Show MINE RESCUE APPARATUS mining men who are familiar with the oxygen mine rescue apparatus used by res cue men at mine explosions have been mai mai ing inquiries of the bureau of mines depart ment of the interior as to whether or nota not the military masks worn by the soldiers ast as a guard against poison gas attacks would not be serviceable servi cable at mine disasters the military mask is so much lighter in weight and therefore so much easier carried that the miners are wondering if they cannot be used instead of the heavier oxygen mine rescue apparatus I 1 in answering queries of this character george S rice chief mining engineer of the bureau has the following to say military gases which may be discharged from pipe or in later usage through the agency of shells are poisonous in character and perhaps may be immediately irritating to the eyes and skin on the other ha hand 11 d these gases discharged in the open air arel are rapidly diluted so that high concentrations except mi momentary 1 are generally only dugouts which must be cleared by fanning fanning out moreover there is never a material deficiency in oxygen the mine atmosphere after explosions or during fires contains the highly poisonous dif dl most carbon monoxide gas one of the and may ficula gases to absorb chemically for a be in high degrees of concentration long period and also what is more important there is usually so serious a deficiency that tc oxygen particularly after explosions if poisonous gas present arese prese even there were no I 1 a man could not ive I 1 that the it is self evident therefore is to absorb ats purpose of the military mask these gases ga and the poisonous gases present in coina complicated are sometimes very used us tion and a great variety of them are than a the supplying of oxygen other other the pharic oxygen is necessary on rescue hand the first requisite of the mine re apparatus which is used at the mi front in tunneling operations compels cupply apply of sufficient oxygen viz 20 per cent of the atmosphere and the exclusion of high concentrations of gases hence the necessity of having the apparatus self contained t shutting hutting off all the external atmosphere it may further aid in explaining the situation to state that very large numbers of the regular oxygen mine rescue apparatus are being used both by the enemy and the allies of the united states in tunneling and centra tunneling operations as well vell as other special purposes A third service requiring special apparatus is the aviation service there are no t poisonous gases to contend with but the need is for oxygen to supply the deficiency at high altitudes the conditions are special and the apparatus would be of no use for any other service it will therefore be seen that so far as mine rescue and mine recovery work is concerned it is idle to consider that the military masks could be used as substitute they are of no value for the purpose although with certain changes a commercial form may be developed which may be adaptable for use in special gases or vapors in metallurgical plants G A burrell of the bureau is now working out the problem 0 such a commercial mask but it must be understood der stood that special absorbents absorb ants will be required for special gases which calls for a knowledge of the exact atmosphere in which the men who would use the masks would work |