The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-05-10

The two principal factors In gns dcfente are et
fcctlNe masks and thorough trulninF OF soluiers
In the use OF masks aud various methods OF avoid
Ing contact with poisonous vapors.
Experts who have been sent 20 this country by
the allied governments have pronounced the pres
cnt American masks the most efficient In existence
The production OF these masks n progressing NJ a
mte which lnsurcs that the requirements OF the
American troops abroad will be amply supplied.
At each environment In the United States n gas
defense school has been established and placed In
charge OF a divisional gus officer, who works In
conjunction with the chemical adviser. both trained
IN the theory md practice " meeting gas OF.
fenslvcs. Through these schools every officer ana
man receives instruction NJ 20 proper means OF
gus defense.
The use OF gs In warfare dates back to about
40I n. c. The spnrtnns saturated wood with pitch
and sulphur aud burned Il under the walls of cit
les which they were attacking. For several cen
turtles gus had not been used In warfare nnd The
Hague convention definitely ruled against IT,
However. on April %. 1918, the Germans liberated
great clouds NJ gas against Canadian troops near
Yprcs. Terrible destruction and Generalization re-
suited from this first gns nttnck. and within a
week England mnde plans for gns warfare against
the Germans. Gas Is now an everyday part OF
war.
Gases may he employed In the form OF clouds,
or In shells. bombs and hand grenndcs. The first
gns attacks In the present war were In clouds.
Fumes were liberated from steel containers which
were distributed IN groups Of three or four at
intervals NJ 20 yards along thsRtrenches opposite
the line 20 he attacked. Tubes, provided with n
stopcock attachment. were connected with the gas
tanks. and the end OF the tube was passed over
the puupct. when the attack was intended, a
signal was given and the s%topcocks were opened,
allowing the gas 20 escape In the form Of liquid
which Immediately yaporized.
soon after the first German gas attack Eng
ilsh aud French women sent 10 the front hundreds
" thousands ~ homemade gas masks. For the
most part they were merely bnndnges lmpregnated
with chemicals 20 wrnp around the mouth and
nose.
The next step In gas masks was a cloth helmet
or hood which had been dipped In neutrnlizing so
luton. the bottom of which was tucked In the
collar. The next Improvement was 60 put In an
exhaust or outlet FOR the exhalcd air. This type
u mask has been used extensively.
The small box resplrutor mask was next de-
velopcd. and II Il the model Of the mask we are
NJ present using. II Is the highest development,
anordlng good protection. It has nn lmpervl.
Gus accplccc. with glass or ccllulold eyepleccs.
held In place by rubber bands around the head. A
canister i carried In a small ~knhpsack and n ncx.
lhlc tube connects the box In the facc-plece. In
side tho f~accplccc Il n small wire clamp with rub
her pads which nts on the nose nnd forces the
wcnrcr 10 breathe through his mouth. The end
Of the flexible tube has u rubber mouthplece
through which the man brcnthcs. The Incoming
breath COMES through the canister, which Il filled
with several layers ~ special chemicals of nm
absorbent MIXTURE which ucutrullze or render harm
less the gnslndcn air. The outgoing breath
passes outside the f]nceplccc through a small rub
her valve.
The American gas defense service Is divided
into three separate parts; a. Field supply sec
ton; C2) field training section; CD overseas re-
pair section,
The function OF the field supply section Is to
manufacture or procure all gns-defense materials
and equipment. The big work Of course Is 20
furnish our troops with effective masks, The
small box rcspirror type Of mask. admittedly the
best mask IN existence, was accepted ns a model,
The manufacture NJ n gus mask % this type
presented n problem, No manufacturing firms had
experience with mn article Of this kind. More
than ordinary care must be- used In making parts
|hecnuse the slightest defect wod,d render the
mask useless. The wide yuriety Of materials going
into the mask made n necessary 70 have the parts
made In separate plants ana assembled at n cen
trail plant. NJ present about sixty manufacturing
firms contribute directly 20 the mixing OF the
American mask.
with no actual experience to depend upon, much
! exprrimentnl and research work vas necessary.
An extensive experimental organization was built
40. with branches In several cities. Recently II
wns decided 10 establish a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
plant 10 handle the final assembling and the dlf-
ncuIt sewing operations on the fnce-piece. This
plant will soon be In full operation, with about
1000 employees.
The American mask, similar 20 the British Is as
: mechanically perfect as the best experts In the
{ country have been able 10 produce. The vital fea-
4 mre Of any respirator mask II the chemicals con
tained In the canister. These chemicals and nb-
= sorbents are made from secret formulate.
The face-plece consists Of a base Of cotton RAD
ric. carefully rubberized. These fnce-pieces are
made 10 1T vnrious types of faces. 4 network OF
! alnstIc bands over the head holds the f~nce-piece In
place. The ears nre left uncovered.
3 The mask Is carried In a ~knapsack at the left MP
supported by n shoulder band. When troops aP-
2 proach n danger zone, the straps are shortened nnu
the knnpsnck Is shifted 10 rest high on the chest
4. ready for instant use. This Is known as the alert
! position" The soldier has merely to open the
|, %knapsnck. pull out the flexible hose with the face
, piece attached. put the rubber mouthpiece In MS
4 mouth aud adjust the bands over his head Inc
! nose clip can easily be adjusted from the outside
after the f~ace-piece Is ON. This nose clip insures