The Robesonian., 1918-09-02
CHAPTER Xxili.
Gas Attacks and Spies,

Gas Attack9 and Spies. u
Three days after we had silenced
Fritz, the Germans sent over gas. It
did not catch us unawares, because the
wind had been made to order, that is,
1t was blowing from the German
trenches toward ours at the rate of
about five miles per hour.
! Warnings had been passed down the
trench to keep sharp lookout for gas.
We had new man at the periscope,
on this afternoon in question; I was
sitting on the fire step, cleaning my
rifle, when he called out to me:
There's sort of greenish, yellow
cloud rolling along the ground out in
front, it's coming"
But I waited for no more, grabbing
my bayonet, which was detached from
the rifle, gave the alarm by banging
an empty shell case, which was hang
ing near the periscope. At the same
instant, gongs started ringing down the
trench, the signal for Tommy to don
his respirator, or smoke helmet, as we
call 1t.
Gas travels quickly, so you must hot
lose any time; you generally have
about eighteen or twenty seconds in
which to adjust your gas helmet.
A gas helmet is made Of cloth, treat
ed with chemicals. There are two win
dows, or glass eyes, in it, through which
you can see. Inside there Is 8 rubber
covered tube, which goes In the mouth.
You breathe through your nose; the
gas, passing through the cloth helmet,
Is neutralized by the action of the
chemicals. The foul air is exhaled
through the tube in the mouth, this
tube being so constructed that it pre-
vents the 1nhaling of the outside air or
gas. One helmet is good for five hours
of the strongest gas. Each Tommy
carries two of them slung around his
shoulder In waterproof canvas bag.
de must wear this bag at all times.
even while sleeping. To change a de-
fective helmet, you take out the new
one, hold your breath, pull the old one
OF, placing the new one over your
head, tucking in the loose ends under
the collar Of your tunfc.
FOR q minute, pandemonium reigned
IN our trench-Tommies adjusting
their helmets. bombers running here
anu there, and men turning out Of the
dugouts with fixed bayonets. to man
the fire step.
He-enforcemeRts were pouring out OF
the communication trenches.
our guns crew were busy MOUNTING
tne machine gun on the parapet and
bringing up extra ammunition from
the dugout.
German gas IS heavier than air and
soon fills the trenches and dupouts
where 1t has been known to lurk foa
TWO or three days, until the air Is puri
ned Dy means Of large chemical spray
ers.
We had to work quickly. as Frit,
generally follows the gas with an In
fantry attack.
A company man on our right va
too slow in getting on his helmet h,
sank to the ground, clutching at hi
, throat. and after a few spasmodi
3 twistings went West (died). It wa
e horrible to see him die, but we wer
: poWerless to help him. In the corne
OF traverse, little, muddy cur dos
n one OF the company's pets, was lyin
s dead, with his paws over his nose.
e It's the animals that suffer the mos
s the horses, mules, cattle. dogs, cat
f and rats-they having no helmets +
g save them. Tommy does not svmps
;. thize with rats in gas attack.
e AT times gas has been known I
a travel, with dire results, fifteen mile
(. behind the lines.
Q a gas, or smoke helmet, as It
y called, at the best is q vile-smellin
o thing, and it is not long before one ge1
violent headache from wearing it.
1t Our eighteen-pounders were burs
is Ing IN No Mans Land, in an effort. b