Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-14

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not visited the mine rescue car that
has been standing since Saturday
night at the west end of the union
passenger station, certainly missed
something worth while. No one who
Is DESTROYS Of learning something
new In the matter Of progress made
in the world during recent years Will
find the visit to the car irksome, ana
all will have learned something worth
while. This applies with particular
force to the miner and those who are
interested in mining. The car Is one
of seven that the government through
the department of the interior IN the
bureau of mines has sent out over the
country to aid in reducing fatalities OF
practically all kinds, and is not re-
etricted alone to-coal mines.
Determine Causes.
The purpose of the government in
having these mine cars is to follow all
mine disasters, assist In the recovery
and saving Of lives and to determine
the cause of the accidents. It Is the
determining of the cause that is the
real work of the service, said e. >.
Stevenson, in charge Of the car tnat
Is exhibiting here under the mine accl-
dent department OF the bureau OF
mines. ut is known. that SO per cent
of the mine accidents in the United
States are caused by fall OF roofs ano
causes other than mine explosions,
said Mr.. Stevenson, "and to prevent
fatalities from this source the instruc'
lions in first aid to the injured are
given by the men who accompany the
cars which are located In various
parts of the country, but are sent out
over certain territories when appnca-
ton is made"
The visit to Iowa, where the rate
of fatalities is among the lowest OF oil
the coal states, is in response to an IN
vitation extended by the inspectors OF
mines in this state, and it is probable
that later visit will be made to In
struct in the first aid to the injured,
as the present visit Is for exhibition
purposes.
Il If you have desire to experience IN
some measure the sensations OF being
rescued from death because your
breathing apparatus for some reason
had stopped working, just allow your
self to be attached to very innocent
hooking object called pulmotor.
The mine rescue car has aboard
several pulmotors, oxygen helmets,
first aid boxes put out by the
Red Cross society, stretchers, oxygen
tanks, and, in fact, everything which
is necessary to the rescue work OF
mine disaster victims.
interior of Car.
The car itself is Pullman with the
eeeats taken out except y at one end
where several sections are reserved
for the men who are attachd to the
car Slowed along the sides, hung from
ceiling and upper bunk rails, is the
paraphernalia used in mine rescue
work. One of the most interesting OF
these pieces of apparatus is the
oxygen helmet which is used by res
cuers who go into mine which is
filled with gases and where ordinarily
no man could breathe the air and live.
BY means of this helmet he can stay
In such atmosphere for certain
length of time and be sure to move in
perfect safety so far as his pure air
supply is concerned. The harness is
bit complicated, but this head gear is
proving especially effective in rescue
work: It is of German invention and
this particular car is equipped with
what is known as the Westphalia type.
Other types in use are Dreager and
the Proto
Foul Air Shut Out.
The oxygen helmet consists Of
head piece of glass, much like
divers helmet. It does not go COM
pletely over the head, however, but is
held tightly in place against the face,
and absolutely air tight by means OF
pneumatic tubes along the inside. 1t
fastens much like baseball catcher's
mask. Then the tubes are filled and
the helmet hugs close up against the
face, leaving no space whatever for
bad air to enter.
Fastened to a belt are two small
tanks of oxygen. These are sufficient
to last for two hours under ordinary
conditions The oxygen passes from
the tanks through tube into
breathing bag, which Is worn sus-
pended from the neck. 1t has two COM
partments, one containing the oxygen
and the other being a receptacle for
the air breathed out Of the lungs.
When the air pressure is acting nor
mally, and the person inhaling and ex-
haling about the same amount, the
bag is almost empty, but if either in
halation or exhalation is faster than
the other, the bags fill slightly. A
valve arrangement provides against
any possible shock on the bag driving
the contents Of either bag into the
lungs.
From the breathing bag the air
breathed is conducted to the potash
tank, an arrangement carried on the
back which absorbs the carbon
dioxide of the lungs and returns the
oxygen again in circuit thus created.
How the PuImontor Works.
The other very interesting piece OF
mechanical device in the car is the pull
motor. 1t, too, is a German invention,
exceedingly simple in operation, and
has already proved practical In one
instance it was applied to man who
had been knocked out in a mine acct
dent. but whose heart was still beat
Ing when found by the rescuers, and