The Glenwood post., 1917-08-11
THE GERMAN
GAS ATTACK

British trenches dread the German gas
attacks. The latest and most deadly
variety-the composition of the gases is
often changed in the search of more
"killing' mixture-has no odor and
scarcely any color. Its victims are not
aware that they are breathing it until
sweet taste is noticed in the mouth,
and this warning is usually too lare.
Those in the trenches, or close behind,
who have filled their lungs with the
gas have dropped dead Sterling Heilig,
tells of this new sort of vapor, called
rottenegg' gas, that has killed Or
disabled thousands.
Young lieutenant was riding toward
the front in u closed automobile. His
chauffeur, who was outside, suddenly
turucd and with a grimacc held his
nose. The lieutenant made the man
stop and put on his gas mask. And
then
| Half a mile on they found two SOL
dies, without masks, unconscious in the
road. They dragged them into the
closed auto and continued. Around
bend they came on two officers and
chauffeur without masks lit was two
miles behind the 'front.', dazed and in
capable. They packed the twootficers
into the closed auto, with the soldiers
and Il cylinder of compressed air siz-
zling, while G-masked the chauffeur
and held him on the front seat. AS
they rushed out of the zone, they met
four others whom they simply could not
take 1t was dull, damp day, with
faint wind from the Germans, deadly
favorable to the rottenegg' gas
then new) even at four miles distance,
where it held together like chunks of
grey.yeIlow fog, almost invisible in the
damp haze.
| All depends on the dilution of it in
the atmosphere. Those who got full
lungs of it, in the trenches or close be-
hind, fell dead. Those who caught 1t
well diluted, four or five or seven miles
from it's emission (when the chance of
winds held it sufficiently togetherl
went sick, with anything from temporary
anemia to wasting weakness. But those
who breathed the stuff in thicker whitfs,
two, three, or four miles behind the
trenches, were most mysteriously az
feyted.
1 Brought to nearby hospitals partially
unconscious, they seemed to recover
rapidly. Lying flat in their cots, they
slipped nourishment and passed the night
comfortably. In the morning, on awak-
ening, they declared themselves cured.
"Tiens! I m all right they would
say, and slip out of bed The moment
they were on their feet, they swayed,
staggered, and fell dead. The sudden
acceleration Of heart action in stand
ing position made the signal for this
inhibition of blood CLOTHING or what
ever.
Army DIR. A. E. Mellon, a sturdy
mountaineer of the Alpine Chasseu-s,
thoroughly experienced in gases and
air cures, and who has helped to save
the lives of hundreds of victims, was
himself twice overcome by the gas and
narrowly escaped death. The doctor is
well known to many Americans. His
family is wealthy and owns string Of
hotels.
lie tells the story of his experience
to the writer of the -Picayune:
one day l was experimenting nee
rssary little building of sand-bags in a
trench entrance Some one had to do
it. Suddenly squall of shells fell all
around us. One burst in the pile of
sanl-bags, with the noise of failure
plump! like that thought it just fall
len and refused to explode / said:
"lm safe. 1t does no: burst!" And L
fooshly stayed few moments till the
squall was over. Then began to cough
terribly. 1t was probably shower Of
new gas shells with just enough ex-
plosive power to spread the gas and
mixed with high explosive shells to dis
guise them. fIss# .a.u.. .r.."
l eoughed for four hours, always
worse, and then the coughing stopped,
and began to suffOcate.. The suffoca-
tons, fever, and crazy headache contin-
ued and continued. Oxygen? Yes.
Remedy vaporsa Certainly. And, es-
pecially hypodermic injections of certain
substances. I was congratulating my
self that I had no flow of blood from
the lungs when hemorrhages Of the n
| tostinea ihaoon Trr;ng tho f;rr% month