The Lancaster Herald. (Lancaster, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, April 12, 1918 Page: 6 of 8
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THE LANCASTER HERALD
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meeting mm
GAS ATTACKS
lHE United State* Army Is being
prepared to meet the gas - ot-
tack* of the enemy, the means
of protection having been de-
vised by the gas defense serv-
ice of the medical department,
which comprises about 100 offi-
cers and approximately 600 en-
____ listed men.
The two principal factors in gas defense are ef-
i feetlve masks and thorough training of soldiers
|n the use of mask* and various methods of avoid-
ing contact with poisonous vapor*.
* Experts who have been sent to this country by
aliled governments have pronounced the pres-
ent American masks the most efficient In existence.
The production of these masks 1* progressing at a
rote which insures that the requirements of the
American troops abroad will be amply supplied.
At each cantonment in the United States a gas-
defense school has been established and placed in
Ml* | charge of a divisional gas officer, who works in
- conjunction with the chemical adviser, both trained
In the theory ami practice of meeting gas of-
fensives. Through these schools every officer and
taan receives Instruction as to proper means of
gas defense.
S ■; The use of gas In warfare dates back to about
404 B. C. The Spartans saturated wood with pitch
; end sulphur and burned it under the walls of cit-
' Ids which they were attacking. For several cen-
turies gas had not been used In warfare and The
Hague convention definitely ruled against it.
However, on April 22, 1915, the Germans liberated
great clouds of gas against Canadian troops near
Ypres. Terrible destruction and demoralization re-
sulted from this first gas attack, and within a
week England made plans for gas warfare against
the Germans. Gas is now an everyday part of
wmr. -
. Gases may be employed In the form of clouds,
or In shells, bombs and hand grenades. The first
attacks In the present war were In clouds.
. Fume* were liberated from steel containers which
were distributed In groups of three or four at
m
Intervals of 50 yards along the trenches opposite
the line to be attacked. Tubes, provided with a
stopcock attachment, were connected with the gas
1 tasks, and the end of the tube was passed over
the parapet. When the attack was Intended, a
Signal was given and the stopcocks were opened,
allowing the gas to escape In the form of liquid
which ffeufoediately vaporised.
Soon after the first German gas attack Eng-
lish and French women sent to the front hundreds
of thousands of home-made gas masks.
*oo«f past they
with chemicals
For the
rero merely bandages impregnated
to wrap around the mouth and
m
IS '■
i '
887?
The next step In gas masks was a cloth helmet
or hood which had been dipped In neu rallzlng so-
lution, the bottom of which was tucked In the
collar. The next .improvement was to put In an
exhaust Or outlet for the exhaled air. This type
of mask ha* been used extensively.
The small box respirator mask was next de-
veloped, and It is the model of the mask we are
.at present using. It Is the highest development,
affording good .protection. It has an Impervi-
ous face-piece, with glass or celluloid eyepieces,
'held la place by rubber hands around the head. A
canister Is carried In a small knapsack and a flex-
ible tube connects the box In the face-piece. In-
side the face-piece is a small wire clamp with rub-
|ber pads which fits on the nose and fhrces the
wearer to breathe through his mouth. The end
of the flexible^ tube has a rubber mouthpiece
through which the man breathes. The Incoming
breath eomes through the canister, which is filled
with several layers of special chemicals of an
absorbent nature which neutralize or render harm-
less the gas-laden air. The outgoing breath
passes outside the face-piece through a small rub-
ber vbhre.
i The American gas defense service is divided
Into three separate parts: (1) Field supply sec-
tion ; (2) field training section; (3) overseas re-
pair section.
. The function of the field supply section Is to
manufacture or procure all gas-defbnse materials
and equipment. The big work of course Is to
•furnish our troops with effective masks. The
small box respirator type of mask, admittedly the
best mask in existence, was accepted as a model.
The manufacture of a gas mask of this type
presented a problem. No manufacturing firms had
experience with an article of this kind. More
than ordinary care must be used in making parts
‘because the slightest defect would render the
majik useless. The wide variety of materials going
tats the mask made it necessary to have the parts
made in separate plants and assembled at a cen-
tral plant At present about sixty manufacturing
firms contribute directly to the making of the
American mask.
With no actual experience to depend upon, much
experimental and research work was necessary.
An extensive experimental organization was built
up, with branches In‘several cities. Recently It
was decided to establish a government-operated
plant to handle the final assembling and the dif-
ficult sewing operations on the fsce-plece. This
plant will so6n be la full operation, with about
4,000 employee*.
American mask, similar to the British, Is as
JSSghanically perfect as the best experts in the
SSinfrr have been able to produce. The vital fea-
f ture of any respirator mask Is the chemicals con-
tained In the canister. These chemicals and ab-
serbents are made from secret formulae.
The face-piece consists of a base of cotton fab-
yte, carefully rubberized. These face-pieces are
Made to fit various types of faces. A network of
gffMtftc bands over the head holds the face-piece in
glgee. The ears are left uncovered.
The mask Is carried in a knapsack at the left hip,
ported by « shoulder band. When troops ap-
id g danger zone, the straps are shortened and
nuf -pHr Is shifted to rest high on the chest,
for tasoutff «ea ‘ his is known as the “alert
* The soldier has merely to open the
pull out the flexible hose with the face-
attached, put the rubber mouthpiece In his
adjust the bands over his bead. The
can easily be adjusted from the outside
flaea-nlece is os, This nos* dip insures
%
Army
Medical
Department
Devising
Improved
Protective
Methods
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r A
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that even if the fabric of the face-piece should be
pllrced, the soldier would still be breathing en-
tirely through his mouth.
For every mask made there Is at least one ex-
tra canister. These canisters are detachable from
the tube. When a canister has lost its efficiency,
■ it can be detached and a new canister put on.
About the first thing a soldier wants to know
about a gas mask is how much protection it af-
fords him. The best answer to this question is
that the present American mask affords more pro-
tection than any device In existence. The chem-
icals In the canister will neutralize the heaviest
concentrations of gases for a period at least ten
times longer than the possible duration of any
gas attack.
In every knapsack is a record card, on which
each soldier must enter the time that his mask
has been exposed to gas. This record, combined
wj,th«subsequent examination, makes It possible to
Judge accurately when there Is any danger of the
chen^lcal being worn out. Before that point Is
reached a new mask is Issued.
While the main function of the field supply sec-
tion Is to supply gas masks. It Is also responsible
for the supply of all other gas-defense equipment.
This Includes masks for horses, which consist of
several layers of fabric which are Impregnated
with neutralizing chemicals. Trench or flapper
fans must also be supplied in considerable num-
ber. Oxygen inhalers and oxygen bottles for use
in field and base hospitals are also supplied in
large numbers. Instruments for the detection of
gas and the spreading of gas alarms are necessary.
These consist of horns, rattles and special detect-
ing devices.
There is perhaps no feature of modern warfare
In which the psychological element is more Impor-
tant than In connection with gas. Gases are un-
canny to the untrained man. Every soldier must
be made to understand that there Is no protection
except the gas mask, and he must believe in the
value of his equipment. He must realize that the
equipment Itself will not do the work unless he is
skillful In adjusting it quickly and being accus-
tomed to wear it without feeling hampered.
Reports of gas attacks show that the casualties
are caused, not so much by defective masks, as by
lack of training. Here are excerpts from official
reports from the western front, giving reasons for
gas casualties:
“Officers and men sleeping In dugouts without
having their masks attached to them, or being
caught away from their dugouts without their
masks.”
“Men In support trenches not getting the warn-
ing in time.”
"Helmets being worn under overcoats, with con-
sequent difficulty In getting them out and putting
them on quickly.”
“Men thinking that gas was gone and taking
their masks off.”
Since «%sualtles like these occur every time a
gas attack Is made. It is obvious that simply to
provide troops with gas masks Is not .enough.
They must be drilled until they feel their respira-
tors are a part of their dress—more necessary
than a pair of shoes, for they must never depart
from them.
They must learn to give the alarm Kfktlnctlvely
and to have such confidence In their masks that
under no circumstances will th?y take them off.
This means stiff military discipline. It neces-
sitates training that Is different from anything
that wascever attempted, since It deals with a
wetipon that is noiseless and sometimes Invisible.
It Is Aie work of the field training section of
the gas-defense service to bring home to the Amer-
ican soldiers the Importance of his gas mask, to
drill him In Its use and to Inspire confidence In Its
efficacy.
The gas defense schools at all camps provide
training In the theory and practice of gas de-
fense.
As In all other elements of warfare, (he prin-
ciples of defense can he comprehended only -
through s knowledge of offensive tactics.
In training troops, conditions are created In the
field which resemble as nearly as possible actual
conditions encountered st the front. The stu-
dent learns to get his mask on In s hurry, six sec-
onds being the standard time when the knapsack
containing the mask is hanging at the chest in the
“alert position.” Dexterity of motion must be de-
veloped.
Series of trenches with dugouts have been con-
structed at each cantonment.
A gas attack Is arranged. The class Is placed
In the trenches, each man Is given a definite assign-
ment, sentries are posted, the alarms are made
ready and the dugouts occupied. Without warn-
ing clouds of smoke and chlorine are liberated by
the Instructors. Masks are hurriedly put on,
alarms sounded, sleeping men In dugouts aroused
and the curtains lowered. The attack ceases, the
trenches are cleared, the air tested, and permis-
sion to remove masks Is given. Suddenly a sec-
ond and more concentrated cloud cornea over and
the performance Is repeated.
Sometimes the class is taken on a hike, prefer-
ably at night. Suddenly a report is heard and a
harmless-looking smoke cloud arises 15 or 20 feet
away and drifts towards the column. Woe to the
man who does not get his mask on at once. The
Instructor has thrown a paper gas bomb, that may
emit a vile and nauseating gas, or one that will
sting the eyes more than the concentrated juice
of a thousand onions.
Gas warfare Is new. The methods of gas and
shell and cloud attack are being changed almost
dally. New conditions can only be met by thorough
training and rigid discipline.
The overseas section of the gas-defense service
consists of nbout 15 officers and a number of en-
listed men who will cqnduct a repair factory in
France. Masks with worn-out canisters will he
sent to this country to be detached from the tube
and new canisters put on. This section will also
be equipped with sewing machines and other ap-
pliances to do general repair work on the mask.
^ % *
BABY MISTOOK SNAKE FOR TOY.
Mrs. Richard D. Corder placed her little
daughter Mildren In her go-cart in the front
yard of their home, near Lawrenceburg Junction,
her.
She saw a large blacksnake crawl Into the
cart and nestle on baby’s pinafore. Darting Its
head here and there the blacksnake Intently
watched the baby.
Probably the infant thought a new toy had
come and put out Its chubby hand to grasp the
snake, which eluded the child.
Terror nearly paralyzed Mrs. Corder. She could
not move, but she uttered a shriek.
Mrs. Charles W. Corder, her sister-tn-law, who
was calling on her, ran to her, and she pointed
to the baby cart. Mrs. Charles W. Corder rushed
out, seized the snake by the tall and fluug it yards
away, and the baby began crying for Its pretty
new toy..
LESS DANGER IN WAR.
Iu this war fourteen out of fifteen men come
through sufe and sound, not more than one man
in thirty Is killed, und only one in 500 loses uu
arm or leg. In the Civil war the per cent was
much higher. In fact, the soldier la this war
stands no greater chunce of being killed orv in-
jured tluiu a man engaged in u huzurdous occu-
pation.
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
Flatbu»h--My next door uelghtmr wus tuken
sick last nlj-ht.
Henson hurst—Too bad.
“Yes. we telephoned for the doctor, but bs
Couldn’t coiue.’*
“llovv Is lie today?”
"Oh, he’s w orse. The doctor razee today I”—
Yonkers Statesman.
DIFFICULT ECONOMY.
“I’ve got a good way for you to save money."
"Well?”
“Whenever you see a real bargain advertised_•
“Tea. my dear. I’m to buy 1L”
“No* you sre to restrain from baying It no mat-
ter how cheap the articls may b* if It Is
thlng you don’t need.”
-- ■A—1"
mwn
• /1ELP5 •
TO DISTRIBUTE GAROEN CROPS
Disposition of Vacant Lot Produce In
Gities Will Be Systematized This
Coming Season.
In every city where the vacant lot
gardening movement received atten-
tion the past summer—and the num-
ber Is represented most accurately by
an atlas of the United Str‘e«—there
has been In full sway a moveuent hav-
ing in view the preservation and con-
servation and wise distribution of the
abundant crops produced. Demon-
strations In drying, canning and pre-
serving of fruits and garden produce
were given all summer from one end
of the land to the other, so there seems
little danger of the wastage or loss of
the city land’s abundance. And that
Is not all. •
City officials and civic organizations
have actively concerned themselves
with plans for -next year. Fall plow-
ing wns provided for. Needed enrich-
ment of the soli and the securing and
proper distribution of fertilizers are
being considered. More systematic and
more thoroughgoing methods for the
direction sod handling of the city gae-
denlng movement are being worked
out. In a word, the thought and In-
tent of the city dwellers of the United
8tatqs are for a still more abundant
harvest next season from the vacant
lots and waste places of the congested
communities.
The men and women of American
cities, Joining hands with the meo and
women of American farms, are quiet-
ly and consistently setting about to
prove that It |s not yet possible to
starve the civilized world, much le
America, while soil and rain and sun-
shine last,—Mac Lean Libbey In Col-
lier’s Weekly,
LET SHEEP GRAZE IN PARKS
Good Ides Both From Financial 8tan4-
point and In Improved Appear-
ance of tho Grass.
For many years European cities
have turned ont flocks of sheep, muni-
cipally owned to graze to their parks.
Tho sheep Is one of the best of lawn
mowers. It crops closely, yet not too
Closely, Insuring that smooth-shaven
effect which • delights the eye. And
grazing sheep, ns well as well-trim-
med lawns, are highly ornamental.
The city of Denver, keenly aware of
the necessity for the utilization of all
available land In the production of
foodstuffs, has decided to purchase no
fewer than 3,000 sheep to mow Its
park lawns next year. Tho agricul-
tural experts hove •decided that where
the grass Is heavy and well rooted
three sheep to the sere ran be easily
maintained. They will bay ewes ready
for lambing, according to plans, and
will make s handsome profit upon the
mutton and wool.
There are 150 cities In the United
States with populations in excess of
60.000. and practically every one of
these cities has hundreds of seres of
park land. These park acreages, the
government believes, could easily
malntntn 150.000 sheep each summer.
Public Health Toe Much Neglected.
Public health work In this country
Is still In Its Infancy. All te-tts applied
showed the health deportment* In the
smaller cities to be weaker than those
In the larger cities. Perhaps the nlost
surprising finding Is that the Southern
and Pacific cities have better devel-
oped municipal health departments
than the Northern cities from the
Rockies to the Atlantic. The Central
Northern cities stand at the foot of
the list. A recent report concludes
that the appropriations granted most
health departments In this country
are grossly Inadequate for the new
functions modern science requires
them to perform. It Is stated that
health departments should be allowed
a “minimum wage" of 50 cents per In-
habitant per year, as compared with
the present average allowance of 2t
resits.—Government Bulletin.
CRUSHING OF
ACCOMPLItl
FINANCIAL
RESPQND TO Lll
American
Stranger Understood.
The stranger In Cleveland accosted
A man whom he Judged to be an old
inhabitant.
"Have you lived In Cleveland long?"
naked the stranger.
“About twenty years," acknowledged
the Clevelander.
“Is the climate here salubrious?”
"I* the climate here—? 8ay, yon
can Just bet It Is. And would you
mind putting thut word down on s
piece of paper for me? 1 can use 1L
I’ve used all the cuss words I know of
on this doggooed climate, and that
sounds like a new one. How do you
spell It? Yes. sir; I’ll bet this Is the
most salubrious climate this side of—
hello, where are you going?"
But the stranger had learned ail he
wanted to know.—Cleveland Leader.
Knowing What You Wart
The girl who always knew what she
wanted would be too wise for her
years. Often when she Is surest If
she were left to follow her own path
It would mean bitter disappointment.
It Is well for a girl If she has faith
enough in those who have her welfare
at heart, to believe what aeenia rather
hard on the face of It, that they know
sflfcat she wants
h marif.—Girl's
Appeal to All True Clt
Eliminate the Diseased
Across the Path ef
racy.
(By WIN8TON CHUR<
Recently Returned Fl
Zone.)
Germany may be likened
tree that has fallen across
of democracy. The trunk
chopped through by two
tary ax and the
If the trunk is to
the obstruction
must he spared,
tribute willingly to help I
to support their nrtay and i
will be the deciding mil
the struggle.
Our American presif
first world statesman t
that while a military
I sent lai, it Is not In
The great signifies nc<
lies not on the battle It
them. It Is a war fur
and that which
liberty, not only In
pi re, but also In Al
and France and Italy
must be abolished. We
to perceive thet the
of democracy depends
selfishness and lnt<
tion scientifically
Issued World
In a series of
Mr. Wilson hos
that America enters
ly, and has defined
for all the peoples ef
for those dejndsd
man population
false system of
erto upheld the
enemies of liberty,
quite recently,
qnieMng my
view of the el
with, if not an
war of large I
Russia,
cruelly
for the
were hardest, a,
took place—a
sounded the keys
world service
doing Is that
glance of
He Is convii
war. And thee#
the evils of
have
hitherto have
tory over the
own delti
sued a
pa tion from
Make
He not only
nations shall
tlons, but that
shah cense to
FTe declares that
shall be fought
that to this end
be abolished,
their repr
own treatl
democracy
the greatest
tion, of
racy shall Inst
the Individual
order that each rosy
It* own contribution
rpey.
Fighting for
This Is the spirit
has Altered th#
for the of
we are equally
Justice and
our own
ards of worth, th#
luxury and
our midst. We shall
tunlty to finish
own household,
and navy in the
cause, to upbo *
our allies who
so bravely, th
sacrifices I si
Sponse of the
third Liberty loan will
like to eat.
and apple dum|
haven’t s chanee th
the buys sit dFw* »t
farmers* boys are th
farmer doesn’t v
gry over there,
food for them.
W.
Mvenmce.
world pro
Theli
Don’t Bury
When you
bought your
them
board. Take
•5s*.
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Tufts, Minnie Wetmore. The Lancaster Herald. (Lancaster, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, April 12, 1918, newspaper, April 12, 1918; Lancaster, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth543170/m1/6/?q=waco+tornado: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lancaster Genealogical Society.