The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-04-14
GAS MASKS FOR USE Of RAILROAD I
i, ENGINEERS BOOSTED BY REED

WASHINGTON, Aprn 13.-Gas mAskS
for locomotive engineers and hremefts
for use In tunnels in West Virginia IN;
the summer months, when the fumes IN;
tunnels are dangerous, are likaly stoSb15
adopted as the result Of thaS intefnafJ
Congressman Stuart r. Reed took ina
suggestion made to him By H. L. N05
Henry, a locomotive engineer runntnf
an engine on the 3: & O.. hetWe9s
Clarksburg and ParkersburG, ~ Who
home IL at 211 Sumner strset raFk4Ks
burg. - s5Sg
Ther, are 80 tunnels Or that ma, moe
Of them long and soma Of tAeN HuryGss
lures. Some Of them AZ - erAde%s
Frequently trAinmsa Ar ayAes0Re BIZ,
the smoke and gssAs IL tAAas trnne!Hi
and deaths haFe respltsd. TAAAs mostSs
ly were to trainmsa Vhoss tsstng s6at3
stalled In tunnels OoAAiieBs afe worse;
In summer. .gsf4
II wish YOU xosld ~ y ~ cannot;
get me a gas mask" Vnots Engineer,
Henry to Mr.. Reed. II ana Z railroaAi
engineer on the Parkersh1re branch
We. are having q lot Of trouble SWiths
smoke and Gas in the tunnels. would:
like to try it out and see how It wiz;
act" :. zz.; ;:::1-,ss.ls
Mr. Reed thought we'll Of the idea: He
went first to the officials at the war dAs
partmeut, then tho bureau Of standards
and finally to the bureau Of mines,
Everywhere they Were interested. i,
was doubted II tho regulation ga1 mari
used in wer would suit this emergency:
1t was believed that Z special maak
must be made. apd the bureau of Mtrsy
Is going to send an expert from ftI
Pittsburgh branch to make thorp1eh
inn nSfi0 of Il 20 al tn
neer Henry's cab while doing It 81:
Van a. Manning. director Of the b4.:
reau Of mines. writing Mr.. Reed. SaI4:ssS
The bureau Of mines Is very mpcN:
interested in your problem and haye.
asked Major Fieldner supervising chstp
list Of the Pittsburgh experiment sta.
tion) to make arrangements with yop,
and the officials Of the railroad for ~
test under practical conditions in pndof,
to determine whether army gas mAsk9.
furnish sufficient degree Of projections;
THE noxious constituents Of smpka:
consist of carbon dtoxide. .hydrocarboH
gases, sulphur dioxide and carbon mons
oxide The army gas mask will remove
all OF these constituents except the lasEi
named. Unfortunately the carbon monsi
oxide is quite concentrations;
of Y per cent will render q man uH-
conscious in few minutes. It Is prob.
able that under actual conditions, When.
the train proceeds directly through this.
tunnel without s,.oping, the expoSur4
to the carbon monoxide Is not sufficient:
ly long or in high enough concentrations
to produce serious results. II this az:
sumption Is true, then the gas maeki
would be quite beneficial to the engineer
and firemen In. at least. protecting them
from the disagreeable and irritating
In in1n o,,H Ill, Ne
is believed that the gas mask would heS
"A distinct convenience although not AM
absolute protection against all Of the
smoke constituents. Actual investigA.5
ton will be necessary to prove this:
point. -
IT shall be very glad to place the fulls
facilities Of the bureau Of mines *
your disposal for the investigations Of;
conditions;. that 1t. the bureau will sehd;
experienced chemists with gas masks toi
ride In the cab with the engineer
through the tunnels. At the same tins
they will have with them vacuum bottle1j
for taking samples Of the atmosphere;
In the tunnels. These Will be taken
back to the Pittsburgh labratory for.
analysis. On the basis Of this invests
CATION definite recommendations can be5
made and no doubt the question can be;
satisfactorily solved" n.
Mr.. Reed basnt doubt either but IL
can be, and that 1t will be In time for.
the engineers. hrernen and whatever
other members Of the train crews may
stand In need OF. to equip themselves,
with the new mask Devised to suit the
purpose. Thege men now uAe lerNci
sponges soaked with water. which they
clasp over their faces. In some OF thet
tunnels. by the time they emerge from!
them, the sponIees are as dry a dust.
a mask made to suit their case will be-
welcomed as a God-send by railroad men:
in West Virginia certainly. where tpnSsS;
ncls are quite the usual thing on all
Toalroads. :-
Congressman Reed was at work ko.:
day arranging for the visit Of the expert
chemists and the Investigations 70 be-
conducted on the Petersburg Grafton
division Of the B.. & o., which road has
more tunnels in fewer miles than any.
railroad in the United states-the New.
York subway excepted - -