El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-12

, apparatus or models OF apparatus. The
! show viii be given in the National
museum.
Worlds Greatest Safety Agency.
NO other agency in the world is do
ms so much for the safety and well
fare Of humanity as the government
OF the United States. It's work in the
/ line affords an interesting contrast to
the business Of destroying human life
and happiness that is now being con-
Quoted on so vast a scale in the Old
World.
The navy's bureau of medicine will
illustrate first aid in war and the bust
ness of caring for wounded men. 1t
will show safety devices connected with
ordnance and with the transportation
of wounded by sea. Unfortunately. we
are in the latter respect very poorly
prepared for war, the navy possessing
at the present time only one hospital
ship, out Of date and constantly need
ing repairs. Such ships are specially
required for removing infectious cases
from the fighting vessels, to prevent
the spread of epidemics
During tht year before preventive
incubation for typhoid was adopted by
the navy, there We're 222 cases Of that
disease and 10 deaths in the service.
Last year there were 10 cases and no
deaths. Similar preventive treatment
for diphtheria has been so far success
full that there have been no deaths
from that malady in the navy since
1911.
Hunt For DcreIicts.
II is part of the business Of the
navy to hunt for "derelicts" water
logged hulks or other deserted wrecks,
drifting about in the Ocean-and to
destroy them. This is an important
measure for saving lives inasmuch as
such wandering craft are a menace
to navigation 1t is worth mention
ing in addition that the department
has recently adopted a submarine es-
cape Dress, somewhat resembling a
Divers costume, but provided with a
steel flask of compressed oxygen, which
is expected to enable men to get away
down and refuse to come up.
Meanwhile the Interstate commerce
commission is working to prevent ac-
cidents on railroads, one of it's chief
efforts in this line being to enforce the
safety appliance laws. In 1898 no fewer
than A per cent Of all accidents to
trainmen occurred while coupling or
uncOupling cars, the old-fashioned
link-and- pin cOuplar being in common
use In 1915 the number of such acct
dents was less than 6 per cent. In
1905 the commission examined Z5O,0OO
cars, % per cent of which were reported
defective. In 1915 over 100000 cars
were examined, and only four per cent
of them proved defective. Signal sys'
TENS, switches, and hand-brakes have
been standardized, and wooden cars
have been replaced to large extent
with steel cars
Decreases Death List.
As a result OF these and other re
forms. out Of total Of about 100000
600 passengers carried in 1915, only
222 were killed. There was de-
crease Of 80 per cent in the number of
cillisiOns, as compared with 1914. Inc
number of persons killed in train ac-
cidents was 81 per cent less than in
1914, and the number injured was 81
per cent less By passing the hours
of service act" in 1907, congress rec
ognized fatigue of employees from over
service as one cause Of railroad acci-
dents, and undoubtedly the restrictions
since enforced under this law have
operated Importantly to reduce the
number of killed and injured on trans
The department of labor is doing
work OF the same kind for the safe
guarding Of employees in factories II
is pushing the safety first" movement
actively in the iron and steel industry.
At the present time, with the same
end in view, il is making a special
study Of the effect of industrial con-
ditions of the death rate among the
cotton mill operatives of the south.
The steamboat inspection service is
charged with the protection of the
lives of more than 3OO,OOO,O0O paSSen-
gers a year. It employs a field force
of 267 men, whose business it IS TO
examine boilers and inspect steel boiler
plates at the mills. but also to deter
mine the seaworthiness of steamboats,
and to test lifebOats and life-preserver2
The number of lives lost in accidents
to steamboats, in 1915 was 566-2l4
less than IN 1914. ms meant Oue
life for every 2,S72,211 people carried.
Life Saving I'm Mines
The bureau of mines has prepared
a complete exhibit of life-saving APP
paratus used in rescue work. This
includes devices enabling rescuers to
breathe in places filled with poisonous
gases; also "pulmotors" and other con-
trivances for restoring haf-suffocated
men to consciousness. Types of safe
ty lamps and the use of canary birds
and mice to give warning of the pres
ence of noxious gases, will be illus
trated.
More than 5000 men are killed an
nually I'm the coal and metal mines
and uuarries of the United States.
The bureau is trying to reduce this
high death rate. 1t now maintains
seven mine-rescue stations and eight
mine-rescue cars The thousands OF
miners already instructed in first aid
work are expected TO be Of utmost
value for hospital service in the event
The revenue cutters of the Coast
Guard (under the Treasury Depart
ment) are continually engaged in
patroling the ocean lanes, on the look
out for icebergs and to help vessels
in distress This branch of the gov '
eminent service NOW embracing the ,