Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/621

 Popular Science Monthly

��sion that prevailed, they were often per- sonally forgotten, and it might be said that they forgot themselves. I know of one man who had the 'phones on from seven o'clock one morning until ten the following night — thirty-nine hours with- out sleep or rest. And I know of another

���Motor trucks are especially fitted and equipped with apparatus as wireless stations

who stuck to his post with a splinter in his calf, causing him untold physical agony. A big shell had exploded at no great distance from his station and sent one of its pieces flying through the side of the truck.

But these accidental tests of physical endurance were not the only ones the men had to contend with. There were other more permanent discomforts, too. To each truck, of course, were detailed two operators, one for receiving and trans- mitting; the other for logging, filing and distributing. Usually there were orderlies also on hand, four or five as a rule following on bicycles. If a message was to be delivered to any commanding officer within the truck's sector, it was handed out to one of these. Just consider the position of those operators, penned up in that small space — very different from the accommoda- tions on shipboard or their comparatively luxurious quarters on land. Usually both men wore 'phones to assist one another in receiving which, under the circumstances, was extremely difficult.

Quiet, as you know, is considered essential for the work of a wireless man, but quiet was the last thing these men could

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obtain. To begin with, there was the incessant noise from the automobile en- gine; and there was the continual bumping of the truck over the uneven French pave- ment ; and, last though not least, there was the occasional roar from nearby big guns.

��Tire Deterioration Caused by Im- proper Storage

WHEN exposed to the light and sun, especially to the hot summer sun, a rubber tire is likely to dry out, harden and become impaired in efficiency in conse- quence. The manufacturer wraps his tires in paper to protect them from the light when they are to be kept in stock at the factory. This also keeps them in shape. It is a good plan for the purchaser to leave the paper wrappef on extra tires, or, if the paper has been removed, to use the tire for a short time until the rubber be- comes soiled before storing it away. The pores will thus be filled by the thin coating of dust, which will have a preservative effect.

Tires should not be kept in a warm place for any great length of time, as light and heat will cause the sulphur to come out on the surface and make the rubber minutely porous. After gum checking or oxidation takes place, the nerve or fiber of the rubber is destroyed, with consequent bad effect upon the flexibility and dura- bility. A dark, dry room at a temperature of from 40 deg. to 50 deg. is most favorable for retarding chemical action in the rubber tread, side walls and the adhesive friction stock between the layers of fabric.

When the car is laid up for the winter, or for other reasons is not used for several weeks, the stale air should be removed from the tires. Partially inflate with fresh air— enough to round out the tires and cover them with muslin or other ma- terial to protect them from the light. The car should be supported by blocks or jacks so that there will not be any weight on the tires.

��Paint for Use on Exterior Surfaces Should Be Left to Ripen

PAINT for exterior use should be allowed to stand after mixing for a day or two to ripen. It has been found that paint mixed and applied at once will not begin to give as good results as that given sufficient time to ripen after mixing.

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