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 



605 



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. 



