Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-01
5 Americans Are Dead,
81 Frustrated, by Gas

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Feb. 27.-Sixty-one American
soldiers, gas victims, Lag in the hospi-
tai today, following a night of horror.
The doctors worked all night on the
cases. Five others were killed in the
gas attacks. Many of the hospital
cases include artillerymen who were
overcome by fumes from gas shells.
The first victims included boys from
Massachusetts,. Pennsylvania, North
Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jer-
sey, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Ohio, New
York, Washington and Arkansas.
The attack came suddenly early this
morning after an all-day rain. The
clouds had parted and the moon was
shining brightly in the trenches. Still
ness prevailed.
Suddenly there was a huge flare from
the German trenches as the minen-
werfers were discharged. Then came the
decorations of high explosives. with the
quick spread of deadly gases.
Three officers ran into a dugout and
closed the curtain so tight they narrow
ly escaped death through asphyxiation
from the charcoal fire. They were taken
to a hospital, but their condition is not
serious.
Three men were killed and nine over
come in this sector salone, during the
first attack.
Tried to Adjust Masks
When the gas came over the men ell
deavored to adjust their gas masks.
Those who weren't quick enough were
soon gasping for breath.
These were carried 10 a hospital. A
child could not look more helpless than
these Americans. Their huge chests
raised and lowered the covers as they
fought for breath. AS their breathing
grew louder and more difficult and chok-
ing started, the doctors hurried an oxy-
gen tank to the side of one victims cot
He drank in the oxygen from the rubber
cup with a sigh of satisfaction at the
temporary relief.
At the field hospital where the first
twenty victims of German gas frightful-
ness were taken, the doctors were
stirred to the deepest hatred toward the
Boches after having seen the suffer-
ing. The struggles of victims for life
could be heard a hundred feet away.
strenuous Relief Measures
Every effort to relieve the sufferers
was resorted to. Blood-letting and the
giving of oxygen was tried. Every
breath was a groan. The Americans
eager drawing in of the God-given air
sounded like bellows, so nearly were the
lungs closed.
AS the sufferings became worse the
mems hands were outstretched as
though they were drowning. Their fin
gers distended, they stiffened, there was
a sudden fOaming at the mouth, then
the end.
The gas victims were in a hospital
which was recently repeatedly bombed.
Doctors declared that the final act that
they might expect from the Huns would
be an air raid on the hospital while the
cassed men we're slowly passing out
Between and o'clock Tuesday
morning. gas projectiles were hurled
from the minenwerfers. There were two
attacks, in which about seventy-ive
chlorine and phosgene gas shells, &C
companied by high explosives were
thrown.
Small balls of fire were first visible,
then the entire battery of minenwerfers
let go. hurting gas and explosives stimuli
taneously.
The Sammies tried to reach their dug
outs and also to signal their artillery for
a barrage. The wires from this sector
were found to have been severed and the
barrage was delayed more than forty
minutes while rockets were sent up.
The barrage started at 2:20 a. m. and
continued for forty minutes.
Minenwerfers are fired electrically. the
entire battery being set of simulta-
neousIy, the second attack coming before
a barrage of gas projectiles. The pro-
jectiles were equipped with time fuses.
They did not explode until they had
landed in the American trenches. This
is the first time the Boches have used
time fuses.
In addition to this attack an impor-
tant village was gas-shelled three times
during the night. The gas attacks con-
tinued through the day