Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-07-10
CHAPTER XXIIl-Continued.

gas helmet is made of cloth, treat
81 with chemicals. There are two WIN
dows. or glass eyes, in it, through which
vou can see. Inside there is a 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
trbp being so constructed that it 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 a waterproof canvas bag.
He must wear this bag at all times,
even while sleeping. To change a de-
fective 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, pandemOnium 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.
Requirements 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 it has been known to Turk 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, clutching at his
throat and after q few spasmodic
t|iStings went West (died). 1t was
horrible to see him die, but we were
PowerIeSs to help him. In the corner
OF a traverse, a little, muddy cur dog,
enc Of the companys pets, was lying
dead, with his paws over his nose.
Its the animals that suffer the most
the horses, mules, cattle, dogs, cats
ana rats-they having no helmets to
save them. Tommy does not sympa-
hize with rats in a gas attack.
At times gas has been known TO
travel, with dire results, fifteen miles
behind the lines.
A gas, or smoke helmet. as II is
called at the best is a vile-smeIling
W'ag and It's not long before one gets
d violent headache from wearing it,
our contemporaries were burst
my IN No Mans Land, in an effort, by
The artillery, to dispense the gas
clouds. Gus
Inc hre step was lined with crouch
ing men, bayonets fixed, and bombs
tack. l0o'eu at
our artillery had put a barrage of
curtain IRE on the German lines. to FRY
anu break up their attack and keen
o"eh re-enforcements.
Trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking tba
parapet. = AIMING tue
I1en over they came, bayonets gIis.
t-'"s' IN their respirators, which
nave d large snout in front. thew Iook-
GU IKE some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench, rifles and ma.
t l,,.1e guns spoke, our shrapnel was
s --s'Lus over their heads. They went
s ag"u IN heaps, but new ones took the
S'~leS OF the fallen. Nothing could
10y mat mad rush. The Germans
, .~l.'eu our barbed wire, which had
sbor' been demolished by their
s s-5''S' Then it was bomb against bomh
ana the devil for all. - -
&C.. suddenly my head seemed 70 hurst
NV Ioud crack" in my ear. Then
d. mead began to swim, throat cot
v.,- anu d heavy pressure on the Iunps
inc M ne that my helmet was leak
cbo, turning by gun over to No 81
hanged heIme5s.
.DaEe s french started to wind like q
aost;r, ana sandbags appeared to he
rbs. n me air. The noise was hor-
sser,.5 sank onto the fire step. needles
blscEDao.lo De pricking my flesh. then
renoviDa awakened by one of my mates
Hcior ,'u = my smoke helmet. How de-
!uass s'"i' fresh air felt in my