The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-08-28

49, "a SSAAIHAOSN$IAVAy " VAtC1 -uHr
on this cold, calculating, merciless
work Of human destruction. With
out revealing any information not al
ready known to the Hun, 1t may be
stated that Germany realizes that If
she insists upon carrying on her war
with gas she will be met with the
spirit Of a tooth for a tooth and an
eye for an eye, and 1t is not unlikely
that it may be two for oEe.
Huge Gas Dud.
One of the big %projectiles on the
desk in the oom referred to was q
gas dud-a shell which did not ex-
plode. It was. one of-5OO which were
hurled simultaneously into the. Amer
lean lines. The projectile is 8 inches
in diameter, about IS inches long,
weighs about Is pounds and has a
rather blunt nos 1t contains about
two gallons of the deadly phosgine gas.
isn't it a rather dangerous thing to
keep around as an office pet?"I asked.
1--WE took the fuse out. It's quite
harmless" was the reply.
This dud is hurled by the n1inenwer-
fers. Che Germans have a system Of
attaching a long string Of these weap-
n SO that they are fired with the
touch of a button. This chorus firing
Is continued for perhaps Is minutes
and sends a veritable shower of the
big projectiles into the selected spot
and releases a great quantity Of the
deadly gas. If the range is right and
the wind at all favorable the result
ts likely to be serious. The. fumes are
shot out with terrific speed over a
small area by the explosion Of the
she'll.
Their were some smaller shells CON
tanning phosglne. a gas used very ex-
tensively, and others filled with a new
gas used by the Germans. This IL
not poisonous but is calculated to pave
the way for a genuine gas attack. The
little shells contain q quantity Of the
chemical, which is in powdered form
and a surrounding layer Of INT which
causes an explosion which suggests
shrapnel and high explosives instead
OF gas. The powder Is widely spread
and is intended to irritate the mem.
branes Of the throat and nose Just
enough to cause the person reached BY
It to sneeze. When he begins to do
this the supposition is that he will re
move his gas mask and on the theory
that he will do so the apparently harm
less powder shells are followed by
blast OF mustard gas or phosgine.
Working on New Gases.
Suppose" I asked one Of the dis
tinguished experts, "a gas shell SHOULD
explode In a city street on a perfect,
still day, how far would the fume,
penetrate and how long would the,
take to cover a given area2"
The expert opened a jar containing
about a quart of dark liquid. Whel
the air touched it a white smoke aros,
slowly. The expert blew this softl.
Into the room and it settled with abou
the speed Of a ring Of smoke from
fragrant cigar
e@That's about the way the gas wouNi
travel If the air were perfectly still
One shell probably would cover a
area 30 feet in circumference and TIL
gas would remain for a half hour
more"
Shells gathered by the American
show that the Germans are CONSTANT
working on new gases. This, couple
with the statements made by Germai
prisoners, indicate that the Germa,
believes gas will be the biggest weapo
to hasten the end of the war.
No gas bombs have yet been droY
ped by either side to the war. Nc
long ago some small rubber balloon
were found after~a German airplan
had passed and they were thought I
have contained a poisonous gas. Thi
Is found to have been untrue. The-ba
looms were fillec with ordinary 81
and were used for meteorological pm
poses.