The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-09-14

space of time,-for in these contests as In hook
and ladder races and hose laying contests, a
ond or two may mark the difference between vic
tory and defeat
The first aid tournament is going 10 have
some very realistic features For one thing there
will be provided a make believe" coal mine
open at one eide TO the view of the spectators
and in this will occur signal an explosion lust
like that which occurs In real mine except that
there will be actual loss of life However,
men will be apparently injured by the shock and
overcome by the fumes ana will fall in supposedly
perilous positions from which they will be res
cued by first aid men working in double quick
time just they would do under the stress of
a genuine disaster These rescue workers will
be called upon to improvise stretchers from their
jackets and nine drills to hurriedly bring TO the
scene mine hospital cars; and do the other things
they would do in time of serious trouble OF
course, all their operations will have to be carried
on by means Of what illumination can be gained
from the new pattern of electric safety lamps for
1t is out Of the question to carry into a mine
filled with explosive gases any ordinary lantern
or lamp with an exposed flame Of any kind.
Easily one of the most interesting phases of the
contests will be the competitions involving the
use of the oxygen helmets so called. A helmet
of this kind which may cost much as $780,
may be described ar-tight, armorlke cov-
ering for the head and shoulders which enables
a rescue worker to penetrate into mines filled
with noxous fumes Just drivers suit enables
its wearer TO live and work under water The
air-tight helmet not only excludes the deadly gas
es of the mine but II supplies its wearer with
necessary flow of life.giving oxygen, drawn as
needed from metal cylinders of compressed oxy-
gen worn on the back like a knapsack The COM
petitions at Pittsburg will include tests as to how
long man can work etectuslly In such q suit
of armor and tests TO the ability OF the tespeo
tive wearers of the helmets to detach empty oxy.
gen cylinders from their backs and replace them
with fresh cylinders. This is highly important
there is no second rescue worker at hand to as.
sst in changing cylinders and unless first aid"
man can do this for himself he must leave his
work and hurry back to the mouth Of the mine
for fresh air.
Another form of apparatus, and II is new one,
which will be demonstrated is the Pulmoter. The
Pulmoter is German invention, and for all that
1t is so delicate and remarkable in its mechanism
that It costs $500 The Pulmoter is, in effect, an
automatic breathing machine. II will compel an
unconscious man to breath whether he wants to
or not and II mechanically draws poisonous gases
out of the lungs with operation and forces in
the life-giving oxygen with the other. That 1t is
capable Of well nigh performing miracles may be
appreciated when It is explained that with this
agent for mechanical resuscitation the experts
of the U. S. Government have brought back to
life miners who had remained unconscious in
mines for 26 hours and who had been abandoned
dead.