Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-28

'''ASi W AtilC lloI udllStlOuS 10 NE It'll
tates the tearducts until one cries with
pllnded, smartlng eyes for hours. The
surprise of both these gases is their
altogether pleasant smell, the lethal
variety suggesting the clean odor OF
sanitary hospital ward. while the So
called tear gas has the appetizing scent
OF crushed ripe apples. or cider.
There is also the reason shaking ter
ior of the "flamenwerfer," with its
roaring stream of liquid fire faring
with the velocity of high pressure fire
nozzle and with an offpouring of smoke
rising like a black cyclone cloud to the
heavens.
The first day of their stay in battle
trenches the Americans will make the
acquaintance of a very old, but scarce
~ cherished, friend of the Tommies
and Poilus-another member of the
Werfer family known as Minnie"
This is the German mine thrower or
minenwerfer, which filings over at
short range great heavy projectiles
known as flying pigs" because of their
wabbly. ungainly flight. They go off
with deafening roar, expanding more
energy on noise. however, than on ma
tcrial damage.
notable development of the war
has been the dread with which the
Germans have seen weapons of their
own invention turned against them,
and turned with a steadily increasing
intensity. Their prisoners speak of
the terror these weapons have caused
and declare the German higher COM
mand is realizing all too late the
Frankensteins it brought into being.
While the Entente allies are multiply
ing these terrorS on the lines laid down
by Emperor William himself. the Ger
mans, isolated so long from the world
find their resources and materials con-
stantly failing both as to means of car
rying on this style of warfare and,
what is more important to them, COM
batting the retributive measures un-
dertaken by British and French.
Asphyxiating gas may be taken az a
striking example. The whole world
was shocked when Germany first re-
leased those poison clouds during
their second attack on Ypres when the
Allies. little suspecting such a weapon,
had no protection whatever against it.
L he Uo1toT Oh THOSE DAYS Wncn men en-
quilted by the lethal waves died agon-
izing deaths will never be forgotten.
Put the manner in which the Canadian
troops rallied and prevented the Ger
mans breaking through in what they
hoped would be a victorious march to
Calais and Boulonge, will ever be one
of the most thrilling stories of the
world war. Nowadays the British
fairly battle the Germans in every
form of gas whenever the slightest OPP
portunity offers and prisoners all say
their losses in these attacks have been
alarmingly heavy. Gas is sent over in
creeping banks of fog. is shot over in
bombs that suddenly explode in trench
es and at entrances to dugouts. while
no billets or sleeping quarters for
troops in rest miles back of the fight
ing line are safe from the gas shells
which are ever knocking at their doors
The bitterness of it all to the Ger
mans. however, is the fact that daily
they find they have less and less rub
Der with which to construct their gas
masks. many of which are very in
ferior and offer but poor protection to
the lighting men against gases that
constantly are becoming more power
full.
Boiling and blazing oil drums which
they find exploding >about them in
sCalding and incendiary fury. heavy
shells which break over them squirting
streams of melted lead, are other spe-
Cies of the dread chickens of frightful-
ross that are daily flying home to the
German rOOSt.
1t is small wonder that half finished
letters found on Germans in the front
lines dwell upon the terror of the war.
or that some go so far as to speak
desperate envy of the dead.