The Arizona copper camp., 1918-07-13

tube Detng so constructed that 1t pre-
vents the. inhaling Of the outside air or
Hfgas. One helmet is good for Eve hours
OF the strongest gas. Each Tommy
carries two Of them slung around his
shoulder In a waterproof canvas bag.
He must wear this bag at all times,
even while sleeping. To change de-
fective helmet, you take out the. new
aone,T hold your breath, pull, the old one
Off. placing the new one over your
head tucking In the loose. ends under
the collar, Of your, tunic.
;For. a minute, pandemonium greigned
in our trench--Tommies adjusting
their helmets, bombers running here
and there. and men turning out of the
dugouts with fixed bayonets, to man
the fire step.
5Re-enforcements were pouring out of
the communication trenches.
Ourogun's crew were busy mounting
the machine, gun on, the rparapet and
bringing ,lup extra ammunition from
the dugout.
German gas is heavier than, air and
soon fills the trenches and dugouts,
where,it it has been known to lurk for
two or three days, until. the. air. is puri-
fled by means Of large chemical spray
ferS.
We had to work quickly, as Fritz
generally follows the gas with an in
sfantry attack.
A company man on eur right was
too slow in getting ON his helmet; he
sank to the ground, clutching at his
throat. and after few spasmodic
stwistings went West (died). It was
horrible to see him die, but we were
powerless to help him. In the corner
of traverse, "a little, muddy cur dog,
sone Of the company's. pets, was lying
dead, with his paws over his nose.
It's the animals that suffer the most
the horses, mules, cattle, dogs, cats
and rats-they having no helmets to
save them. Tommy does not sympa-
thize with rats in gas attack.
At times gas has been known to
travel, with dire results, fifteen miles
behind the lines.
"A gas, or smoke helmet, as 1t is
called, at the best is vile-smelling
thing, and it is net long before one gets
"a violent headache from wearing it.
Our eighteen-pounders were burst
ing in No. Mans Land, in an. effort, by
the artillery, to disperse the gas
clouds.
The fire step was lined with crouch
ing men, bayonets fixed, and bombs
near at hand to repel the expected at
tack.
Our artillery had put barrage Of
curtain fire on the German lines, to try
and break up their sattack land keep
back re-enfereements.
Istrained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking the
parapet.
Then over. they came. bayonets glis.
tening. In their trespirators, which
-have7a large sneut in 'front.', they look
ed like some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench, rifles and ma
chine guns spoke, our shrapnel was
bursting over their, heads. They went
down, in heaps, but new ones took the
places of the fallen. Nothing could
stop that mad rush. The Germans
reached our barbed wire, which had
previously been demolished by their
shells, then twas bomb against bomb,
and the devil for all.
Suddenly my head seemed to burst
j, from. Loud "crack" in. my ear. Then
my head began to swim, throat got
dry,rand heavy, pressure on the lungs
warned~me that myf helmet was leak
ing. Turning by gun over to No. q,
changed helmets.
The trench started to wind like a
snake, and sandbags appeared to be
floating in the air. The noise was hOr-
rible; ] sank onto the fire step, needles
seemed to be pricking my flesh, then
blackness.
/ was awakened by one Of my mates
removing my smoke helmet. How de-
licious that cool, fresh air felt in nay
lungs.
A strong wind had arisen and dis
persed thesgas.
They told me that Il had been ssout"
for three hours; they thought I was
dead.
The attack had been repulsed after
a hard fight. Twice the Germans had
gained foothold in our trench, but
had been driven out by counter-at-
ttaeks. The trench was filed with their
dead and ours. Through "a periscope
I counted eighteen dead Germans In
our wire they were aaghastly sight In
their horrible ooking frespiraters.
/ examined my first smoke helmet.
"a bullet had gone Through 1T fen the
left side. just fgrazipg my scar. The
gas had penetrated through the hole
made In tAe. cloth.
Out of our crew of ssix wel lost two
killed sand two wounded.
hatnightcwe buried all of, the dead,
excepting those; In Mo- Mans Land. In
death there is mot much distinction; ;
friend and foe are treated alike.
After the wind had dispersed the
gas the R.. A. M. G. got busy with their