The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1918-07-04
cuAPTER XXlII-Continued.

gas helmet is mace OF clotn' treat
- With chemicals There are two win
Jaws or glass eyes, in it, through which
con see. Inside there is rubber
o0vorpd tube, which goes in the mouth.
j, Won breathe through your nose; the
ros nassing through the cloth helmet,
ts routralfzed by the action of the
ohouicals The foul air is eXhaled
through the tube in the mouth, this
+ubp being so constructed that 1T pre-
vonts the inhaling of the outside air or
cos One helmet is good for five hours
If the strongest gas. Each Tommy
carries two of them slung around his
chandler in a waterproof canvas bag.
He must wear this bag at all times,
even while sleeping. To change de-
fectiye 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.
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.
&C. or nj
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
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 a few spasmOdic
twistings went West (died). It was
horrible to see him die, but we were
pOWerlesS to help him. In the corner
of traverse, 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-
tnlze 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 it is
called, at the best is a vile-smelling
thing, and it is not long before one gets
violent headache from wearing it.
Our contemporaries were burst
Ing In No Mans Land, in an effort, by
tne artillery, to dispense the gas
clouds.
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 a barrage of
curtain fire on the German lines, to try
ana break up their attack and keep
pack re-enforcements.
trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking the
parapet.
Then over they came, bayonets glis-
tenlng. In their respirators, which
nave a large snout in front, they look
Gu IKE some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench, rifles and ma
cnlne guns spoke, our shrapnel was
bursting over their heads. They went
uo"n IN heaps, but new ones took the
pt0ceS OF the fallen. Nothing could
sup that mad rush. The Germans
'eacned our barbed wire, which had
previously been demolished by their
0nells' then it was bomb against bomb,
ana the devil for all.
suddenly my head seemed to burst
'Nn loud "crsck" in my ear. Then
heao began to swim, throat got
~ ana heavy pressure on the lungs
armed me that my helmet was leak
lug Turning by gun over to No. 2,
enanged helmets.
49, ne trench started to wind like a
sa "Ae' and sandbags appeared to be
rrr' lihg IN the air. The noise was hOr-
so "'e' l sank onto the fire step. needles
h1o en,ed to be pricking my flesh, then
Olackness,
ror> vas awakened by one Of my mates
no tlloVlng my smoke helmet. How de-
,,n MINUS that cool, fresh air felt in my