Evening star., 1913-12-28

Safety. who has just made report for
the United States bureau of education
on the crusade which his institution is
making for the prevention of accidents
and to train children OF the present
generation to think and act along lines
Of safety and caution on the streets and
in their homes.
Accident prevention" says Director
Tolman, lis primarily a matter Of educa-
ton. The American Museum of Safety
more than a year ago decided that an
educational campaign among the children
themselves would be the best means OF
preventing accidents on our city streets,
which are increasing at an alarming
rate, and of reducing the great waste
of human lives and limbs.
"In this matter it was felt that America
could profit by the example of Germany.
which is educating her school children
in safety and hygiene and preparing
them for the actual conditions they must
meet when they have exchanged the
classroom for the shop and factory. The
educational methods adopted by Germany
include special loan exhibits to the
schools from the great German museums
of safety; school visits to the museums,
where the life-saving and health-pro-
noting devices are carefully demonstrat-
cd ana explained 10 INo cul uIeIis anu
instruction in safety and hygiene as
part of the regular school curriculum.
'The first organized work of the Amer
ican Museum of Safety among children
was begun in December of 1917. when
permission was granted by the board of
education of New York for classes from
the vacation schools. in charge of their
teachers to meet at the museum Tor
talks and demonstrations on accident
prevention. with particular reference 70
avoiding the perils of street traffic The
responsiveness of the children and the
Endorsement Of their teachers on the
talks of safety and caution. with demon
strations of devices, clearly Indicated
the success of the experiment and me
work was extended in the fall of the
first year into all of the public schools,
with nearly 10000 pupils
y I'm our work in New York we have had
our lecturers visit the various schools
according to carefully planned schedules.
Little stories of accidents and brief talks
on safety were made, Illustrated py
means Of charts and models. and the au-
diences of pupils numbered sometimes as
many as $500 boys and girls. At the
close of each talk safety buttons bear
ing the insignium of the American Mu-
scum of Safety were left with the princi-
pals of schools for distribution among
the children. The wearing Of the button
makes the children keep the lesson OF
the talk of the museum fresh In mind
"Our league followed up the buttons
with the distribution of safety leaflets or
interesting stories on the special danger
of street cars electricity, gas. automo-
biles and matches. Both text and Illus
trations are adapted to the understand
ing of the children, who have appeared
to be delighted with them. A set of prac-
tical rules is Incorporated in each OF the
safety leaflets, and while these rules are
presented to the children first. they are
equally applicable to the older brothers
and sisters and to their parents
'The observance of Safety day was
one Of the unique features of the crusade
for the safety of children. This idea was
suggested by President Williams Of the
American Museum of Safety, VINO
thought it would be an excellent idea for
every school teacher in New York city
to deliver safety talk on the same day
and in the same hour in the classrooms.
This suggestion was approved by super
intendent William II. Maxwell, and. ac-
cordingly, a lecture entitled safety ana
Caution was prepared as a basis for a talk
to the children. No particular anecdotes
were needed, AS it was thought each
teacher Would recall many an Illustrative
fact which could be used in reinforcing
a special point in the text. AS result
about $4,000 school teachers April 4.
1913, designated as Safety day. made
interesting talks to nearly 100000 school
children simultaneously"
Following the recent collapse of steel
beams in a new office building in New
York just as the struc-
Failure Of ture was nearing COM
c4,p pletion, engineers in
oteeI 0eaMs. all parts of the coun-
try have been aroused on the urgent need
of getting accurate information on the
standards Of strength of large steel gird
ers used in the erection of Office buildings
and bridges
. Calls have been made on the United
information on the weight-carryins
strength of large beams. but the govern
ment is not able to furnish the data be-
cause a testing machine to determine the
strength of steel girders and beams has
not been built in this country. Giant
testing machines with tremendous pull
ing and twisting power to find the tensile
strength Of steel bars or to compress a
concrete or steel column are now part
Of the laboratory equipment of the bu-
reau of standards, but there is no ma
chine to determine the amount of weight
which a horizontal beam or girder will
carry.
A machine to test large beams has
been designed, and it's plans are now In
the Office of Prof. S. w. Stratton. chief
has been examined by engineering ex-
perts in and out of the government serv-
ice, and should Congress appropriate for
the building Of the machine the United
States will be in better position than
any other nation in the world to furnish
accurate data on steel construction both
in buildings and in bridges. Large beams
of eighty to 100 feet in length and six or
more feet in thickness can be tested In
the proposed new machine. Engineers
are compelled to admit that there is some
guessing at the carrying strength OF large
beams, and that some of the present rules
governing weight capacity Of beams are
not accurate is indicated by the failure
of the beams in the New York building.
X 4
A cheerful message of hope and prom
tse to the thousands Of men and women
who are en-
Fighting White Plague gagged in anti
in Switzerland. csmnaisns in
this country is carried in comprehensive
review of Switzerland's fight against tu-
berculosis, which has been written for the
United States public health service by As
sistant Surgeon General w. c. Rucker
and Assistant Surgeon r. Z. kearny.
Just at this season of the year. when an
other annual sale of Red Cross stamps to
assist in the American campaigns against
tuberculosis is coming to a close, the re-
view Of the work in Switzerland offers
much to interest all persons who are
making efforts to check the ravages OF
the disease in this country.
In a twenty-two-year fight against tu-
of G,.,i zorIo md la Uo