Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1893 — Why Oil Stoves Explode. [ARTICLE]

Why Oil Stoves Explode.

Just as regularly as the summer season comes round numberless small fires are reported in the newspapers as having been caused by the explosion of oil stoves. In such cases what really happens is generally only this: That a person rushes into a kitchen where there is an oil stove, sees the stove enveloped in flame, and, catching it up, dumps it bodily out of the nearest window. The stove is broken to pieces by that proceeding, but there has been no explosion; in fact, the dealers say that oil stoves never explode. The trouble seems to be that the people do not take proper care of the stoves. Instead of cleaning them from time to time, as in the case of lamps, they neglect them and allow them to become clogged up with a coating of dust and oil. That mix-

ture is very inflammable, and if It remains about the wicks, it will eventually take fire. In order for the stove to explode, there must be a sudden ignition of gas generated within it; if that happens, the stove will be blown to pieces. Most of the stoves are now made, however, so that the gas from the oil can escape through holes perforated in the cap of the oil chambers; and as these holes allow communication with the open air, if an explosion—that is, a quick ignition of the gas—should take place, it is doubtful if it would do any damage. If a stove should burst into flames on account of the coating of dust and oil, so long as the flame did not come into contact with anything inflammable, like wood, there would probable be no damage done. The dust and oil would burn off the surface, then the flame would go out. It Is possible that trouble might be occasioned in rare instances by the overheating of a stove; but according to the dealers the temperature must be raised to 160 degrees before the oil will flame. The dealers seem to think that if the stoves are kept thoroughly clean the chance for trouble is very slight—Boston Transcript