on the Oil Question. 115 



In this way, by dint of painful perseverance, the oil was 

 brought up to the temperature of 610° without our having per- 

 ceived the least sign of the inflammation of the oil vapour. 

 We were, however, now under the necessity of closing the ex- 

 periment, in consequence of the luting which stopped the holes 

 in the arched roof of the oil vessel having cracked, and allowed 

 the vapour to come into the room where the vessel stood. This 

 accident occasioned such an intolerable stench in the room, 

 where there was no window or second opening through which it 

 might have been ventilated, that no person was able to remain 

 in it a sufficient time for keeping the fire up to the necessary 

 pitch. This was attempted in several ways, but all our en- 

 deavours to raise the oil beyond 610°, proved fruitless. It 

 must however be mentioned that when the oil had acquired the 

 greatest heat which we were capable of giving it, the vapour 

 that issued from it was still uninflammable, and always extin- 

 guished the light when presented to it. 



It required two hours and ten minutes to bring this large body 

 of oil to the temperature of 610° ; and during the latter part of 

 this time the neighbouring streets were, to all appearance, full 

 of vapour. The process occasioned a general astonishment 

 throughout the vicinity of the sugar-house, in consequence of 

 the smell, by which the inhabitants of the houses round about 

 were annoyed. The quantity of coal consumed was somewhat 

 more than five bushels. 



This experiment, unfortunately, was not made until all the 

 evidence for the plaintiffs had been gone through, or the parti- 

 culars of it would have been related in court ; as it must be con- 

 sidered, by every impartial person, who has attended to the 

 subject, to afford a complete answer to all the theories which 

 have been brought forward to prove that the vapour, or gas, 

 from the oil apparatus had set fire to the buildings in which it 

 was placed. 



Thus I have endeavoured to reply to tlic principal parts of the 

 work which these Associates have tliought proper to publish. 

 Their book has evidently not been written for the purpose of eii- 

 I 2 



