Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-18
SHOOTING THE NEW LUMINOUS
FAILURE TO SEE THE LIFE LINE

FAILURE TO SLE The LIZ T. LINZ
saving the lives Of shipwrecked seamen
Is the invention Of Reuben II. Plass, OF
sos Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn, y. y
Mr.. Plass Will be remembered as the IN
ventor of system Of maritime ocean
buoys. which it was intended should form
a chain Of communication by means OF
cable and telephone between America ana
Europe.
In spite Of the magnificent work Of the
life-saving corps of the government, ana
regardless of the apparatus for the rem
dering of aid 10 the shipwrecked when
Is at their command, many life has been
lost by the inability of the persons VINO
are Clinging to a wreck 10 see the Inc
shot at them from the shore, or, If ii
reached the rigging, to tell just where u
might be seized upon. AS i'm such cases
minutes mean lives. the inability TO see
and grasp the lifeline without the delay
OF "a second has lessened the population OF
the earth by several IN many, many IN
stances
The idea which Mr. Plass has success
fully evolved Is 10 provide a lifeline which
emile phosphOrcscent light Of sufficient
luminosity to be visible for a long distance
Immediately It leaves the mortar's mouth
and is shot through the gale and across
the waves TO the wreck. In the past, II II
happened to be daylight when the life
savers were ~ work. they could, Joy means
Of their rlasses. tell whether or no they
had landed a lifeline aboard the wreck.
IL unfortunately happens. though, that
the majority Of wrecks occur at night.
and therefore a luminous lifeline becomes
an invention of the first Importance. By
its use the life-saver can tell just exactly
what has happened to the line. There
need be 10 more uncertainty.
IMPRACTICAL MAN.
Mr.. Plass is more than confident that
the final results Of the experiments with
his invention will be the adoption OF the
luminous lifeline by the government. lie
Is a very practical sort of a man, and not
at all given 10 theorizing on possibilities
not warranted by facts. 1.-THE idea of the
luminous lifeline was suggested to me-
said Mr. Piass when questioned regarding
the matter. "by reading an account of the
wreck of the bark Mason on the reefs of
Cape Cod a few years ago. In this case
the life-savers shot line out TO the
wreck, but could not tell for a long time
I'm fact. not tin daylight. whether the line
had reached the barkAor not when day
light came 10 show how the wreck had
stood the beating and the surging OF the
waves, The men who composed the crew
were seen frozen in the pgging, while the
lire which meant life TO them al lay
within their reach. They had not seen 1t.
They had been unable TO find It at all
1T seemed great pity 10 me then that
such a thing as that should be, and the
thought came: Why could not line be
40 constructed that il would be iuminousY
Then there never need be anything like
the loss OF life on the Mason for a similar
cause The theory was admirable, l was
firmly convinced, and ought TO be carried
out But just how to do this was poser.
OF course. phosphorus must OF necessity
be a prominent factor I'm any such inyen-
tlon. The principal thing TO find out was
how to make phosphorus stay on a cable.
Then again the lire in the process OF
being fired from the mortar and the
chaGng Il receives IN the rigging Of
wreck would be apt TO ignite the phos-
phorus. Phosphorus takes fire at a few
degrees above the temperature Of the hu-
man body. and IL would only be the natu-
raj result OF the friction caused by paying
out the cable rapidly TO make the line
ignite
HIS ACCOUNT.
well / worked along this line for
long while. but finally l managed TO make
a combination OF chemicals with phOs-
phorus which believe has entirely solved
the problem. The exact figures at which
The solution OF phosphorus the line is
coated with VIII ignite are ia degrees.
While the temperature OF the body Is -
degrees. Sumner /. Kimball, General Su-
pefintendent OF the United states Life
Saving Service. has been making a tho
rough test OF my invention He Is not
quite ready yet 10 give the result OF his
Investigations. but ann not feeling at ali