The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-11
CAN DEFY THE SMOKE NOW.
SAVANNAH FIRE FIGHTERS INVENT
a PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

ing " TN the 1>lOm the AutHs
Air Line and Pump supplying the
Wearer With n Constant supply OF
Fresh Aria Thorough and Very
Successful Test Made at Fire Head
quarters-The Device the Inven-
ton of supt. Mcguire, Foreman
CampOs and the Men at No. =.
Supt Mcguire. with the assistance Of
Foreman Campos and the men at No.
engine house, has worked out a device
10 be used in entering buildings filled with
smoke, which seems to justify a feeling
upon the part Of the inventors that it Is
destined 20 prove of untold value in re-
ducing fire losses and perhaps in the saw
ing Of life also. incidentally, il may prove
a good thing financially for the superin-
tendent and his assistants.
The device is comparatively simple, con
sistng of a mask completely covering the
face and protecting the eyes, nose and
mouth, the air being shut out completely,
a slip Of isinglass over the eyes providing
for vision. The mask or helmet, is prac-
tically the same al the latest improved
respirators in appearance, but, unlike the
respirators. has no place for the admis-
sion of air. This is where the ingenuity
of the device comes in. The helmet is con-
nected with a small force pump by means
Of small rubber tubing, and in this man
ner sufficient supply of air is furnished.
The value of such a device is apparent
al once to any one with any experience
IN fighting fires. One of the greatest diff
ficuHies with which the firemen have to
contend is the locating of fires in build
iugs filed with smoke 1t is sometimes the
case that when the firemen are called to
a large building they will find two or
three stories filed with smoke and much
time is lost in locating the fire. Some
times it is impossible TO locate the blaze
and valuable stocks of goods are deluged
with water in the effort to drown out the
fire The Savannah firemen have their fun
share of smoke-eating qualities, but in
close buildings, filled with dense smoke,
even nervy fireman cannot enduce many
minutes. The use of various types of respi-
rators have been found to be of but little
advantage. A well-seasoned fireman can
breathe considerable smoke and still sur
vive, but 1t is their eyes which trouble
them most. Let any civilian who thinks
ne can stand a little smoke go into a cot
ton warehouse where the cotton has been
smoldering for while and let him see
how many minutes he will remain there.
When he becomes blinded with smoke
there is nothing for a fireman to do but
grope his way out and give the air a
chance to clear out the eyes.
Supt. Maguire's device is intended to in
sure full protection TO the eyes, yet leav-
ing the vision clear, while a fun supply
of fresh air is constantly pumped to the
man with the helmet The principle is
the same as that by which the diver is
supplied with air while working under
meath the water and the wonder is that
Ii has not been sooner made use of in
fighting fires 1t is worthy of note that
the entire apparatus was constructed by
the men at No engine house, an old
respirator being fitted up for the mask
while the pump was constructed from sec
tons of gas pipe, the only article pur-
chased being fifty feet of very small rub
Der hose.
The new fire-hghting device was given
Its first practical test at No. 2
engine house Saturday, and although
somewhat crude in construction, the test
proved to be thoroughly satisfactory one
in every respect. A small clubhouse about
5 by 10 and about s feet in hight was
made use of for the experiment. Several
buckets filled with hay, tar. rosin, cotton
and oil waste and with a little damp pow
der sprinked on to add to the smoke,
were placed In the house and fire set to
the contents. The smoke was allowed to
accumulate for ten or fifteen minutes.
Then one of the "smoke-eaters'' of No. 2
was sent in without protection to see how
long he could stand it. His stay was
about a minute, and the water was pour
ing from his eyes when he came out. Supt.
Mcguire then donned the helmet and went
inside. A man at the pump kept a sup
ply of fresh air going The superintendent
remained in the place about ten minutes
and when he came out was as fresh as
when he went in.
A Morning News reporter next tried
the device and found that il worked
4 ffa
was filled with smoke, none of it pene-
trated within the mask, and even the smell
of the smoke was barely perceptible while
the flames and the outlines of the building
could be plainly seen through She ISM
| glass visor The only Objectionable fea-
ture was that the air expelled from the
| lungs had TO be forced out through the
| valves in the sides of the respirator and
in SO doing mingled with the fresh air
coming in, There was an ample supply of
| fresh air, however, and there seemed to be
no reason why healthy man should not
| continue to wear the helmet for an hour
| If necessary. There is some slight discom-
| fort in wearing a close mask, but this is
| nothing as compared to the pain and dis
| comfort of facing binding smoke. In fact.
! ten or fifteen minutes in the Enclosure
without protection would have been too
much for even a strong man.
Supt Mcguire has strong hopes Of the
future usefulness of the device. With
| proper care to see that the rubber air line
does not become entangled and the supply
! of air shut Off, there seems to be no rea-
| son why a fireman should not penetrate
the fun length of a smoke filled building
with its aid. 1t is believed that the de-
vice will prove invaluable in cotton fires.
| in warehouses and aboard ships where.
under former conditions. it has often been
found impossible to locate the fires A
code of signals viii be arranged, by which
! the man at the end of the line can signal
to his fellows on the outside, and give
warning if anything should happen to him
II viii be necessary to have a line of from
! 100 to $50 feet in length to use the device
to advantage. 1t win also be an easy mat
ter to improve the pump so that one man
can work IL for an unlimited length of
time, and the supply of air gagged and
| regulated.
Supt. Mcguire does not propose that he
| ana his associates shall be deprived Of
the fruits of their labors, should the de-