274 
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
about 100° Fahr. A thoroughly trustworthy and sufficiently simple 
method of testing the oils is essential'to the attainment of this result; 
and after much consideration and practical experience had been brought 
to bear on this subject, the so-called flashing test described in the Act 
of Parliament^ was adopted as the fairest and most reliable one which 
could be prescribed for general application ; but there is no doubt that, 
when applied to oils which nearly approach in their flashing point the 
limit prescribed by the Act; the operation of the test is not sufficiently 
sharp; nor the prescribed method of conducting it sufficiently rigid; to 
preclude the possibility of its furnishing conflicting results in different 
hands, and thus leading to decisions the justness of which may be legi¬ 
timately open to dispute. It is therefore undoubtedly desirable; in the 
framing of any future Act; that this test should be carefully recon¬ 
sidered; as well as the question whether some narrow limit below 100° 
Falir. may not reasonably; and without incurring any increased risk; be 
fixed within which the flashing point of an oil ( i.e ., the temperature at 
which it evolves vapour) may range.* 
Such accidents as the explosion of a mixture of petroleum vapour 
and air in a ship on the Thames (the “ Maria Lee ;; ), laden with about 
300 barrels of petroleum and with other inflammable materials (in 
June ; 1873); followed by her complete destruction by fire; in somewhat 
alarming proximity to the Purfleet powder magazines; and a similar 
accident in Glasgow Harbour; demonstrate the importance of the 
regulations which are imposed by the local harbour authorities; as 
directed by the existing Act of Parliament; upon all ships carrying 
petroleum spirit; with respect to their mooring and the landing of their 
cargo. The Act also gives to the municipal and other licensing autho¬ 
rities the very important power of including; as conditions of the 
licenses, regulations with regard to the quantity of petroleum spirit to 
be stored in a particular locality, the nature and situation of the store 
with reference to inhabited buildings, the mode of storage, and the 
nature of the other goods to be stored with it. Very efficient regu¬ 
lations have consequently been adopted by the Metropolitan Board of 
Works, and some other local governing authorities, with regard to 
the stores themselves, the exclusion of any source of fire or artificial 
light from them, the nature of the receptacles in which the petroleum is 
kept, &c. The latter is a point of the utmost importance, as specially 
affecting the risk of accident in storing and transporting petroleum 
spirit, and one which it is very necessary that legislation should deal 
with more specifically than is at present the case. The existing Act 
specifies that limited quantities, for sale or consumption, may be kept 
without a licence, provided they are contained in small vessels of glass, 
earthenware, or metal; but it is silent on the subject of the vessels in 
which larger quantities are to be stored, or with respect to any regu¬ 
lations conducive to safety in the transport of petroleum spirit. As 
* As the law at present stands, an oil the flashing point of which is declared to be 99° by the 
official inspector, must be condemned ; but another operator may make the flashing point of the 
same oil to be slightly above 100°. Practically, an oil with a flashing point of 97 ° or 98° would be 
quite as safe as one which answers to the test at 100°, in the hands of the same operator. 
