Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-27
GAS TAKES VOICE
OF u. S. OFFICER
Military Attache Victim of
Poisons Used by Germans
Against Allies

whisper of late. His friends have
noted it and have expressed their re-
grets at his very bad cold. Colonel
Cosby's voice has not permitted him
to reply and he has let it go at that
cold. But it was not cold.
The use which the German army
has made of poison gas in the present
war has brought new and terrible
element of destruction into military
science. Just what this terrible new
agency is. what part it plays in the
offensive and defensive tactics, and to
what extent. if any. it must be reck-
oned with as a permanent element in
future warfare-these are problems
which the military experts throughout
the world are trying to determine.
Here in France, where the poison gas
| has been used with most deadly erect
in Champagne, Argonne and all along
the lighting line, its ravages have been
particularly apraren and the military
attaches of many countries haye been
active in securing data for their gov
ernmentS on this new agency.
Colonel Cosby shared the keen in
terest of his brother military investi-
gators and in one respect he went far
beyond them. There was ample data,
from the battlefelds and the hospitals,
where ghastly patients were living
witness of the effects of the new ele-
ment. But Colonel Cosby determined
on direct personal investigation on
the element itself-the poison gas in
all its forms-just as medical scien-
tist has at times put some new serum
TO the supreme test on himself.
But you should be warned of the
extreme risk" said the chief chemist.
1T is very dangerous-a matter Of life
and death"
Yet against the warning was the
feeling that a mysterious agency of
warfare needed to be explored to its
very end. And so the word was given
to go ahead and the official wheels
turned swiftly in bringing together all
sorts of gas fresh and powerful, from
the nearby fighting fronts.
Gases Direct From Front
The facilities for such a test of the
gases were not easily obtained. But
these were at last secured, and the
American military attache was the
first and only one to be granted these
exceptional facilities. With these pre-
liminaries arranged, Colonel Cosby
| found himself In the presence of long
lines of bottles, ranged on shelves,
much as in a chemists shop. Sur
geons and white garbed attendants
! and chemical experts were about, with
pestle and mortar, vacuum pumps and
air-tight jars, making experiments and
| tests of gases and antidotes. Near by
hung a line of gas masks, with gaping
| eye-holes, used to counteract the poi
sonous fumes.
The large bottles contained the vari-
Gus forms of liquid gas. direct from
the front, and in varying degrees of
strength Most of them showed a vola-
| rien urh hainQ
exposed to the air gave off the deadly
gases which have wrought such havoc.
There were three distinct groups of
these gases: first, those bursting into
fame and commonly known as liquid
! flame; second. the tear-producing
gases, which do not kill or perma-
nently MAIN, but which so blind col
umn of on-rushing troops that they
| become helpless and are brought to
a halt: and third, the actual poison
gas which suffocates and kills with
ten times the horror of a bullet or
shell. This last, it is the belief of mill
tary experts, is g barbarism of warfare
which must he ultimately banned by
the universal sentiment of civilization.
But they are equally of the belief that
the lesser forms of gas-which do not
kill, but merely interrupt the forward
progress of an attack-are a perma-
nent element of defensive military
strategy which must be taken into
| consideration in future warfare.
Introducing Gases
This is the least deadly" explained
the chief chemist as he presented one
of the bottles containing the infama-
tory gas He drew the glass stopper
very cautiously, and Colonel Cosby
took slight whiff of the gas. 1t was
not oVerpowering or violent in its
effect-only a pungent odor of ether.
Now the second class of gases were
reached-the tear-producing gases
and these, too, were tested in the same
way. These, also, were not overpow-
ering, but gave the same sharp odor
of ether and perceptible effect on the
eyes. Colonel Cosby was beginning to
think the gases were not so very bad
after all.
They had now reached the poison
gas-the deadly gas which clutches
and kills. The chemist paused.
"You will not try this" he said
yes, ali of them" said the colonel
positively. recalling the rather agree
able pungent 9dor as.o Of the other gases
Then we must be very cautious" !"
said the chemist. place yourself
about a foot away from the bottle. I
will raise the glass stopper the slightest
possible fraction of an inch, so that
only an insignificant portion Of gas
| can eSCd dpe-DuI IL Will DO ShOubh.
Now, ready"
He drew the stopper the slightest
particle. and only for an instant with
Colonel Cosby a foot away But in
that instant tho colonel felt he had
been hurled back twenty feet. Tongues
of fire were eating at his throat, and
ten thousand needles were darting
around his neck. 1t seemed as though
live vitriol had emptied in his mouth
and was coursing through his veins.
His whole vocal system was paralyzed.
This infniteslmal portion of the
deadly gas had, in an instant, over
powered him.
It was some little time before Colonel
Cosby was in a position to discuss his
tests. The chief chemist said the
effect would continue some hours and
probably some days. 1t would be most
observa BILE, he said. in eating or drink
ing.
Colonel Cosby took an auto home.
his throat still on fire, but not other
wise physically affected. That night
every mouthful of dinner had the un-
mistakable taste of the poison gas;
each draught of water had the same
taste of the deadly gas; and even the
puffs of a cigar had the taste of so
many puffs of this death dealing gas
always the fiery. needles and so many
draughts of vitriol. Colonel Cosby
could speak to his family only in
inarticulate whispers. They were nat
urally much concerned over the pos
sible after effects.