Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1877 — How to Explode a Lamp. [ARTICLE]

How to Explode a Lamp.

—! . Tkb Scientific American gives some of the circumstances which lead to the explosionot kerosene lamps, the philosophy of all of them being that the flame may pass down through the wick and ignite the vapor whieh-accumulatesin the upper portion of the lamp. This vapor is not an explosive, as the term is ordinarily understood, hut when it is confined se that the gases resulting from its combustion cannot escape freely into the open air, the vessel confining it will be shattered. This ignition of the vapor may be brought about as follows: 1. A lamp may be standing on a table or mantel, .and a slight puff of air from the open window or door may cause an explosion. 2. A lamp may be taken up quiekly from a table or mantel, and instantly exploded. ; .t_ A lamp is taken out into the entry where there is a draught, or out of doors, and an explosion ensues. 4. A lighted lamp is taken up a flight of Biairs, or is raised quickly to place It on the mactel, resulting in an explosion. In these cases the mischief is done by the air movement—either by suddenly checking the draught or forcing air down the chimney against the flame. 5. Blowing down the chimney to extin guish the light is a frequent cause of explosion. 6. Lamp explosions have been caused by using a chimney broken off at the top, or one that has a piece broken out, whereby the draught is variable and the flame unsteady. 7. Sometimes a thoughtless person puts a small wick into a large burner, thus leaving considerable space along the edges of the wick. An old burner, with its air draught clogged up, which rightfully should be thrown away. id sometimes continued in use, and the final result, la an explosion.