Evening star., 1918-06-30
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING
shipping. The work done by the serv-
ice for tho Pacific yards had its ef-
feet on those Of the east, and these
have now fallen into line.

shipping. The work done by the serv-
Ice for tho Pacific yards had its ef-
feet on those Of the east. and these
have now fallen into line.
The aggregate OF the activities OF
tho reclamation service to date shows
that work Is under
Reclamation way on thirty projects
in fifteen states. These
AAoJceIs. projects embrace ap-
proximately 3.112.0O0 acres. or 10000
farms. Including the Indian projects.
water Is now available. officials OF the
service say. for 100000 acres on 81
900 farms. and the construction of the
necessary works to reclaim the bal
ance is proceeding as rapidly as the
limited funds will permit. AS fast as
the water can be made available for
the public lands in these projects. the
settlers flock to them and the de-
mands are usually in excess OF the
supply. Land hunger is increasing
with the rapidly rising price of farm
lands and the better prices for farm
products. In view of this condition,
and considering the imperative need
of an enormous increase in food prod
ucts. the Importance of quickly ex-
tending the field of reclamation Is OBJ
vious.
Since the organization of the recla-
nation service in 1902, it has to its
credit many notable and worth While
achievements. Several of the struc-
lures are monumental in character
and rank with the greatest engineer
ing works of the world. The en-
gineers of the service have success
fully completed the highest masonry
dam. the longest tunnel and the most
capacious irrigation reservoir ever
built. Across the desert they have
extended a canal system 1913 miles
long, in which whole rivers are car
ried. and are turned upon the thirsty
land. The huge reservoirs In the
fastness of the mountains, with
combined capacity of 100000 acre
feet, hold back the destructive floods
Of many streams, and twenty-six
miles Of tunnels penetrate the noun
tains. and through two Of these two
rivers are carried outside Of their
own drainage basins, and the surplus
and waste waters are disposed of by
means of drains and bitches having
a length of 1.247 miles.
The volume of the dams is 13.2bS,-
729 cubic yards, and the excavations
of rock and earth for canals and
foundations reached the enormous
total of 154.01S,449 cubic yards or
about 60 per cent of the total yard
age of the Panama canal.
In the construction of the several
irrigation systems It was necessary
to dig 391 wells. having a total depth
of more than six and one-half miles.
More than 1900 bridges and culverts
of steel. concrete and wood were con-
structed. which. end to end. would
extend seventy-four miles. Canal
structures Of wood and concrete num-
ber more than $4,000. Pipe lines and
fumes enough to reach from New
York to Washington and back again
are now in place.
The service has built and operated
SO miles Of standard gauge railway.
2,s71 miles of telephone and 442
miles of transmission lines. In order
to begin construction on many of the
important works 1t was necessary to
build 932 miles Of wagon roads. The
power plants of the service have de-
veloped 4s,093 horsepower, which Is
utilized in construction, and it is
leased to many municipalities and
individuals.
Numerous inquiries have been
reaching the bureau of mines recent
1y from mining men
Hos Mo.L. who are familiar
for Miners. mine rescue appar-
atus used by rescue men at mine ex-
plosions as to whether. or not the
military masks worn by the soldiers
| "over there" as a guard against
poison gas attacks would not be serv-
iceable at mine disasters. 1t Is
pointed out that these military masks
g,h In
therefore much easier carried, and
the miners are wondering IL they
cannot be used instead of the heavier
oxygen mine rescue apparatus.
In answering these inquiries ex-
perts Of the bureau say that the
military gases. which may be dis
charged from pipes or in later usage
through the agency of shells. are
may be Immediately irritating to the
eyes and skin. On the other hand
these gases being discharged in the
open air are rapidly diluted, so that
high concentrations are generally
only momentary, except In dugouts
Moreover. there is never a material
deficiency of oxygen.
On the other hand. the mine atmos-
phere after explosions or during
fires contains the highly poisonous
carbon monoxide gas, one Of the most
difficult gases to absorb chemically.
and may be in high degrees of con-
centration for a long period, and also.
what Is more important. there is
usually so serious a deficiency in oxy-
gen, particularly after explosions, that
even If there were no poisonous gas
present a man could not live.
1t Is self-evident. therefore, that the
purpose Of the military mask Is to alb
sorb the poisonous gases present. and
these gases are sometimes very COM
plicated in composition and great
variety of them are used. The sup
plying of oxygen other than atmos-
pheric oxygen is not necessary. On
the other hand. the first requisite of
the mine rescue apparatus which Is
used at the military front in tunnel
ing operations compels the supply OF
sufficient oxygen. 90 per cent Of the
atmosphere. and the exclusion OF high
concentrations OF gases. Hence the
necessity Of having the apparatus
self-contained. shutting off all the ex-
ternal atmosphere.
Following the matter further, the
experts of the bureau point out that
it may aid in explaining the situation
to state that very large numbers OF
the regular oxygen mine rescue ap-
paratus are being used both by the
enemy and the allies of the United
States in tunneling and centra-tun-
nelinR operations as well as other
special purposes.
A third service requiring special
apparatus is the aviation service.
tend with, hut the need for oxygen to
supply the deficiency at high attitudes.
The conditions are special and the
apparatus would be of no use for any