The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-05-11

N60NNSW4(EXNs which comprises about 100 9th
SN&TNSAIlE GERS and approximately 600
80 listed men.
The two principal factors in gas defense are ef-
fective masks and thorough training of soldiers
In the Of masks ana various methods Of avoid
ing contact with poisonous vaporS
Experts who have been sent to this country by
the allied governments have pronounced the pres
ent American masks the most efficient in existence.
The production of these masks is progressing at
rate which insureS that the requirements Of the
American troops abroad will be amply supplied
AT each cantOnment in the United States gas
defense school has been established and placed in
charge of a divisional gas officer. who works In
conjunction with the chemical adviser, both trained
in the theory and practice Of meeting gas Of
fensiveS. Through these schools every officer and
man receives instruction to proper means of
gas defense.
The of gas in warfare dates back to about
4O4 Il. {. The SpartanS saturated wood with pitch
and sulphur and burned it under the walls Of cit
les which they attacking. For several
turtles gas had not been used in warfare and The
Hague convention definitely ruled against It.
However on April %, 1915, the Germans liberated
great clouds of gas against Canadian troops near
Ypres. Terrible destruction and decentralization re-
suited from this first gas attack. and within
week England made plans for gas warfare against
the Germans. Gas is now an everyday part of
war.
Gases may be employed in the form of clouds,
or in Shells bombs and hand grenades The first
gas attacks in the present were in clouds.
Fumes liberated from steel containers which
were distributed in groups Of three or four at
intervals Of 80 yards along the trenches opposite
the line to be attacked. Tubes, provided with a
stOpcock attachment, were connected with the gas
tanks, and the end of the tube 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 Immediately vaporiZed
Soon after the first German gas attack Eng
fish and French women sent to the front hundreds
of thousands of homemade gas masks. For the
most part they were merely bandages impregnated
with chemicals to wrap around the mouth ana
nose
The next step in gas masks was cloth helmet
Or hood which had been dipped in neutralizng So
luton the bottom of which was tucked in the
collar. The next improvement was TO put IN an
exhaust or outlet for the exhaed air. This type
of mask has 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 1t is the highest Development
affording good protection. 1t has an impervi-
Gus face-piece with glass or ceuloid eyepeces
held in place by rubber bands around the head
canister is carried in a small knapsack ana Hex
ible tube connects the box in the face-pece IN
side the face-piece is a small wire clamp with rub
wearer to breathe through his mouth. The END
Of the flexible tube has n rubber mouthplece
through which the man breathes. The incoming
breath comes through the canister which IS lilleu
with several layers Of special chemicals or an
anorbent nature which neutraliZe or render harih-
less the gaS-laden air. The outgoing Drealh
passes outside the face-piece through small rub
Der valve.
The American gas defense service is divided
into three separate parts: ~ Field supply Sec
ton; (2) field training section; CD overseas re-
pair section
The function Of the field supply section is 10
manufacture or procure all gasdefense materials
and eoupment The big work of course Is 10
furnish our troops with effective masks. Inc
small box respirator type of mask, admittedly the
best mask in existence was accepted as lhouei'
The manufacture of gas mask of this type
presented problem. No manufacturing nrms n'u
exnorIence with an article of this KIND. more
than ordinary care must be used III making paris
because the slightest defect would renuer .ne
,,osl, useless The wide variety of materials going
Into the mask made it necessary TO nave the palt'
made in separate plants ana asselhpleu a. -
fra, nlont At present about sixty manufacturing
firms contribute directly to the making VI 'l'
American mask
with 10 actual experience to depend upon, much
governmental and research work was necessary.
an extensive experimental organization ""' -
an with branches In several cities. Recently IL
yos decided to establish a governmenl-opera,eu
nlant to handle the final assembling any 'he W.
acult sewing operations on the lhcepeeE -.
nlant will soon be in full operation WIN aoou'
1000 employees. p,.,. 4, a.
Tho American mask, similar to the British IS US
mechanically perfect as the best experts III .ne
country have been able to produce Inc 'itai Leu"
ture of any respirator mask Is the cneiilculs 'on
tanned in the canister. Ihese chelhlc , "'N
sorbents are made from secret formuiae. =.
The face-piece consists of base OF COTTON i are
rio carefully rubberized These face-pieces ure
49,, - Al various types Of faces A network OF
elastic bands over the head holds the facepiece IN
n,oce The ears are left uncovered
The mask is carried in q knapsack at the iei' mp
supported by q shoulder band "hen troops ap
nroach danger zone, the straps are shortened anu
Tho knansack Is shifted to rest high on the chest'
80 fnr instant use. This is known as the alert
position" The soldier has merely to open tne
knapsack, pull out the flexible hose WIN .aie ~.
oiece attached, put the rubber mouthpece III ms
mouth and adjust the bands over MS heau' Ine
nose clip can easily be adjusted from the ou.s.ue
after the facepiece is This nose cup iiisuie'