Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-10

mo one knows what became Of thsm.
They didn't send for their clothes or ask
for their pay.
SOLDIERS ALONE COULD DO THE WORK
Things like this happening made our
Job increasingly difficult. Finally we
found that no one could or would do the
work except soldiers, and the army then
detailed to us the necessary allotments.
When the armistice WAS signed we had
more than 1000 men, all drafted Ameri~
can citizens, doing the work for $50 n
month, but without honor or glory. At
one time we had over II, ,000'
"T'he work of these boys fs beyond
praise" said Colonel Walker, who spoke
OF this phase Of the activity with deep
affections feeling. II have been striving
to get the army authorities TO recognize
il by bestowing a service medal. j con-
tend that no soldier on the firing line Is
more entitled to it. These fellows have
been here risking their lives, day by day,
for pittance. Nothing but patriotism
induced them 10 do it. And every man
knew that every time he went TO work. he
stood in imminent danger of serious in
jury and Of losing his life. Just look at our
casualty records. /"
HORRIBLE EFFECTS or TIE GAA
did look at the casualty records.
went through the hospitals, two enormous
dormitories, perfectly equipped, and per-
mcating the atmosphere OF a base hospital
in France. saw boys who had been struck
down by the hendish gases while at work;
some with arms and legs and trunks
shriveled and SCARED as by a horrible fire,
some with the deep suppuTations still
oozins after weeks of careful nursing. In
one case drop of mustard oil had fallen
from conduit pipe under which soldier
had walked, hitting his shoe. Tie wiped it
off, thinking that made him safe. The
next day his flesh began to peel. Now, five
weeks later, his foot looks ike q charred
ember. Another had accidentally kicked
over what he thought was an empty pipe.
1t contained phosphorus, which flew over
his face and upper body. Now, weeks
later, he is still mass of horrible burns
Another case lone Of the fatalities) was
that of an officer who came in from the
works 10 the Office He wore rubber
gloves. rs they all do when near the gases,
but did not know he had been near
enough 70 pick up the mustard oil. He
picked up Q chair and placed it in front of
lis desk, intending to seat himself At
that moment the telephone rang and be
stepped TO the wall TO answer. A friend,
another officer, entered and took the seat
by the desk Forty-eight hours later the
second officer was dead The first officer
had accidentally rubbed mustard oil
on the back of the chair, 1t went through
the clothes and into the spine of the
second.
MORE CASUALTIES THAN TRENCHES.
In such an atmosphere one shudders
and is quickly willing to indorse the recon-
rpendation Of the commanding officer that
a soldier who dutifrlly performs his duty
there has earned service medal fully as
much as any soldier who faces the enemy's
fire in the field
In fact, when the figures are all finally
published, it may appear that no division
in France has a higher percentage of
casualty than was developed at the Edge
water arsenal in Baltimore (the fIciai
name of the poison gas plant) in the month
of August, this year That was the month
of excessive heat when the gases were most
volatile and when the weather made the
soldiers somewhat relaxed in their vigi-
lance TO avoid accident.
During that month the hospitals were
filed at the rate Of 31z per cent Of the en-