228 Transactions of the American Institute. 



mable vapor and brings the fire from a distance. Gunpowder is thus 

 a passive agent, while naphtha is an active one ; and when introduced 

 under the treacherous disguise of a safe oil, it is not to be wondered 

 that frightful accidents occur. 



None of these oils are explosive per se. They only become so 

 when their vapors mingle with the air. It is improper to say that 

 they will explode. It is only the mixture of their vapors with air 

 that is thus explosive. All of them are inflammable. They emit 

 these inflammable vapors, which make an explosive mixture when 

 commingled with the air. If a match is put very near one of them, 

 the vapor draws the flame down to the fluid, and the fluid takes fire. 



I took the trouble, some time since, to send around to the various 

 retail dealers, and purchased 736 specimens of the kerosene in use. 

 Some of them were called kerosene, some liquid gas, some safety oil,, 

 some safety fluid. And out of these 736 samples only twenty-eight 

 were found to be safe ! Only twenty-eight samples out of 736 ! 

 At the present time I know of very few brands of safe oil in this 

 market. The refiners cannot compete with the trade if they sell 

 the pure article. But there are dealers who sell safe oil. And I 

 am going to mention the names of two or three of them, at the risk 

 of criticism for gratuitously advertising them. Every encouragement 

 should be held out to make safe oil. 



Experiments in Oils. 



Here is a sample of standard kerosene, manufactured by the Dow- 

 ner Kerosene Oil Company. Its flashing point is 115° F., and its 

 burning point 12S° F. It is thus 15° above the standard of safety, 

 100° F., by the flashing test, and 18° above the standard of safety, 

 110° F. by the burning test. 



This is a specimen of the beautiful " Astral Oil," manufactured by 

 Mr. Charles Pratt. Its flashing point is 125° F., its burning point 

 138° F., or from 25° to 28° above the conventional standard of safety. 



With oils like these accidents never happen. At no temperature 

 to which they are exposed in ordinary use do they evolve inflamma- 

 ble vavors, nor do they ever become hot enough in lamps to take fire 

 from a flame. 



This is a still safer product of petroleum ; it is the " Mineral Sperm 

 Oil," manufactured by the Downer Kerosene Oil Company. It does 

 not flash below 262° F., nor burn below 300°. It is thus from 162° 

 to 180° above the standard of safety. 



I will now make a few experiments to show you the difference in 



