Evening star., 1918-02-28
SEVERAL KINDS OF GAS
USED IN ATTACK ON
U. S. SOLDIERS
Continued from First Page.)

morning and the second at 1:45. 1t Is
believed that thirty mortars were used.
They were stretched along in front
Of the German trenches and. aimed SO
that the gas would spread in the shape
of fan. All the mortars were fred
simultaneously by pressing a single
electric button. The shells which were
fired were of the 210 millimeter "s.4-
inch caliber, containing so per cent
gas and 20 per cent high explosive.
For the purpose of camouhaging, they
were less noisy than the ordinary gas
shells. For several days the Germans
had also been firing inexplosiye shells
for the purpose of taking the Ameri-
cans off their guard by making them
think that the gas shells were also
"duds."
Another new wrinkle in this attack
was the use of fuses in the gas shells
so timed as not to explode until sew
eral seconds after they landed. White
smoke from the gas shells was de-
tected Immediately and alarms were
sounded on automobile horns. In less
than two seconds after the first alarm
was sounded gas was filling the
trenches. The telephone wires were
cut by the first shells, and the rockets
the barracks were not detected by the
artillery until after the second salvo of
poisonous gas shells had been fired.
Then a barrage was laid on the
1,5O0 shells were fred in the next half
hour.
Carrying Out the Victims.
Carrying out the victims started inn
mediately. though 1t required nearly
two hours to bring each unconscious
form through the Communication
trenches to the first aid station back
of the line, whence ambulances rushed
%h4 tNts svSr to a4fc nod
in the field hospital several miles
beyond. In some of the trenches di-
rectly under the German fire the work
OF taking away the disabled men stop
night fell. Additional stretcher bear
ers were sent forward from the base
to aid in the work.
There was another reason for the
so gradually that many Of the victims.
thinking themselves unaffected. refused
to lie down. only to collapse twelve
hours after they were gassed. Their
condition is more serious than that of
those who were affected Immediately
and were carried out to be resuscftated.
In village near the front, with an
officer commanding one of the regi-
mental field hospitals 1 saw the vic
Tins being carried back. AS each am
a blanket. disclosing q CHASTITY yellow
face and young body writhing in
torment. A string of automobiles kept
coming, and each stopped only a few
seconds. Those not too far gone were
carried on to the larger hospital. The
others were lifted out on stretchers
and given immediate treatment.
Use Several Kinds Of Gas.
In this gas attack the Germans used
practically every kind of poison gas
known. Some of the cylinders were
charged with chloropicrine, a tear-pro-
ducing gas which temporarily blinds
and others with mustard gas. The to-
tai number of patients suffering from
Inflammation of the eyes is seven.
Three deaths were due to the charcoal
asphyxiation I mentioned. Two more
are expected to die. The number of
disabled is sixty, of whom three were
brought in late yesterday.
Many of the later cases were unsuspect-
ed until suddenly hours after the bonn
bardment the victims showed symptoms
of poisoning. Some Of the men were
made ill because they removed their gas
masks before they had been ordered to
do SO by the officers and while gas was
still floating about.
Several gas cylinders were found unex-
ploded. They are some two feet high
and seven inches in diameter They are
painted gray and are capped with time
fuses set at fifteen seconds It is now
believed that the total number affected
by the gas will reach 200. The odor of the
gas Is still noticeable in the vicinity, while
the least disturbing of the earth in the
shell craters brings up more of the
poisonous fumes.