Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-12-26
PLAN TO PREVENT
MONOXIDE POISON
Doors Of Garage Should Be
Opened Before Start
ing Engine.

Dangerous Indifference to carbon
monoxide poisoning in private garages
still exists, according to the American
Chemical society, which makes public
the findings of an investigation con-
Quoted by w. P. Yant, w. A. Jacobs
and L. B. Berger Of the United States
bureau of mines.
'In summing up the dangers arising
from running an automobile in
closed private garage 1t can be said"
according to the society's statement,
shat there seems to be no limit Of
time during which the engine may be
run in closed private garage with
safety to an occupant thereof.
Open Doors Previously.
''The doors should be opened pre-
vious 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 minutes taken
to look at the tires or measure the
gasoline tank may prove disastrous.
IF 1t Is necessary to run the en-
CINE 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 ex-
haust should be avoided In order to
decrease the possibility of headache
and discomfort"
In spite of the recent extensive In
vestigations on the danger of poison
ing by carbon monoxide by inhaIing
the exhaust gas of automobiles, much
Indifference or Ignorance still exists
concerning the magnitude of the
hazard in running engines in small
private garages, the statement says,
continuing:
People Become Indifferent.
'The public has become so accus-
toned to seeing men working about
engines which are running, and to
breathing exhaust gas in low concen-
trations, that they have become more
or less Indifferent to its dangers.
"Few people have regarded or
thought that the atmosphere they are
breathing Is not exhaust gas in q
strict sense, but an exceedingly dilute
mixture of exhaust gas in air made
comparatively safe through natural or
artificial ventilation. Exhaust from each
engine that may be running in these
places Is many times greater than that
in private garage at home"
Tests show that the carbon monox-
ide liberated per hour by FIVE and
seven-passenger cars and light trucks
Is practically the same, especially
when idling. The cubic feet of carbon
monoxide liberated per hour by these
three classes of automobiles when
idling are, respectively, 35, 33 and 81.
Racing, the totals are 65, 105 and 68.
Evidence was revealed of disastrous
results should the engine be started
and left in operation while the driver
went elsewhere. "A concentration of
per cent" the statement continues,
may easily be built up in short
time, and on his return but couple of
minutes would be required to asphyxi-
ate him.
important Concentrations.
although these higher concentra-
tions are of importance and interest,
they should not detract from the fact
that the matter of first Importance is
the rapidity with which the minimum
concentration and exposure that will
render man helpless, not necessarily
at the time unconscious, will be
formed.
Carbon monoxide is In many cases,
especially In these relatively high
concentrations, very insidiOus in its
action, and the victim will often sud
denly collapse and be entirely helpless
although conscious for time of his
condition, yet unable to make an es-
cape or give alarm.
This state will quite rapidly devel-
op into uneonsciousness and death, es-
pecially If the engine continues to OPP
crate, which in all probability will be