ON THE EXPLOSION OF BURNING- ELU1D. 
161 
diminished explosive tendency of the mixture. An admix- 
ture of oxygen with the hydrocarbon used for city illumi- 
nation is explosive. Atmospheric air may be substituted 
for oxygen, as in the case above, with the like effect. 
The above considerations suggested the idea, that in the 
chamber over the burning fluid, in the flask or can from 
which the lamps are filled, there might be an admixture of 
the vapor of the burning fluid in such proportion with 
atmospheric air as to make it susceptible of explosion. To 
test the value of this suggestion, experiments were made 
with alcohol, ether, and a kind of burning fluid in general 
use : — 
Experiment 1. — A current of air was directed into the 
upper part of a loosely-stoppered half-filled laboratory glas; 
spirit-lamp while burning, causing thereby a mixture of 
alcohol, vapour and air to rush past the flame. After a 
moment or two the jet took fire, and was instantaneously 
followed by explosion. This result was uniform. 
Experiment 2.~ After permitting a drop of alcohol, in a 
large glass flask with a small neck, to evaporate for an 
instant, upon applying flame to the mouth, explosion result- 
ed frequently, though not so uniformly as in Experiment 1. 
Experiment 3. — Ether, similarly treated in a glass flask, 
yielded less uniform results, because probably of the greater 
difficulty of obtaining the proper mixture of ether and air. 
Experiment 4. — A kind of burning fluid, in extensive 
use, and said by the vendors to be not explosive, was sub- 
jected to similar experiment, with still less frequent affirma- 
tive results. They were sufficient however to show that 
explosions with it are possible. Similar experiments have 
been made with another variety of burning fluid by Dr. 
Morrill Wyman of this city (Cambridge,) with like results. 
It is therefore established, that when the proper amounts 
of burning fluid, vapor and atmospheric air are mixed 
together, as they may be, in the upper part of a partially 
filled can or receiver, and a flame is brought sufficiently 
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