Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-11
Government Bureau SpeciS
Car Visits Here en- Route
to Nearby Coal Camps I
EAST AND FORBES
TOURING LOCALIT1
Safety and First Aid Me-
Teaching Miners How toB
Avoid Fatalities

The government bureau OF nln&
rescue car No. 2, In the care Of J.
East, who is foreman of the car o.
has charge Of the safety depATtmG
and j. j. Forbes, who has chargo
the first aid work, was In tho On
over Sunday. The car arrived 0atl1
day, shortly before noon, and hae go@
to Bear Creek. whore 1t makes
next stop. The car is from the LA}
Superior district and is making C.
week stops in the southern part
Iowa, making Bidwell after Bear Gre
and then Foster. While in the M
ing towns these men instruct the ~
ers In the handling Of the helmets r.
apparatus and the saving of men III
are injured as the result OF acciden
The car appears to be an 0rdinn2
passenger car on the outside, but upS
entering Is more like hospital. TlS
car Is equipped with fourteen oxye@
known as helmets, whiSh are won
upon entering the vicinity OF irresi1
ible gases, fires, mine explosions, G.
They weigh about thirty-eight p0uu
each having oxygen tanks, chemicS
to purify the air which Is breath
out and clock which registers
time man has been In the heln
and the amount Of oxygen left,
car carries both army and mn
stretchers lung motors to AFFORD
tificial respiration, safety lamps 1J
canaries for the testing OF the air
carbon monoxide. For example, ms
who Is entering q mine and who dQG
not know the condition Of the air. ~
ries bird, and II the bird drops del
he then knows that 1t is time for q
application of his helmet, or In
case of the lamp, II It goes out, te
is sign OF the dreaded gases,
They also carry what is known l
life cable, which Is rarely used
these men but which Ia exceeding
handy In case man is not accugto
ededed to the mine. This goveS
ment car is provided with ste1
heat. electric lights, ten berths, cloth
closets. shower baths, cook stove.
box, Office room and is often used
a hospital, when in a district wta
there is none. sSS
Both Mr.. East and Mr.. Forbes
graduates from colleges and y0l1
men who are well versed In the In
ness Of saving lives and treating IN
injured about the mines. Mr., FoR
has recently been in the Des MOil
district where he drilled over 500
in the first aid work. He teaches
men what not to do as well as IA
to do. 1t takes about fifteen hours
teach man regular course In
aid work, such as the arrest Of II
orrhages, guards against -
wounds, drowning, unconsciOusn&
electric shocks, etc. He also drillst
men in the handling Of fractures, 6
simple and compound, the handling
the man after the accident, to
down any possible further injury s'sS
Mr.. Forbes has been with the o
ernment only short time, al
eighteen months. Prior to this he
an expert in the mines Of Penn
vania In talking about his work.
said "We do not attempt to perfo
the duties of doctor or surgeon
simply give instructions to the M
as to the methods to be empl0y9
while the victims OF an accident
waiting for the coming OF the dOct0N
The men both said that the ml
owners and In some cases the din
ent states are now requesting In1
operators to own their own appar4
so that in case OF an accident
will be prepared. The car Ii n
ready to 60 to any place In the Ul
ed States, upon the call Of the G
ernment. They do not have to
and pack as everything is ready
instant duty. Their work Is bol
met with the greatest OF enthusia1
by all mine owners and people e
cerned all over the state, and they
certainly doing excellent work.
IMPLEMENT MEN