South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-05
Masks in War and Peace
BY WOODS HUTCHINSON. VI. d.

In many OF the recent photo
graphs OF our troops abroad. espe-
cially those near the firing line.
there has been one most noticeable
feature Of their equipment which
always catches the eye az first
glance. L is the gas-mask. the
wlerd and spooky looking thing
which makes its wearer have such
startling resem blance to "Gogo.
the doE-faced boy" and which is
so vitality necessary in com hating
she disciples and would-be mis-
siOnaries Of "kulmr" Just 20 look
at these masks gives one a sensa-
ton Of STIFFNESS. which is well
founded. as those who have to
wear them have discovered. How
ever. there is one class of newly
made soldier who viii not find this
mask so very unfamiliar after all
Tor they have been wearing things
very much like il for some time
There arc the metal workers. who
have had masks OF another sort Of
protection while carrying on their
peace time occupation. This is par
ticularly true OF those types Of
metal working, such as drilling.
chipping etc. which has TO be done
in confined space. and where there
IS n likelihood OF small fragments
flying into the wokers' eyes These
goggles are more effective than
might appear at first sight because
Quitea often tiny piece Of steel.
flying with enough force to put an
- 20 H-ff
at just the right angle. would be
turned aside by a moderately thick
piece d glass. while the larger
fragments. although they might
splinter the glass. would often not
have power enough TO go further.
Since the glass on these goggles is
generally quite thick. and held well
away from the eyes OF the worker.
the measure OF protection given is
extremely large.
The workers in molten metal are
similarly protected. sometimes only
with goggles, but often with large
masks covering the entire head and
face.
These work on precisely the same
principle. and some large firms
keep a carefully chosen collection
Of goggles that have saved some
worker by warding off great splash
es Of molten metal which has shot
up suddenly and would have blind
ed him had it not been for the pro-
lection given to his eyes.
t. IS grim looking collection.
lenses broken. frames bent. and
those huge blotches OF once molten
metal. sometimes completely COW
eriug one or both eyeglasses giving
silent testimonial to the catastro-
phies that had been averted by
them. for in every case, the eyes
behind them had been saved. I'm
derueath each pair is written what
would have been the probable re-
suit had there been no protection.
and every time an employee is
heard 10 complain about the slight
discomfort OF constantly wearing
his goggles. he is shown that col
lection It is said TO be more
speedy in making converts to the
reed Of safety first than even the
Rev. William Sunday is in making
converts 10 his special creed Of re-
igion
II is a similar development Of
his ioea OF protection that has en-
7bled the present very extensive
use or the aceteline welding pro-
.ess. This came recently into the
limeHght by the astonishing speed
with which the German liners were
repaired by using this method TO
weld together cracks in cylinder
walls and repair other types Of
damage which its Teutonic per
oetrators had fondly believed was
lrrepairable.
This welding process, with its
continuous OF blazing sparks. would
be almost impossible to carry out
we're IL not for the heavy masks
worn by the workers.
These masks. which are an out
growth Of the goggles. are general
~ about the size and shape of a
round pointed shovel or a glori-
led sugar-scoop. so arranged th8
hey can be tilted back on the fore
1ead when not i'm use. and vet viii
cover the entire face when pull
ad down. often the lenses are
specially colored so as to cut out
Hsssasnsassssss
&