The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-01

~ now on . swing around the
county. getting neverpublished
fncts about the war activities OF
TIE United States at home. lie is
AIMED with credentials from the
War department. which admit him
behind the scenes in many war
plants where the ordinary report
g @ barred. This is the first OF
series OF articles telling what Mr..
KERRY has iOund)
~ FREDERICK N. KERRY
CO. &. A. stan correspondent)
Passed BY the United States Censor.
NIAGARA FALLS, n. T., July 81
TIE neWly organized Gas Service OF
ne Ordnance department is prepar.
inl b beat the Hun at his own game.
Allied manufacture Of toxic gases
has never 90 far equalled the German
supply. Since the Huns hOrriiIed the
CIVILIZED world by releasing their first
DOlSOnOus gas cloud at Ypres, they
have had q distinct advantage In this
mode Of warfare.
But the tables are to be turned. Tho
vast machinery for the production OF
various forms OF gas is now fully o..
ganitOd, and shipments OF gas shells
a quantity will soon be going over
seas.
Much secrecy must continue to sur
round the operations Of the gas ser.
vice, now q separate branch OF the ord
nance department under Major Gen
OTll eIbeFt
But certain facts can be told wh.ca.
even 80 they reach enemy ears, can
only stimulate the lively desire which
TIE German general stan has recent
u 0Vlneed 10 eliminate gas from the
list Of allowable weapons-now that
there @ prospect Of the allies bestirg
them q their own game.
% the secret experimental work
that has been going on in the labora'
tories Of the bureau Of mines at Wash
inglon CnOW transferred 10 the cOnIrOl
% I've army nothing can D. said, eX-
cert that several new and extremely
deadly types Of gas have been evolved
b he scientists, against Olo Of which
q last Il is believed that the gas
mask will afford no protection.
Asle from these experiments The ga
service g manufacturing now ever
Mind OF deadly gas that the Gcrmar
have produced and several Others in
addition.
Niagara Falls iS the center Of "a,
production. This is because The prin-
cipai PIectrO-chemical producing plants
were located here on account Of cheap
electrical power. A number OF these
large private plants are now under the
complete control Of the gas service.
Under formulas supplied by the army
chemists they are now turning out
Quantities Of toxic gases. The army
has also iust completed here a great
new plant, which will be entirely
manned By enlisted men and officers
Of the gas service, and which will pro-
ucs the most deadly gas known
'phcEgene."
Gases are reckoned by their "tox-
lefty" or poison power. The "lethal
dose" is the standard Of measurement;
4 q that number Of grams per cubic
metre Of air which will kill a man Tor
an animall in five minutes. The
'lethal dose" Of phOsgene is two-tenths
o. one gram.
OF course. Il is impossible to expert.
ment on human beings with these
deadly gases. Equally, it would be too
expensive to use animals OF high valuc
b man for food purposes. The ideal
. animal 10 use would be the pig. since,
curiously enough. the respiratory ap,
paratus and the general reaction OF the
PIX 70 gases, approach nearest to that
of the human. Pigs are too valuable
for food, however, so the goat was
selected-m0st appropriately.
The goat was picked after a study
% the embFyology Of various animals
Ito select that animal whose young
IN the embryonic stage most resemble
TIE human offspring befOrt birth.
The goats used for experimental
purposes are subjected to the various
gases under the same conditions the
soldier Of the battlefield encounters;
tue air e saturated at different inten.
stiles with the particular gas under
experiment. and the results noted.
Nine great factories producing toxic
gasDs are under the control Of the gas
service officer stationed at Niagara
Fails. Technically this district is part
Nof the great EdgeWood arsenal, built
~ EdgOWOod, Maryland. by the gas
service. From the Niagara plants go
he cylinders filled with the deadly
roison % EdgewoOd Here the shells
manufactured BY the ordnance depart
mont Cor holding gas are filled and
shipped overseas.
Six months ago practically nothing
had been done in gas manufacture, eX.
cert experimental work. Today the
as service IL grabbing every select
service man whose previous occupa.
ton record shows that he has had
even q smatteFing OF chemistry. Such
= nan has no chance at all TO get
roleF there" at present; but his work
4 i likely 10 be much more important
han q be were Shouldering a rife.
Not q few men have already yielded
lhelF lives IN experiment aud hand
Z Ing % deadly gases. And not a few
more have been "gaSsed" more or less
severely three thousand miles away
from TIE Hun. These men are an ex.
tmbls % the intricate network Of or.
FanlIailOn behind the lines" that is
necessary On modern warfare.