Evening star., 1918-11-03

after that respirator mask which en-.
abled one to inhale and exhale without
trouble. This is so Of most Of the
masks now in use. The breath coming
In 10 made harmless by passing
through several layers Of chemicals.
ehrough q pipe connected with which
is a small rubber valve that prevents
the poisonous gas coming in. This
mask has a face piece through which
the gas cannot come. This is held in
place by a rubber band around the
head; Il has also goggles Of glass or
celluloid. The chemicals used are a
secret; they are liable to change as
new combinations OF gases are in
vented.
The mask is usually carried in a
knapsack at the left hip. but in the
danger zone the knapsack Is shifted
50 soodh that IT, 1T rests rests high on the chest est
man has to do Is open 1t. pull out the
flexible hose with the face piece at
tached, put the rubber mouthpiece in
his mouth and fasten the bands over
his head. His ears are outside the
mask. The scientific construction Of a
all the materials used In 1t. This in
cludes the eyepieces, which must be
so made that they will not be dim
med by the moisture within. The anti
toxins or neutralizing chemicals must
be such that they will keep good
through the longest gas attack. This
is so in all our latest gas masks, the
chemicals being good for ten times
such a period. The masks have to be
tested from time to time to prevent
any danger Of the chemicals being
worn out.
Connected with our gas warfare we
have now oxygen inhalators and oxy-
Qen bottles for NsA in Ho1A and I'm 90
hospitals. Many of these have been
modelled after those produced by our
bureau OF mines, and much Of the re-
search work along such lines came
from that bureau before the war be-
gan. This was also the case as to
for detecting gas in the trenches. We
have all heard Of the use Of canary
birds and white mice as part of our
army in Europe. The canary bird
has been used for long time in the
coal mines Of the United States to
detect various gases. and it is still
employed for that purpose. Mice have
also been used, but 1t Is found that
the mouse sometimes grows sulky
and you cannot tell whether It has
been doped with the gas or. has a
as sensitive. and 1t always keeps up
its spirits. 1t Jumps about and
when 1t stops doing that in
q trench or a mine you may be sure
something Is wrong. The gas affects
the bird much more quickly than
man. Indeed the man has eight min
utes to get out Of the trench after
the bird has been affected. Canary birds
are employed by the sappers and min
ers OF our armies and the allies and
also by the Germans and this fact Is
we'll known. I heard yesterday OF q
British gang OF miners which had been
working for three months tunneling
under the trenches and Notifications
of the Germans with the intent to blow
them up. They were very near the time
for setting of the explosives when
one of their canary birds got loose
and few away into 2 little tree in
afraid the Germans might see 1t and
thus realize that they were being
undermined. They called out twelve
sharpshooters and had them fire at
the bird, but 1t few about SO that
they were unable to hit 1t. They
then brought In one Of the French
75s and blew the tree and the canary
to pieces. In the meantime the Ger.
mans had not discovered tho bird.
Il u
In the dispatches describing the
battles in France we read much of
gas shells and gas containers of one
kind or another. The truth is there
Is no such thing as a gas shell--that
IS, a shell which contains gas. As the
shell goes forth from the gun It con-
talns liquid or solid which is atom