The L'Anse sentinel., 1918-07-20
CHAPTER. xxllI-Continued.

A gas helmet is made Of cloth, treat
ed with chemicals. There are two wip-
dows, or glass eyes, in It, through which
you can see. Inside there is n, rubber.
covered 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. The foul air Is exhaled
through the tube in the mouth. this
tube being so, constructed that 1t pre-
vents the inhaling Of the, outside air or
gas. One helmet Is good for five hours
Of the strongest gas. Each Tommy,
carries two Of them slung around his
shoulder in waterproof canvas bag.
He must wear; THIS bag at all times,
even while sleeping. To change, a de-
fectHe helmet, you take out the new
one, 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, pandemohium reigned
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. .'t
Re-enforcements were pouring out of
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 1t has been known to lurk for
two or three days, until the air Is puri-
fed by means Of large chemical spray
ers.
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, clutchng at his
throat and after few spasmodic
twistlngs went West (died). 1t was
horrible to see him die but we were
poweress to help him. In the corner
Of a traverse, a little, muddy cur dog.
one 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, mt the best is vile-smeling
thing, and It Is not long before one gets
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. ,... -ts.s. =. r"
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 n barrage of
curtuin fire on the German lines. to try
and break up their attack and keep
back re-enforcements. f. .a.t l..--
aI'trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking the
parapet. $50
Then over they came, bayonets giis-
tening. In their respirators, which
have large snout In front, they look
ed like some horrible, nightmare.
All along our french, rifles and ma
chine guns spoke. our shrapnel was
bursting over their heads They went
down in heaps, hnt new ones took the
places Of the fallen. Nothing could
stop that mad rush. The Gerpans
raaehed our barBed wire, Witch had
previously been demolished by their
shells, then IL wasibomp against bomb,
andt deyil for NalLtci1g 81! &c se.,si.
Suddenly my head seemed TO burst
from loud "crack" IN, my ear. Then
my, head began, to swims throat got
dry, and, a heavy pressure, on. the lungs
warned ME that my hefmet was leak
Ing. Turning by sun-.oSsr to No. 2, I
changed, ,helmeIs- gaTsIpaa goa
The trench started to wind like a
snake, and sandbags appeared to be
floating In the. uir. The noise was h6r-
rible; \ sank onto the fire step, needles
seemed 10 be pfieidnS my flesh. then
blacl<ness.ifg est 80 .ezsit -sn2iscr
sIwas awakened by one ofimy' mates
removing my smoke ircimetsz How de,
licicsr TINT crel. fresh AIR felt In my
lungs sn.saa sf--sytA iNRb