New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21
FIREPROOF SUITS DO NOT WORK.
THEY ARE FAvoRTrE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTORY
ATTENTION-A NEW RESP1RATOR
SUCCESSFULLY TRIED.

THEY ARE FAND1fliE OfSJE'is UT IN" ~ H-'A Wv
ATTENTIoN-A NEW REsPIRAToR
SUCCESSFULLY TRIED.
No class OF employment in civil life Is 80 fire
ouently dangerous that OF the fireman. AS may
he imagined innumerable inventions are submitted
,.ry GEAR N the New-York Fire Department de
s,yned 10 protect the fremen from the flames. TIT
authorities are ready to test any inventor
which promises to he effective, and the storerooH
OF Fire Headquarters Is filed with all xmas o.
devices for the protection OF firemen No hreproo
suit has however. yet been invented which VII
enable a man to remain longer IN burning nous'
than he could without II.
The asbestos suit which tried some time age
will. indeed protect the body from the flames nu
1t is so hot and cumbersome that the men canho
work In II. Chief Bonner. at Fire headquarters
told a Tribune reporter that he was always wilin'
TO entertain any suggestion which might protect MI
brave boys but nearly all the devices submitted
To him were practically useless theoretically, the,
would work like a charm. but a thorough test al
ways revealed fatal flaw.
Some time ago a German inventor thought NJ
had solved the problem. His invention consisted
Of a suit which he said would protect the weare'
from any but the hercest heat. He appeared Al
Fire ueadouarters with his suit The idea seemed
feasible and after the invention had had lev
simple tests the authorities decided to try 1t a.
the first big fire. The suit was made Of rubber ano
had two compartments. The inner one was he'
with air. and the outer with water. pipe con
nected the inner compartment with an ordinary
air-pump, which TO be worked OUTSIDE th'
building From the outer compartment a pipe lee
N a hydrant The fireman was supposed 10 %
protected from fire by the outer compartment
through which the water constantly circulated All
was sunplied 10 him by the inner compartment
and he was thus enabled to stand any amount Of
smoke and considerable amount of heat
The iremen. however. did not favor the idea ~
ton m her At
II a man were caught In hot place he would %
converted into n sort OF steam boiler
However, at the next fire hreman was iou''o
willing TO test the suit. and after the arrangement
had been adjusted he rushed In to hght the names
lie staggered back soon, however. and his strange
antics convinced his comrades that something "d'
wrong willing hands soon took on the suit. anc
the reason for his distress became apparent The
mines had somehow got mixed the air pipe be
ing attached TO the hydrant and the water pipe
to the air pump In consequence OF '"s' the III"
fortunate fireman was nearly drowned IN water
that would have soon reached boiling point II Ne
had remained any longer in the building Tho In
vention WAS thrown out as being impraciicabe.
An airbag was Invented to hang around the me- "
Of a fireman. and enable him TO breathe throush "
tube connected with IL In smoke however thlck
For some time this met with favor. ana me pas'
supplied TO every hre company IN the ely
Before long this device was hung on the wa. wh'te
1t may sl h, seen In many houses frote non
from smoke and FIRE Is comparatively easy, , pu. 70
the problem. An active fireman often saves ms ne
by sudden rush or an ac'Ne ,eap. "n e;a " nv h'
were burdencd with some protective deNice, ne
would surely be burned 10 death. by constant prhc-
tlce fremen can live and breathe In an atmosphere
90 laden with smoke as to choke any ordinary man
More than one man u known. 80 thief homer says
10 do work In an atmosphere where a ight Won
not burn The lungs In time get 50 chok"i up WIN
SCOT that the breathing powers become seriously
hamper.d AMI many nremen contract consumption
from this cause
The Fire BOARD has decided 20 buy number OF
respiration OF pattern which has been successfully
used by tho nrc departments In many cities IN TINS
country ami abroad. Il consists % conirNan q,
fastened to the back OF the fireman which hi"f ana
coos tho smoky. hot air In a burning house Az y
the air has been thus purified. II passes through a
tube 20 the wave box. which connects win the
mouthplece. he'd In the nrcmans mouth lie In
ha.ss and cNhacs his breath through tho same
mouthpecc without removing T. from ms mouth.
The apparatus is irht ana docs not Interior" WIN
his work In all previous rcsp.rators the fireman
was obliged 10 remove his mouthpiccc from The
lnha,,ng tube IN orlcr 80 oNha.c. which usually g
10 his making n mistake, swallowing Noluin" 30
smoke In the r'sprator the act OF expiration
opens a little valve and the AIR eNpciiel from the
lungs passes out. /, Is impossible for Tho two at
mcspheres TO get mixed. owing 10 the Ingenious
arrangement OF the valve box. fireman can re-
main In tho denscs' smoke for for'y-nve minutes
before the purifier requires renewing. and some have
remained longer than that.