Scientific Lectures. 227 



the heavier oils present. A poor, dangerous oil may be heavier than 

 a safe oil. 



The astral oil illustrates this fact. "While it does not flash below 

 125° F., its gravity is 49° B. 



Ordinary kerosene flashes at $6° F., but has a gravity of 47° B. 



The cheapest process for making an oil that will not flash, that is, 

 emit an inflammable vapor, below 100° F., is the following : 



1. Run off the naphtha down to 58° B., instead of 65° to 62°, the 

 usual point. 



2. Then expose the oil in shallow tanks to the sun or diffused day- 

 light for one or two days. 



The increased expense of this plan of refining would not reach more 

 than a few cents per gallon. This addition would be cheerfully paid 

 by the consumer to insure himself and his wife and children from a 

 horrible death. 



But, the refiner says, I cannot get the advanced price because the 

 consumer does not know my oil is safer than the cheaper article. 

 This is true, and our only hope is in strict laws, rigidly enforced, which 

 will make it a crime to sell an unsafe oil. 



Naphtha and Benzine under False [Names. 



These strong statements fail, however, to do justice to the enormity 

 of the crimes practiced by some of the oil dealers. Naphtha and ben- 

 zine are freely sold under false names, selected in many cases to con- 

 vey the idea of special safety. 



Processes have been patented and venders have sold rights through- 

 out the country for patented and secret processes for rendering gasoline, 

 naphtha and benzine non-explosive. 



Thus treated, these explosive oils, just as explosive as before the 

 treatment, are sold throughout the country under trade names, such 

 as liquid gas, aurora oil, safety gas, petroline, puroline, black diamond, 

 septoline, anchor oil, sunlight, non-explosive burning fluid, etc., etc. 

 These processes are not only totally ineffective, but they are ridicu- 

 lous ; roots, gums, barks and salts are turned indiscriminately into the 

 benzine, to leave it just as explosive as before. One of these patents 

 will be sufficient for illustration. Patent No. 59,797 — Gasoline, forty 

 gallons ; sulphur, five pounds ; rusty iron, 100 pounds ; onions, one 

 bushel ; rosin, five pounds. , 



Naphtha, under whatever name it passes, is in one respect more 

 dangerous than gunpowder. Gunpowder never explodes unless fire 

 is brought to it. Naphtha, on the other hand, sends out its inflam- 



