"He showed us another liquid called benzine, which is obtained by refining the coal-tar naphtha. He poured a small spoonful of this into a saucer and put a light to it, and it blazed up in a moment with a little bang.
"He said it was the gas or vapor only in this case that exploded. But benzine is much more dangerous than paraffin, because it constantly evaporates with the heat of an ordinary warm day."SUMMARY
Paraffin, petroleum, or rock-oil is an inflammable liquid, which is obtained from oil-springs in the ground. The coarse liquid, as it is pumped up, is puri?ed, and made to yield paraf?n wax, and re?ned oil for burning in lamps. Benzine is another in?ammable liquid-even more in?ammable than paraf?n oil. It is made by re?ning coal-tar naphtha. An ordinary warm day will cause it to evaporate. It is the vapor, or gas rising from it, which takes ?re and explodes, when it mixes with the air.
Lesson 41
An Insect
