CV Ambulance, Iron Lung

The only major incident to occur on this date was a fire in 1996, that incident was posted last year.

The photograph was published in The New Chronicle on February 25, 1947. The following article appeared in The News Chronicle on March 4, 1947.

Inhalator Again Saves
Life Ambulance Crew Uses Lung, Oxygen Unit To Revive Trucker Poisoned by Monoxide

For the second time in less than six years the inhalator, which is held in constant readiness for use in conjunction with the local community ambulance by Cumberland Valley Hose company firemen, has saved a life.

On Saturday morning, William Hatfield and Edgar Hockersmith, who recently received special training in the application of the iron lung purchased last month by the local chapter of the Red Cross, rushed to the Blue Mountain service station of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the community ambulance to render first aid to a truck driver who had been overcome by carbon monoxide gas.

Arnold Repp of Pritchard, Alabama, was found in an unconscious condition by service station attendants who summoned aid here immediately.

Removed From Truck
Upon the arrival of the local men, it was discovered that the afflicted man’s skin already had turned to a dark hue and his breath was very weak and irregular. He was carefully removed from the large truck to the ambulance cot and placed inside the service station.

The automatic iron lung recently purchased by the Red Cross chapter here, was applied to the victim and artificial respiration was started immediately. About that time, Dr. E. R. Disbrow Jr., of Lansing, Michigan, who was traveling toward Pittsburgh, stopped at the service station.

Following a hasty examination of the afflicted trucker, Dr. Disbrow ordered the removal of the iron lung and the application of the inhalator to administer oxygen. The lung had done its work well, Dr. Disbrow said, and the inhalator was the better instrument at that point of the procedure, he advised.

Taken To Hospital
The unconscious man was removed to the Carlisle hospital under Dr. Disbrow’s instructions where he was placed under an oxygen tent for 19 hours.

On Monday morning, hospital attendants reported that Mr. Repp’s condition was fine and that he would be discharged in several days.

Mr. Repp was a driver of one of the large trucks of Midwest Haulers, Inc., of Chicago.

The inhalator was used in the summer of 1940 so save the life of Miss Valida Massaker of Plymouth a girl living at the National Youth Administration hostael, Hosfeldhall, who suffered a cramp while swimming at Big Pond, and collapsed after being rescued from the water.