542 



Popular Science Monthly 



© Underwood and Underwood 



A demonstration of what happens to an airplane 

 wing which has not been coated with the fire-proofing 

 liquid when a spark of fire comes in contact with it 



tages over others. In the 

 first place, it can be applied 

 by machine as well as by 

 hand, and it requires much 

 less time in drying than 

 any other liquid of a similar 

 character at present on the 

 market. But in this, as in 

 other paints for the pur- 

 pose, from six to ten coats 

 are required to make an 

 airplane proof against fire. 

 The accompanying illus- 

 tration shows what happens 

 to the ordinary airplane 

 wing uncoated with the 

 fire-proofing liquid, when 

 a spark ignites it. For the 

 protection of aviators in 

 air battles it is necessary 

 that such hazards be mini- 

 m i z e d . A fire-proofed 

 wing, if it caught fire, 

 would burn so slowly that 

 the aviator would have a 

 chance to descend. 



Protecting the Airplane with a 

 Fire-Proof Coating 



ANEW varnish or coating for airplane 

 surfaces which makes them fire- 

 proof has been introduced by W. R. 

 Weeks, of New York city, who is 

 interested in the treatment and 

 waterproofing of fabrics. Of 

 late there have been a num 

 ber of so-called fire-proof 

 paints and varnishes pro- 

 posed for the airplane. 

 Without exception 

 they have proved 

 worthless when sub- 

 mitted to a rigid test. 

 Furthermore, they 

 have caused delay in 

 turning out ma- 

 chines, because a 

 number of coats of 

 the fire-proof paint 

 had to be applied one 

 coat after another 

 after the usual paint- 

 ing of the airplane was 

 completed. 



The new coating 

 manufactured by Mr. , 

 Weeks is rnnr P HpH ^ Twelve of the forty-three 

 weeics is conceded to ^j. loaded with scrap 



have several advan- foundry, and the man 



Forty-Three Bombs in a Freight Car 

 Load of Scrap Iron 



FORTY-THREE bombs hidden in a 

 freight car loaded with scrap iron 

 bound for the furnaces of a big 

 foundry in Chicago, were discovered 

 by the keen eyes of Government 

 agents recently. The discovery 

 was made through the watch- 

 fulness of George Mar- 

 mann, the man shown in 

 the photograph, who 

 became suspicious 

 when he noticed the 

 round objects mixed 

 with the scrap ma- 

 terial. He told his 

 superiors of the fact 

 and they, in turn, 

 communicated with 

 the Department of 

 Justice. A subse- 

 quent examination of 

 the bombs brought 

 out the fact that there 

 was enough explosive 

 matter in each of 

 them to blow up a 

 half dozen foundries 

 ££tfS?rc£2£ 5"d do incalculable 



who discovered them damage. 



