The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-02-28
MANY AMERICANS
CAUGHT BY GAS
FIVE KILLED OUTRIGHT, VICTIMS
OF SURPRISE RAID.
MANY IN SERIOUS CONDITION
Hospitals Filled With Sufferers-En.
tire Army Is "Seeing Red"--Brit-
ish Beat Back Attackers--French
Punish Two Raids.
lBy Fred S. Ferguson.l

(By Fred S. Ferguson.)
With the American Armies in
France, Feb. 27-Sixty-one Ameri-
cans, gas victims, lay in the hospital
today following night of horror. The
doctors worked all night on the cases.
Five others were killed in the attack.
Many of the hospital cases included
artillerymen who were overcome by
the fumes from the gas shells.
The first victims of the. German gas
attack did not include any Americans.
The attack came suddenly yester-
day morning after an all night raid.
The Americans had no knowledge
of the coming attack. Stiffness pre-
vailed.
Made Surprise Attack.
Suddenly thick and gIaring light
was seen in the German trenches as
the German mine throwers were dis
charged. Then came the roaring of
the high explosives with the quick
spreading of the deadly gases.
Three officers ran into dugout and
closed their curtains so tight that
they were almost asphyxiated from the
charcoal fire. They were Immediate
ly taken to the hospital but their con-
dition is not considered as serious.
Americans Suffer.
Three Americans were killed and
nine others overcome in this sector
alone during the attack.
When the attack came most of the
men made an attempt to adjust their
gas masks. Those who were not
quick enough were soon gasping for
their breath
These were later carried TO hos
pital. A child could look no more
helpless than those Americans. Their
huge chests raised and lowered as
they gasped for their breath. After
the breathing grew louder and more
difficult, then the choking started.
Doctors Give Oxygen.
The doctors Immediately hurried an
oxygen tank to the side of one of the
victims cot He drank in the oxygen
from the rubber cup with a sigh Of
satisfaction and appeared to be some
what temporarily relieved.
The Americans have gas equipment
and will use it wherever occasion de-
mands it be made for self defense.
The Germans have now introduced
the gas horror to the whole world.
Yanks Are "seeing Red"
Their first attack against the Amer
cans has aroused the entire army to
the stage of seeing red"
1t would stir the fighting blood of
every American to view the hospitals
where the victims of the first gas at
tack lay.
At the hour of my cabling this re-
port five are dead And scores of
others were laying grasping for their
breath like drowned men.
Casualties Increase.
Word has just been received that
an additional fifty were being hurried
for the hospitals.
INSERT GAS AT
Two Attacks Were Made.
Two attacks were made within ten
minutes of each other and were di-
rected at a certain wood. Seventy
five S-inch shells of 80 per cent gas
and twenty high explosive shells were
fired from German minenwerfer. The
flight of the projectiles was traced
through the air and the high explos-
ives decorating when they came in
contact with the earth. Large frag-
ments of shells flew from both mis-
siles.
The gas caught some of the men
before they were able to adjust their
masks and overcame others while
they were asleep in dugouts.
English Repulse Night Attack.
London. Feb. 27.-Hostile raids
were repulsed during the night north
west of st. Quentin in the neghbor-
hod of Bullecourt and to the east of
Vermelles. Field Marshal Haig, COM
mander in chief of the British forces
announced i'm his report from the
British war front today. 'l9G
Both the enemy and the IBritish
artillery was active this afternoon
north east of the Ypres.
| Hun Raids Thrown Back.
Paris, Feb. 27.-Two strong Ger
man raids were repulsed in the
Lady's High Way where the Ameri-
can troops are raidlng the French
the official commoniques stated to-
day.
In the Champagne region the Ger
mans twice attempted to raid after
violent bombardment of MesniI where
American artillery is located but the,
were thrown back.
This afternoon there was mutua
: artillerying around Avriceurt. Name,
I, was again bombed by airmen. Their