DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14253, 2 January 1920, Page 4

DAY BY DAY.

*\ wonderful magic suit, in which men may walk unscathed Wonderful through flre, water and and poison gas, and a Valuable. floating safe which automatically releases itself from a sinking ship and fires rockets of its own accord, are among the "thrills" at tho Shipping Engineering and Machinery Exhibition, which opened at Olympia recently. At the far end of the annexe Is a large tank with windows, through -which the public can clearly see the divers at work. Two divers relieve each other on alternate days, descending into the tank at intervals and remaining under water from 15 to 30 minutes. They wear full equipment, the weight of which is roughly 1801 b. Telephonic communication is laid on, so that visitors are able to carry on conversation with a diver while he is at work at the bottom of tlie tank. Opposite the tank is a chamber -which at intervals* is filled with poisonous gases. Men equipped with the "Proto" oxygen breathing apparatus, and wearing asbestos suits enter the gas-filled chamber. The claim of the owners of the apparatus is that a man thus equipped will pass untouched through flre, water or poisonous gases. Concentrated sulphur gas, which would kill an unprotected person in three minutes, will be one of the gases used. An exhibit shown by the Dutch Government is a floating ship's safe, which becomes automatically disconnected from a sinking ship, floats and discharges a rocket hourly for half a day.