The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1918-02-01
From Arnold Petrick
Camp Lewis, Jan. 18.

remain in the barracks for gas
drill. l imagined all kinds of hor-
rors but l really enjoyed the trip.
We all lined up and got mask and
then they marched us to the gas
house. It's about mile from here
in some thick timber. | thought it
would be large building but it's
only a small affair with two air
tight doors and four little windows.
1t is about 10 by IA feet.
When we got there, about fifty
of us, we lined up and practiced
with, and inspected and adjusted
our masks and half of us went in.
didn't go in with the first bunch.
When it came our turn to go into
the gas we put on our masks and
filed in. | couldn't notice any diff
erence in the air with the mask on.
1t seemed just the same as usual.
We talked little. You must take
a breath, say what you want to and
then put the mouth piece back into
your mouth before you take another
breath. We stayed in this chlorine
gas for about ten minutes, then we
came out and took our masks off
and went into a tent six at a time,
that was filled with tear gas. l
don't know the name of it but it
won't hurt you in any way except
to make tears come into your eyes
and cause them to smart. We all
sure came out of there crying like
our hearts would break.
After we got our eyes cleaned
out again they took US to trench
and lined us up on either side of it.
Then the officer had two men go
down and demonstrate how to run
a gas fan to rid a trench of gas.
The flap is square piece of goods
on the end of stick. 1t has ribs
in it so that it is little bit stiff at
the base. One hand grasps the
handle at either end according as
you are left or right handed. If
right handed the right hand goes
up next to the fan and the left at
the end of the handle. Then the
operator stoops over so that when
the fan descends it strikes flat on
the bottom Of the trench. The fan
is then worked vigorously up and
down. One man starts at one end
of the trench and the other at the
other end. The fans are operated
in unison. This creates a draught
upwards and the gas goes out of
the top of the trench.
After the officer had instructed
the men how to run the fans he
turned loose some gas in the trench
and they drove it out. At one enc
of the trench was dugout gas
proof. 1t is just a hole in the
ground at one end of the ditch
There are two doors to the dugout
The doors are blankets with roll
er at the bottom. The frame that
the blankets work on is two big
ftVrs set edgewise to the trench
aRd get at an angle. This makes {
dead air compartment between the
dugout and the open air. These
blankets are kept wet so that tn,
pores are full of water so the ga
can't get thru. There is supposed
to be spray pump at every dug
out to keep the blankets wet. Nov
when the two fellows beat the ga
out of the trench two fellows wen
into the dugout to see if any ga
penetrated the doorway. After tn
gas was all out of the trench the
showed us how to clear a dugout o
gas. They filled the dugout wit
smoke and then put blazing kettl
of fire in the dugout. This starte'
an air current and the smoke a
poured out. After this was don
we had a gas attack.
Ten men went into the trenc
and an officer turned on a cylinde
of gas to windward. The gas
heavier than air and it just role
along the ground and dropped int
the trench. At the first presen