Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-03
Carrying Pure Air in n KnapsacL,

A.t
 Successful experiments have been carried on by MT. Warrington Smythe at the New Seaman Colllery, near Newcastle, England with what is termed the Fleuss breathing au-
 paratus. The importance of this invention
 will at once be apparent to those who are in
 anyway acquainted with the risks from suffo-
 cation run by firemen and by those employed
 under ground, where poisonous fumes are
 so liable to break forth to suffocate those
 who may be subject to them. With the aid of
 the Fleuss machine men can work without
 danger under all these inimical conditions.
 The apparatus has the size and shape of
 soldiers knapsack, it's principle portion being
 case of sheet copper, 12 inches long, 12
 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. The case
 is internally divided into four longitudinal
 compartments, fitted up to secure the
 complete circulation through them of the air
 that has been robbed of its oxygen by pas-
 sage through the lungs. Each compartment
 is fitted with small cubes of India rubber
 sponge, coated with specially prepared caus-
 tic soda. The air that passes from the lungs
 of the man fitted with the apparatus passes
 through one side of mouthpiece and down another corresponding short length of pipe over his left shoulder to the first compart ment of the case. There it goes through a
 finely balanced valve, which gives way to the softest breath passing from the mouth, but 1t is immovable to anything from the inside of the case. The partition of the first com partment fits closely up to the top of the case, but IS about one inch open at the bot tom. This arrangement thus permits the respired air to pass down the first chamber and to enter the second at the bottom. Here 1t clrculates to the top, where an inch open ing in the next partition gives it passage into the third compartment, which it deseends, to find similar outlet at the bottom into the fourth chamber. Rising to the head of this the air, thus purified from the deleterious matters that it has carried from the lungs, passes through valve into pipe laid over the right shoulder of the operator Oxygen is added by means of small pipe that runs from the cylinder at the bottom of the case, and finds it's opening close to the junction of the clean air pipe and the before India-rubber bag This latter performs the part of a reservoir of pnre and properly oxygenated air, and by it's presence the act of breathing is rendered easy and natural. In fact the only limit to the space of time during which the apparatus enables he man to move about in the midst of oolsonous gases is the capacity of the oxygen cylinder and the individuals physical ability Q carry the copper knapsack about with him. The capacity of the cylinders at present in use 8 one-fourth of a cubic foot and as the oxy- gen Is pumped in under pressure of sixteen ltmospheres, they hold four cubic feet of the ,as. The supply, which can be regulated trough the medium of valve, is calculated o last for four hours shift of work, al- hough no man employed under such con litions of danger as as require it's use is kept t labor more than three hours at a time =.
 An essential portion of the apparatus is he mask, to which is attached a mouthpiece crewed on one side to the pure air pipe and ndla-rubber bag, and on the other to the lpe conveying the expired air back to the compartments in the knapsack case.