Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1918 — GASFUMES DEADLY [ARTICLE]

GASFUMES DEADLY

Devilish German Device Fatal to All Forms of Ufa. Without Proper Maska There le No Escape—Even Rate In the Trenchpa Succumb—Horse* Now Fit. ted With Respirator*. The Intensity of the phosgene gaa wave can be gathered from the fact that buttons and ammunition were quickly corroded and turned a villainous green color. In a few cases rifles stuck and Lewis guns jammed, owing to the effects of the gas on the ammunition and the breech mechanism. One good thing abont the attack was that most of the rats In the trenches were killed. All attempts to clear them out had been useless. But what ferrets and terriers and virus could not accomplish the Boche gas did. Curiously enough, two kittens, which Inhabited the dugout of the commanding officer of one of the battalions of the Scottish Borderers, who were in reserve, came through it alive. The kittens were badly gassed and lay breathing rapidly, suffering from spasms and with profuse salivation. Possibly their fur helped to absorb some of the gas, for five hours later the little victims, were almost themselves again, though they continued to cough occasionally and drank water continually. The waiter they took in preference to milk. The fourth German attack of 1916 was made June 17, in Flanders, near Melsslnes. Like those of April, It was Intensely strong, very short, and went over in successive waves at intervals of about 20 minutes. I had no personal experience of this attack, but the cloud must have been very strong, for it killed animals at “Plugstreet," three and a half miles away, and was quite distinctly perceptible even at Bethune. At the “Piggeries”—the remains of a model farm in rear of Plugstreet Wood belonging to a notable French sportsman —a calf was found dead, after the passage of the cloud, with the body very much blown out Dead rats lay in dose proximity. Even farther back than this animals were seriously affected. The army mules in the line of the gas were seized with fits of coughing and kicked violently, making them even more difficult to handle than usual. It is probably not realized that horse masks are now issued on a scale sufficient to provide protection for all horses and mules, such as those of the first line transport and the artillery, which have to approach anywhere near the lines. The present form of these respirators is that of a big bag soaked in chemicals which £fts over the animal’s nostrils, leaving its mouth free so that the use of the bit Is not interfered with. When not in use the horse respirator folds up very nicely and neatly Into a canvas case which can be carried on the breastband of the harness or any place from which it can be quickly adjusted. Some of the animals take to these masks —“horsplrators,” some wag called them—quite quickly, but others are strenuous objectors; some of those hardened sinners, the mules, transferring themselves into masses of teeth and hoofs whenever an attempt is made to fix on the gas bags. These masks have proved of the greatest value and have saved any number of horses’ lives. The cavalry are not provided with them, as it is not anticipated that they will be near enough to be affected by gas cloud at- v tacks, and when the cavalry are mounted and in action it is unlikely that they will meet even poison gas shells “in large numbers. Added to this is the fact that a horse can stand more gas than a man without being distressed.— Maj. S. M. J. Auld in Saturday Evening Post