Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-04-12

feciye masks and thorough training of soldiers
in the use of masks and various methods OF AVOID
ing contact with poisonous vapors.
EXPERTS who have been sent to this country by
the allied governments have pronounced the pres
ent American masks the most efficient in existence.
The production of these masks is progressing at
rate which nsures that the requirements of the
American troops abroad will be amply supplied.
At each cantonment in the United States q gas
defense school has been established and placed IN
charge of divisional gas officer, who works in
conjunction with the chemical adviser both trained
in the theory and practice of meeting gas Of
fensives. Through these schools every officer and
man receives instruction to proper means OF
gas defense
The use of gas in warfare dates back to about
4O4 +. c. The Spartans saturated wood with pitch
and sulphur and burned 1t under the walls OF cit
fes which they were attacking. For several cen
turtles gas had not been used in warfare and The
Hague convention definitely ruled against it
However, on April % 1915 the Germans liberated
great clouds Of gas against Canadian troops near
Ypres. Terrible destruction and decentralization re-
suited from this first gas attack, and within
week England made plans for gas warfare against
the Germans. Gas is everyday part of
war.
Gases may be employed in the form of clouds,
in Shells bombs and hand grenades. The first
gas attacks in the present war were in clouds.
ullleS were IRON steer "llSH
distributed in groups of three or four at
intervals of so yards along the trenches opposite
the line to be attacked. Tubes, provided with
stOpcock attachment, connected with the gas
tanks, and the end of the tube was passed over
the parapet When the attack was intended, a
signal given and the stopcOcks were opened,
allowing the gas TO escape in the form of liquid
which Immediately vaporized.
Soon after the first German gas attack Eng
liSh Sput IN he front hundreds
of thousands of homemade gas masks. For the
most part they were merely bandageS impregnated
with chemicals 10 wrap around the mouth and
nose
The next step in gas masks cloth helmet
or hood which had been dipped in neutraliZing so
luton, the bottom of which was tucked in the
collar. The next Improvement to put in an
exhaust outlet for the eXhaed air. This type
of mask has been used extensively.
The small box respiratOr mask was next de-
velOped and it is the model Of the mask
Mt present using. 1t is the highest development,
affording good protection. 1t has an impervi-
Gus facepiece, with glass or celluloid eyepieces,
held in place by rubber bands around the head. A
canister is carried in q small knapsaclz and fex
ible tube connects the box in the face-piece. In
side the face-pece is a small wire clamp with rub
Der pads which fits on the nose and forces the
wearer to breathe through his mouth. The end
of the flexible tube has rubber mOuthpiece
through which the man breathes. The incoming
breath comes through the canister. which Is filled
with several layers of special chemicals Of an
absorbent nature which neutraze or render harm
less the gasladen air. The outgoing breath
passes outside the face-piece through a small rub
Der valve.
The American gas defense service is divided
into three separate parts: "a Field supply
ton; (2) field training section; CD overseas re-
pair section.
The function of the field supply section is TO
manufacture or procure all gas-defense materials
and equipment The big work of course is to
furnish troops with effective masks. The
small box respirator type of mask admittedly the
best mask in existence, was accepted as a model.
The manufacture of gas mask of this type
presented problem, No manufacturing firms had
experience with an article Of this kind. More
than ordinary must be used in making parts
because the slightest defect would render the
mask useless. The wide variety of materials going
into the mask made it necessary to have the parts
made in separate plants and assembled at cen
trail plant. At present about sixty manufacturing
firms contribute directly to the making of the
American mask.
With no actual experience to depend upon, much
experimental and research work necessary.
An extensive experimental organization was built
up, with branches in several cities Recently it
was decided to establish a government-operated
plant to handle the final assembling and the diff
fcult sewing operations on the facepiece. This
plant will soon be In full operation, with about
1000 employees.
The American mask, similar to the British, is as
mechanically perfect the best experts In the
country have been able to produce. The vital fea-
ture Of any respirator mask is the chemicals con-
tanned in the canister. These chemicals and abb
Sorbents are made from secret formulate.
The face-piece consists of base of cotton fab
ric carefully rubberzed These face-pieces
made to fit various types Of faces. network Of
elastic bands over the head holds the face-piece in
place. The ears are left uncovered.
The mask IS carried in knapsack at the left hip,
supported by a shoulder band. When troops APP
proach danger zone, the straps are shortened and
the knapsack is shifted to rest high the chest,
ready for instant use. This Is known as the "alert
position" The soldier has merely to open the
knapsack pull out the flexible hose with the face
piece attached put the rubber mouthpece in his
mouth and adjust the bands his head. The
nose clip can easily be adjusted from the outside
after the facepiece is on. This nose clip insures