The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-03
BOUTS GERMS FROM RAILROAD CARS A Milwaukee Mans Sanitary
 Invention ROADS IND0RSE THE PLAN Health officers Are Also Said to Be Pleased With New System.
 Means Much for
 Cream City.
ROADS INDORSE THE PLAN

Milwaukee, November 2--(Special. .)--And snow tho germ proof" slogan has been taken up by the railroads. The elusive bacillus, routed from homes, schools, pub aic buildings and even tenements by the spread of sanitary measures, is at last to be driven from it's entrenched stronghold >-the railway car.
 It is the invention of a Milwaukee man, gfT. J. Matchette, which makes possible the ''germ proof" railway car and eliminates That supreme nuisance of travel-dirt. Milwaukee is proud to have among it's citizens man who could devise some- thing that means so much for public com fort
 Who of us is there in these germ-fear- sng times who has not thought of the danger of infection in railway cars? Who of us has not had eyes, ears, lungs and clothing filled with dust in even the best eoaches or sleepers?
 Railroads in Dirt Crusade.
 For years the railroad companies and she Pullman officials have been expert menting and attempting to hit upon some system that would really clean their cars. They have had the housewife's horror of dirt or if they hadn't. they
 
 have also been influenced by protests on she part of physicians and state boards of health regarding the nsanitary condi- tion of cars not thoroughly cleaned.
 Some roads have adopted the method of blowing dust and dirt out of the car by compressed air. But this has called forth even more protests from health of ficials because it simply scatters all over the car the dust and any germs that may haye come from sick passengers
 Inventor Solves Problem.
 The Milwaukee mans cleaning system works just the opposite way. Dust sucker" is the expressive name the rai road men have given his invention. And that's just what it is. It is suction apparatus by which all the dust and dirt ana germs drawn out of the cushions and carpets of q car through hose into tank outside. The suction or vacuum is produced by compressed air, which all the railroads have in their yards for testing air brakes. Simple. but nobody thought of it before. MT Match ette who did the thinking, has invented a number of alr-cleaning devices which are used in hotels. residences. offices, thea tres and churches.
 You've seen these cleaning wagons that come around to your house, run in hose through the front dor and, as their own
  while a reception is going on. Or maybe you have been in hotel when the morn ing sweeping was being done by dust sucker attached to plug out in the corridor. Well. this railroad dust sucker" works on the same principle as these cleaning devices.
 How the Dust Sucker Works.
 The workman cleaning a car carries around with him the end of a hose on which is flat nozzle. This nozzle he simply passes over the surface of eush- ions and carpets and presto! the dust and dirt are sucked into the hose which runs out through the window to the dust tank. When he has finished, the car cushions are as clean as whistle and the tank outside contains two or three pounds of dirt.
 The new vacuum system has recently been installed by one of the big western railroads, which is now calling itself 'srhe Sanitary Way" Other roads In the east and elsewhere have adopted the -'dust sucker" and have found it good. Health officers who have seen it work think that vacuum cleaning will solve the problem of sanitary railway cars as it has solved the problem of sanitary buildings.
 Just to see how much more effective the .'dust sucker is than the old ways of cleaning test was recently made at Chi cago in the presence of several railroad officials. sleeping car which had Just been thoroughly cleaned by compressed air was selected and the dust sucker put on. Two pounds and twelve ounces of dirt were removed from the cushions and carpet of this clean car.
 Adds to Milwaukee's Industries.
 Milwaukee figures that the vacuum car cleaner will add another to her already big list of industries. Few people realize that the Cream City is one of the most important manufacturing cities in the United States. Beer is by no means the only product. Milwaukee leads the coun- try in the production of leather It is the site of one of the largest rolling mills of the steel trust. Steam shovels from one of it's factories are digging the Pana- ma canal Engines and heavy machinery from a Milwaukee factory are used all over the world. It's smaller factories are legion.