In a message dated 03/14/2000 8:26:29 PM Mountain Standard Time,
bstrachan@home.com writes:
<< I'm sure you young whipper snappers on the list have never seen one, but
us old pharts remember the car window style swamp coolers that were
popular in the '50s. These things were cylindrical, about 8" in diameter
and maybe 16" long, and they had a long rectangular projection coming
out the side. You put this projection, which was the air vent, in your
window and rolled up the glass to hold it in place. You then put some
water in the pan in the bottom of the cylinder and pulled a little chain
which dangled out of the vent. Pulling the chain rotated a cylindrical
excelsior (shredded wood) pad inside the cooler through the water,
moistening it. When you got underway, air from the slipstream entered
the cylinder through a hole in front, evaporated water from the pad,
giving up heat in the process, and cool, moist air came into the car.
They worked well in Wendover, Utah, where the summer temps were usually
right around 100 degrees and I don't think the relative humidity EVER
got above 20%.
In case you guys think I'm making this up, there is one of these coolers
hanging from the ceiling of Majors Diner, a '50s style old-cars theme
roadhouse on Interstate 8 about 40 miles up in the mountains east of
here. I have lots of fun taking younger friends in there and asking
them if they can identify the mystery object.
Barrie
'66 2000
San Diego
---- >>
Barrie,
OK, here's another one. What were the little prisms for, that sat on the
dash of cars in the early 50's. I certainly do remember the "swamp coolers".
We had one on our '50 Plymouth wagon, I think.
Joseph Berkenbile
70 1600
Warren Me
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