Popular Srienrr }l()nf/il>/ 



Seeing the Stars from the 

 Bottom of a Well 



THAT stars are visible in the 

 daytime from the bottom 

 of a deep shaft or well has been 

 generally believed since the days 

 of Aristotle, but there is not the 

 slightest foundation for the idea. 

 Baron Humbol.dt, who spent a 

 good deal of time in mines him- 

 self and questioned miners 

 in various parts of the 

 world, found no evidence 

 in support of this belief, 

 and it has since been 

 thoroughly exploded. 

 But like many other "ex- 

 ploded" ideas it flourishes 

 just as vigorously as 

 ever. 



Fireproof Leggings for 



the Foundry 



Worker 



THE foundry is the 

 one workshop where 

 old shoes, such as the workman loves to 

 don for the sake of comfort, are not worn 

 — or should not be. They offer too little 

 protection against splashes of the molten 

 metal. Usually a Congress shoe of 

 specially prepared leather is worn, over 

 which a legging is fitted to protect the leg 

 and knee. 



A very good type of legging for the 

 foundry is show^n in the accompanying il- 

 lustration. It is made of asbestos in the 

 shape of a boot and covers not only 

 the leg and knee but the 

 top part of the foot as well. 

 It is held in place by 

 steel bands which fasten 

 round the leg wdth spring 

 clasps. Structural 

 steel workers riveting 

 white-hot bolts into 

 big beams need not 

 worry about exposed 

 legs when they are so 

 well protected with 

 asbestos leggings. Men 

 who use the oxy-acety- 

 lene flame in confined 

 spaces would find the 

 leggings convenient. 



Asbestos leggings protect every part 

 of the foot, including leg and knee 



Photos © WesU-rn Xewspaper 



How the German mask pro- 

 tects the sniper as he 

 lies prone on the ground 



The cut-out on the side of 

 the mask is to enable the 

 wearer to use a rifle 



The Latest Thing in 



German Sniper's 



Masks 



A HEAVY metal mask 

 captured from the 

 Germans by the Canadians on the western 

 front attracted considerable interest in 

 army circles. It is made of one quarter- 

 inch Krupp steel and although it is not 

 much larger than a man's head it furnishes 

 ample protection for a sniper lying prone 

 upon the ground. 



The cut out on the right of the mask 

 permits a rifle to be held to the shoulder 

 in the natural position. Note the peculiar 

 slopmg eye slits. Evidently they were 

 cut this shape to conform to the angle of 

 the eye as the sniper 

 turns his head to 

 peer through either 

 of the slits, which 

 are so far apart that 

 only one at a time 

 can be used. It has 

 been suggested that 

 a whole army of 

 fighters should be 

 equipped with 

 masks of a similar 

 nature, to reduce the 

 very great number of 

 head wounds. This 

 is obviously imprac- 

 ticable. 



