Anni talked about flares in her blog today and reminded me of a place we lived back when I was in second grade. A long time ago, huh? The whole area smelled of oil but we were used to it. What I wanted to write about is the lights we had. They ran off the excess gas from an oil well. We had pipes running on the outside of the ceiling with the gas but for the life of me I can't remember how they were lit. I can't remember having to light them with a match.. I do remember they had a glass globe around them and a delicate like a filter but that isn't the exact name of it. One night I kicked my shoe off and it headed straight for the filter where the globe had an opening. My shoe flipped over and up until my shoe pointed into the globe and shattered the delicate filter. I think they were rather expensive for the times so I got a good scolding and never kicked my shoe off again. I don't remember the lights being especially bright but the gas was free because the owner of the house owned the oil well too.
6 comments:
an interesting story. never heard of lights like this.
If it were my dad 'scolding' me, I probably would STILL be paying for the globe with my measly allowance even today!! He was a staunchy ol' fart. lol
This is a new wrinkle in my horn. BUT I do know about the fragile globe you are talking about. Whey they are barely touched they shatter. I always wondered how they held together. An egg shell is STEEL compared to the little globe.
Hmm, almost sounds like the apparatus in a Coleman gas lamp. Free gas, how good was that?
I think some of the Amish have or had lights like this over in Arthur, Illinois...the one store they were in moved...the shop they are in now does not have much lighting at all now that I think about it. I think the part that is lit might be called a mantle...coleman lanterns have them...Not sure how they work come to thinking about it. I don't think they are lit....if Roger had not had the stroke he would be able to tell us.
What a great memory, thank you for sharing. I agree with Rose I think they were called Mantles. Never a good idea to kick a shoe off in the house, lol.
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