Evening star., 1924-11-02
AUT0|STS WARNED
OF DANGEROUS GAS
Chemists Again Caution
Drivers Against Deadly
Carbon Monoxide.

Dangerous Indifference to carbon
monoXide poisoning in private ga
RACES still exists, according to the
American Chemical Society. which
makes public the findings of an in
NGstiSatiou conducted by the United
States Bureau Of Mines.
"In summing up the dangers aris-
Ing from running an automobile en-
Ene in a closed private garage, it
can be said according to the So
ciety's statement that there seer1s
to be no limit of time during which
the engine may be run in closed
private garage with safety to an oc-
cupant thereof
The doors should be opened previ-
Gus to starting the engine, even if
it is only intended to take the car
out, because, no matter how careful
people may be, few unheeded min
utcS taken to look at the tires or
measure the gasoline tank may prove
disastrous.
IF it is necessary to run the en-
Eine for any lengthy period. as in
making repairs or adjustments, the
car should by all means be run into
the open, and even then the direct
exhaust should be avoided in order
TO decrease the possibility of head
ache and discomfort"
Indifference StiII Exists.
In spite of the recent extensive in
veStigationS on the danger of poison
ing by carbon monoXide by inhaling
the exhaust gas of automobiles, much
Indifference or ignorance still exists
concerning the magnitude of the haZ-
ard in running engines in small pri-
vate garages, the statement says,
continuing:
timed to seeing men working about
engines which are running, and to
breathing exhaust gas in low con-
centrations. that they have become
more or less indifferent to it's dan
gers
Few people have regarded or
thought that the atmosphere they are
breathing is not exhaust gas in a
strict sense, but an exceedingly di-
lutte mixture of exhaust gas in air
made comparatively safe through
natural or artificial ventilation. Also
from each engine that may be run
ming in these places the danger is
many times greater than that in a
private garage at home.
Tests show that the carbon monoN-
ide liberated per hour by five and
seven passenger cars and light trucks
is practically the same, especially
when iding. Tho cubic feet of car
bon monoNidc liberated per hour by
these three classes Of automobiles
when idling are, respectively, 50, 33
and 81. Racing. the totals are 60,
l05 and 6S.
Danger Not Hcn' q.
Evidence was revealed OF disastrous
results should the engine be started
and left in operation while the driver
went clSeW here. "A concentration of
per cent the statement continues.
may easily be built up in Il short
time and on his return but a couple
of minutes would be required TO as
phyxiate him.
although these higher concentra
tions are of Importance and interest.
that the matter of first Importance
is the rapidity with which the mini
mum concentration and exposure that
Will render IA man helpless. not neces
sarily at the time unconscious, Will
be formed.
Carbon monoxdc is in many cases,
especially in heser$,relatively high
concentrations, vervIiHsidious in its
action, and the victim will often sud
denly collapse and be entirely help
less-although conscious for a time of
his condition. yet unable 10 make an
escape or give alarm.
This state Will quite rapidly de-
yclop into unconSciousne eSs and death.
especially If the engine continues to
operate which in all probability Will