Equipment of the Marion fire department was further increased Thursday by the purchase of two smoke masks for use of firemen inside burning buildings. The new masks fit over the filters, replace smaller sponge-masks previously used by the firemen. The new masks were purchased from the Mines Safety Appliance Co. at a cost of $35 each. They were ordered for the department several months ago but have been difficult to procure because of priorities on such equipment. Fire Chief Ing expressed the opinion that the masks, which are of a type recently tried out at Mt. Vernon, will be of great assistance in fighting attic fires in dwelling houses, as well as fires in business buildings where smoke is always a factor with which firemen have to contend. By enabling firemen to get into buildings to the source of the fire before it breaks outside, the new masks are expected to help reduce fire loss as well as reduce the punishment which the firemen ordinarily have to take while “eating smoke.” Firemen heretofore have had difficulty in finding on the market a practical smoke mask for use in fighting fires in dense smoke inside buildings.

(Extracted  from local newspapers and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us )