A TRAGIC OBJECT-LESSON.

Mataura Ensign, 24 August 1910, Page 3

A TRAGIC OBJECT-LESSON.

The death a few days ago < f the Hon. Maurice Gifford, owing to che ignition from a cigarette spark of the petrol with which he was removing a stj-in from his clothes, causes om to wonder whetlnr ftniliarity with the u.<o <>f petroleum spirit has not bred a ccrt.im pnuunt of carelessness a\ the handing. "Mr Gifford's death," writes a London exchange, "is a terrible object-les-son, and one hesitates from ieferrt.l,s to it in such a light; but the ni-i that such a distinguished career should be litugbt to a sudden terminatio-i in thio way must be accepted as a warning to many people, who appreciate and take advantage of the domestic uses of motor spirit. Petrol is undoubtedly a valuable cleansing agent, and i* perfectly saf<- to use so long as it is not brought into the proximity of fire or flame, lut tho danger lies in the r act that its extremely volatile nature—tie solo property which makes it suitable for fuel for automobile purposes—renders it unnecessary for the liquid itself to be brought into contact with the flame for ignition to take place. The vapor given off from an open can—or, still more, from the saucer in which it is probably contained when used for removing stains from a suit of clothes—is even more extremely inflammable than the liquid, and such cleansing operations should never be carried on in a room where there is a fire or other artificial light than incandescent, electric, or needless to say, where anyone i> smoking. It is impossible too strongly to emphasise tho necessity for adopting the most strict precautions in the handling of petrol for whatever purpose."