The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-08
sroFEA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu r e AU
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. D. C
PEACE USES FOR WAR INVEN-
TYONS.


bureau OF mines began working on two
listening devices-the geophone and
the microphone-when America en-
tered the war, with view to using
them on the battlefield, They were
French inventions. but the French, with
the enemy at their door, did not have
time to develop them, altho they were
used to a limited extent in attempt
ing to locate German artillery and in
tunneling. The geophone, as its name
indicates records the tremors of the
earth. When a gun is fired tremor
runs thru the earth and the geophone
locates that tremor. When the Ger
man long-range gun started firing on
Paris, it took some time to find out
where it was. With the geophone, its
location could have been determined
in few minutes.
In describing the marvellous ability
of the geophone, an official of the
bureau of mines said: THE dropping
of pin on the office floor, recorded
by the geophone, would sound like
the discharge of cannon"
The geophOne as a practical inStru-
ment was one of the secrets that the
allies were carefully cherishing as a
surprise to the enemy, but it arrived
too late. Nevertheless, it has not lived
in vain. The bureau of mines has
succeeded in getting it installed on
rescue cars connected with American
mines, and it is now consecrated to a
highly constructive purpose. Those
tragedies of the past in which miners
have been walled up in a mine and
have starved to death while people on
the outside were making vain at
tempts to locate them will never be
re-enacted. For now the slightest
such an accident can be recorded by
the geophone and their location dis
covered by the rescuing party.
~
the bureau of mines that will be use
full in peace is a new type of marine
boiler which saves coal. When the
emergency fleet corporation began
building ships to meet the tremendous
transportation needs of the nation, the
bureau of mines turned its attention
to perfecting a better type of marine
boiler. They succeeded in developing
| one, at last, which, when tried out on
six thousand ton vessel, used only
six tons of coal to do the work for
which seven tons had been used be-
fore. With this boiler the vessel made
the trip across the Atlantic for $3.50
less. While this boiler,was especially
valuable during our coal shortage, it
has a permanent Significance. For
some time there have been pesSimistic
rumors to the effect that an American
! merchant marine will never pay be-
cause it cannot compete with the low
ways of European seamen. But if
American engineers can cut down
operating costs by the invention of
more efficient machinery, we need
| have no fear of this competition. The
bureau of mines is still working on
marine boilers with a view to develop
! ing even more economical ones.
The work of the bureau of mines in
| developing poisonous gases and gas
masks for war, while little celebrated,
| was not only invaluable to the govern
ment, but has proved of lasting peace
| benefit. When the United States first
! entered the war it was too much pre-
| occupied in organizing its forces to
| give the matter of poisonous gas i'm
| mediate consideration. So without
waiting for authority which is always
slow in coming. the bureau of mines
| undertook some investigations on it's
| own hook. 1t enlisted the aid of
American chemists all over the coun-
| try, who responded so enthusiastically
that when the war department finally
| got around to the matter, the bureau
| of mines had force of 100 chem
| lists to turn over to it. These chem
| lists succeeded in developing poisonous
gases of a secret and deadly nature
| which were about to be released for
the benefit of the Hun army. when it
collapsed. They also developed a gas
| mask SO efficient that the war de-
| partment issued the statement that if
a~map were gassed 1t was due to his
|
/ and not to the masks vulner Ibility
| But one of the incest features of this
| work is that these masks are just what
| workers in American chemical indus
tries have needed all these years to
protect them from the deadly chemical
| fumes let loose in the factories. In
developing poisonous gases, several
| important chemical discoveries were
| also made which cannot be published
at this time. but which. it is claimed.
will be of great value to American
| industries.
! Another war development that is
proving of peace value is the invention
of American breathing apparatus for
miners, worked out by the bureau of
mines. When the war department
| started sending mining regiments to
| France, 1T discovered that the United
States had been in the habit of i'm
| porting such apparatus from Europe
principally from Germany. With a
| face mask connected to tank of oxy-
gen by long tube, man can live two
hours in an atmosphere which with
| out protection. would kill him in a
| minute. The war department needed
such apparatus for its men who were
TO tunnel thru the earth to the posi-
| ton of the enemy and then blow him
| up. 1t was also needed by the men
who were filling shells with poisonous
gases. The bureau of mines finally
worked out American oxygen appa-
ratus superior to the European type.
| and this country need never again be
| dependent upon Europe for the safety
! of it's miners.
At the same time new method of
signaling a warning to miners was
| worked out by the bureau. A mine
| is usually a large and complicated un-
derground factory and, in the past,
! when accidents have occurred. it has
| been difficult to pass the warning
from one end of it to the other. The
! sounding of a gong might be heard
| for half mile, but men working be-
yond that might not hear it. Now in
| the event of danger preparation with
| a peculiar odor is put into the pipes
| that convey compressed air to mining
machines, and the minute the miners