a lamp, and other instances might be quoted in which the break- 

 ing out of a fire, or the destruction of or injury to life, which had 

 evidently been caused by upsetting or allowing to fall a petroleum- 

 lamp, has been erroneously ascribed to an explosion. 



There are, however, numerous casualties which have been un- 

 questionably caused by the occurrence of explosions in lamps, and 

 which have in many cases been followed by the ignition of the 

 oil, and the consequent loss of life or serious injury to those in the 

 immediate vicinity of the accident. Careful inquiries have of late 

 been instituted into casualties of this kind, and in many instances 

 the explosions have been distinctly traceable to some immediate 

 cause. In the great majority of cases they occur some considerable time 

 after the lamp was first kindled, and when the supply of oil remaining 

 in the reservoir has been but small. Occasional examples of the 

 reverse are however met with. Thus, last sj)ring^ a man and his 

 young son were sitting at a table reading, his wife being also close 



