The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-23
TO MAKE THE AIR PURE
DIR. HURTY WILL EXPLAIN HIS PLAN
TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
And Will Demonstrate 1t by an In
genious Device of His own
Invention.

Inc members OF both houses Of the Cen
eral Assembly are about to have ocular evil
dence of the fact that the air breathed by
potn senator's and representatives is foul
and disease-breeding, if the plans of Secre-
tary j. N. Hurry. of the State Board of
Health, are carried to a conclusion. For sew
eral years the claim has been made that the
air in the Capitol is very impure, but little
attention has been paid to it by the mem
bers of the General Assembly, who, it is be-
lieved, have seen in the agitation a scheme
to give some one a fat job of "sanitating''
the building
In spite of all opposition, however. Score
tary Hurry has maintained his position and
believes something of an impression has
neen MADE on the members of the Assembly
AT any rate, he has invented a machine
which will be exhibited in the Capitol this
week, and which will demonstrate, beyond
doupt, that the amount of impurity in the
air oreathed in the Statehouse is startling.
The idea on which the machine is built is
ehtlrely original and it was only yesterday
mat the finishing strokes were given to it
In DIR. Hurty's laboratory. The purifier used
In separating the impure from the pure air
is nothing but water, but it is claimed that
1t cannot fail to do its work The machine
with all its attachments, could be taken
apart and carried in ones pocket. while the
really important parts in which the work
Is actually done could almost be squeezed
into 4 vest pocket. The size, the inventor
asserts, cuts no figure in the accuracy and
amount of work it will 40.
In going about the task of inventing the
machine, DR., Hurry did so fully realizing
that his warnings as to the unwholesome-
ness OF the atmosphere in the Capitol were
regarded by many people as the rawlings of
q crank and that it would eventually re-
qulre ocular evidence to bring the Legisla-
ture to realization of the danger every
one VINO spends much time in the State
mouse Is exposed. His first effort was to
ma the best separator for the least cost,
ana decided that water, quadruple distilled
was without an equal. He also realized
tnat IL would be useless to try to gather all
the air OF either legislative hall into any
machine and analyZe 1t, so he decided to
md way of measuring the cubic feet of
air in the hall, as though it were blocks of
Ice. He then, by trials and tests aScer-
tanned the amount of air that could be
to accurately determine the unit from which
calculation could be made to how much
lmpurity there was in the entire chamber.
The machine as finished yesterday while
crude and showing that it has been built
expressly for an emergency, is an interest
ing study A square iron base about the
size OF a large paper weight, supports a
slight iron rod about two feet high, from
which an adjustable clamp projects over
b
clamp is fastened a "class tube" open at
both ends, and looking exactly like an ordi-
nary chimney for an argand lamp burner.
One end of the tube is filled with large
but thin cork, and through this cork two
one-eighth-inch glass tubes project. The
more complicated looking of the two small
tubes is about seven inches long and is in
serted into the large tube about half its
length. That portion which is inside is pc
culiarly shaped, being bent at right angle
about an inch from the end. A small con-
nection is made between the two sides of the
angle, AID the apex is cut in two and drawn
to a fine point, the purpose being to make
a spray inside the tube. On the outside end
of the tube is fastened an ordinary syringe
pipe and bulb. BY pressing this bulb a GER
tain number of times it will pump a cubic
foot of air into the big tube which, when
cap. The other small tube is simply crooked
like shepherds staff, and Is for the pur-
pose of letting out the pure air after the
impurities have been extracted in its pas
sage through the water in the big tube.
When the machine is brought to the Cap
itOl this week a test will be made after one
of the afternoon sessions, when the ar ls
the worst. 1t will be set up in the center of
the room and the bulb squeezed often
enough to inject cubic foot OF air into the
big tube. When the pure air has been
forced out through the little tube the wa
ter. permeated with the impurities of one
cubic foot of legislative atmosphere, Will be
taken to the laboratory and precipitated,
the deposit being placed on glass plates UNI
der glass covers When this has been done
the members of both houses Will be invited
to watch the wriggling microbes, while the
secretary of the State Board of Health, for
tneir benefit multiplies them by the num-
Der of cubic feet in the room in order to
show just how many are breathed IN by
members and visitors in the course or a day.
DIR. Hurry firmly believes that the ar
rangement for ventilation in the Capitol IS
out of date and that the members or the
General Assembly will never nave better
opportunity of knowing it than at this ses-
sion.