Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-20


listed men and the officers are not
only drilled in the use OF their masks.
but also In methods Of, detecting the
presence II gas.
with the exception of the first score
Of officers who tool up this work
when the Army environments We're
first established and who were trained
at Camp American University. all d.
vision gas officers for the various
have received course Of instruc-
ton at the Army gas school at Camp
Humphreys.
About thirty gas officers. who have
since been assigned to various camps
in America, took the course Of in
struction under the direction Of Capt.
r. A. Baker of Camp Pike. formerly
professor of chemistry at the Uni
versity Of Minnesota. Some twenty
Ave prospective officers in the Of
fensive branch of the service, includ-
ing Capt Tyrus Cobb of base ball
fame and Capt. Albert Johnson, rep
resentative from, the state of Wash
ington, are being trained for COM
mands in gas and flame regiments
at the central officers school. Quite
a number OF. athletes and base bail
this branch of the. service, including
Christy Mathewson. Branch. Hickey
and Percy Haughton. 1t Is reported
that Mathewson' and Walter johnson
are soon to join cry" Cobb at the
training school. . ........
The American gas mask is better
than those produced by any other
country, SO our people can rest as
sured that our soldiers in France have
at least as good a protection as those
box respirator. type and equipped
with hood of rubber fabric. The
eyes are OF glass made in layers. with
celluloid between so that should the
glass break 1t will be prevented from
shattering. Pircers on the nose close
through the mouth.
The gas-charged air enters through
the bottom of the canister in the, box
and through the aid of neutralizing
chemicals Is purified. Then. it passes
through rubber tube into the mouth.
According to the experts. one can
live in a mask for twenty-four hours,
no matter what sort Of poison the
Huns are spraying Only by constant
practice can soldier accustom HIM
To wear ono for o ong time is diff
flcult; ono feels something like being
smothered gradually until he learns
how to breathe properly, and the
pincers gripping tho nose, where the
mask is worn for hours, is anything
but comfortable.
In tho beginning the men only
wore their masks for twenty or
thirty minutes after q salvO of gas
6holls, but now millions Of these
shells are fired by the artillery. in a
single offensive. There are cases on
record whero soldiers have had to
wear their masks for twenty four
hours at stretch. The discomfort
of wearing tho masks for many hours
has on more than one occasion caused
soldiers to jerk them off aud become
Casualties" rather than longer en-
duro the pesky things.
Stern measures have been taken to
prevent such things in the future.
however. and the soldier who be-
comes "a gas casualty. must be able
to demonstrate 1t was through no fault
Of his own or risk court martial pro-
ceedlngs. This was necessary. as every
man that Is ''gassed' requires two men
to care for him and take him of the
field. This puts three soldiers out Of
action, to say nothing Of the extra
work placed on the hospital staff
The officers aud soldiers at Hum
phreys. bearing In mind the fact thai
such strong gas c,"sdS are nVv hc;at,