Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1918-07-24
HIGHLAND CO. BOY
ENDURES POISONG GAS
CEDRIC SEAMAN OF GOTHAM,
FACES TORTURE OF HUN HE'LL
FOR GRAND OLD FLAG.
(courtegy Of Richland pemocrat.l

ACOAA L1DJ ~
When my eyes are well enough 1
will write and tell you all about the
gas. 1t is the most terrible expert
ence | have ever had. / am nearly
we'll now except for one burn that
isn't healed and my eye. l am in a
dark ward all alone and it gets very
lonesome at times. But | will prob
ably get out this week and have COM
pany from then on. l don't think /
will be sent back to duty for at least
a month, and if you can picture fight
ing with anything but the fiercest
hatred you will have the wrong inn
preston. Anyone that can go through
what | have and be free from hate
would never be outclassed for meek
ness. l can't imagine a single thing
horrible enough that | could do to a
German. If ever l catch n that has
any gas burns, I'll rub salt into
them and watch the effect with pleas
ure. The Indians are saints COM
pared with these demons.
I'm feeling pretty good so guess l
will tell you about the gas. After
working all night 1 was just dream
ing of an order of 100 buckwheat
cakes and maple syrup, when | was
rudely awakened by the sound OF a
barrage fire coming in our direction.
/ arose in haste, woke eddie" and
donned my trousers and gas mask.
/ was feeling for my shoes when a
she'll came through the roof right
above my head and knocked a cross
piece down on my shoulders. Behold
a quick exit for the dugout. We sat
in the hole for two and a half hours
and then came out and word was
passed, "AIl clear" so we removed
our masks. I was Immediately as
sailed by a sickening odor OF garlic.
Some one said it was high explosive
but l can now truthfully say it was
mustard gas, one of Germany's little
Jokes. About five hours later the fell
lows began to get sick and my eyes
were smarting. l went to a dressing
station and was sem to a field hospl-
tai ten kilos away. About half way
there | started to get sick and | new
er felt worse in my life. BY the time
we got to the hospital was complete
ly blind and all in. l was assigned to
a ward and my clothes taken and then
the gas began to work. My eyes were
swollen as large as eggs, n felt just
as though they were full of ground
glass, and 1 just set my teeth and
waited to go crazy, but | managed to
stand it all night and the next morn
ing | was blessed with sleep. | slept
for three days without waking up and
by that time my burns were all out
and going strong. Every place that
there is moisture on ones body this
gas liquiies and leaves a burn like
acid. was burned all over, even
my scalp and to the bottoms of my
feet, my nose, throat, lungs, ears and
eyes. l couldn't eat and had nothing
but hot milk for the first week. 1
can't tell you all the wonderful SEN
sations had, but l spent many sleep
less nights and each day / was able
to register more hate for the square
heads" l was sent to this hospital on
a stretcher about twenty days ago
and have been improving slowly ev-
er since, 1t was twelve days before
l could tell daylight from dark, and
over two weeks before my eyes OPEN
ed and then only for a minute and it
has been but the last week that l can
keep them open for an hour. The last
act is being staged at present. 1t
consists of gas boils. l can boast of
t"SnCy-lWO On my legs, HNe ON my
head and one on my arm. Some man
said that every boil was worth SIS to
a man. At that rate l am the proud
p~ossessor of $40 worth. Quite a
bloated bondholder if l could turn
them into ready cash. Now, my dear,
think this over and then don't tell me
any more to fight without hate in my
heart, because you might as well tell
the Sphinx to sing America"
Cedric e. Seaman.
81 s