The Washington herald., 1918-03-04
CHAPTER XXIII.
EaG AttnrkR and Snlea.


Three days after we had silenced
Fritz, the Germans sent over gas. II
did not catch US unawares, because
the wind had been made to order. that
is, it was blowing from the German
trenches towards ours at the rate OF
about five miles per hour.
Warnings had been passed down the
trench to keep a sharp lookout for gas.
We had a new man at the periscope,
on this afternoon in question: l was
sitting on the fire step, cleaning my
rifle. when he called out to me:
There's a sort of greenish. yellow
cloud rolling along the ground out in
front, it's coming
But 1 waited for no more. grabbing
my bayOnet. which was detached from
the rifle. gave the alarm by banging
an empty shell case, which was hans-
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 it.
Gas travels quickly. so you must
not lose any time; you generally have
about eighteen or twenty seconds in
which to adjust your gas helmet.
ed with chemicals. There are two
windows. or glass eyes. in it, through
which you can see. Inside there is a
rubber 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. Tie foul air is exhaIed
through the tube in the mouth, this
fnha halnly hnN
vents the inhaling of the outside air
or gas. One helmet is good for Ave
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 defective helmet, you take
out the new one. hold your breath.
pull the old one on, placing the new
one over your head, tucking in the
loose ends under the collar Of your
tunic.
For a minute. pandemonium relgned
In our trench-Tomnlies adjusting their
helmets, bombers running here and
there, and men turning out of the
dusouts with fixed bayonets, to man
the fire step.
the communication trenches.
Our guns crew were busy mounting
the 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 dugouts.
where It has been known to lurk for
two or three days. until the air is
TNrUrfffnd hxF
sprayers.
We had to work quickly. as Fritz
generally follows the gas with an in
fantry attack.
A company man on our right was
too slow In getting on his helmet; he
sank TO the ground. clutching at his
throat ana after few spasmodic
twistings. went west died. II was
horrible to see him die. but we were
powerless to help him. In the corner
OF a traverse. little, muddy cur
dog, one of the companys pets, was
lying dead with its two paws over its
nose.
It's the animals that suffer the
most, the horses, mules. cattle. dogs.
cats and rats. they having no he'll
NETS to save them. Tommy does not
WIN oNS III n RdS dIlack.
At times. gas has been known to
travel, with dire results, fifteen miles
behind the lines.
A gas. or smoke helmet, as It is
called. at the best is a viie-smeIling
thing. and it is not long before one
gets violent headache from wearing
1t.
Our eighteen-pounders were bursting
in No Mans Land. In an effort, by the
artillery, to disperse the 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 a barrase OF
curtain fire on the German lines, to
try and break up their attack and
keep back reinforcements.
I trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were rakng the
parapet.
Then over they came, bayonets
glistening. In their respirators, which
have a large snout in front. they
looked like some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench. rifles and ma