PREVENTION QF SUFFOCATION BY SMOKE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 25, 12 January 1878, Page 3

PREVENTION QF SUFFOCATION BY SMOKE.

A: Mr W. H. Lewis writes to the " Times" as follows :— '< The sad account m the " Times " of the death of Mr Felix Munster at the Southern Hotel, St Louis, and the terrible- tale of his being driven back, with his wife, to his room by the blinding* stifling smoke, remind me that I omitted m my former letter to you on this subject to give any suggestion for the' prevention of suffocation by smoke. A pillow-case well saturated with water, and having a small hole torn m it to look through, placed loosely over the bead, will be found an admirable impromptu respirator m the densest smoke. 1 am indebted to Vice- Admiral Jemingbana, who has told me how, when he commanded the Cambridge gunnery training ship at Plymouth, he made his first experiment with the pillow case l'espi rotor. He had 12lbs of loose powder explode m a con, fined part of the snip, , which, although screened oi£ with fearnought, emitted so dense a smoke that those outside had to lie down on the deck. A common pillow case, with a small eye-hole, was placed over the head of a man, who, with the hose m his hand, went inside and i^emained 10 minutes, when, to assure his friends outside of his safety, he sang a comic song. Barton's patent respirators should always be ready for the use of hotel fireman, but, m the absence of these, it is as well to remember th.>re is always within the reach m an hotel a, simple and effective smokerespirator — a -wet pillow-case..'