Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-30

JULY 3U, 1918.
rife. when he called out to me:
| There's sort Of greenish, yellow
cloud rolling along the ground out In
front, it's coming"
| But ! waited for no more, grabbing
my bayonet, which was detached from
the rifle, gave the alarm by banging
ON empty shell case, which was hang.
ing near the periscope. At the same
instant, gongs started ringing down the
trench, the signal for Tommy 60 don
his respirator, or smoke helmet, as we
call Il.
Gas travels quickly, 30 you must not
lose any timo: you generally have
about eighteen or twenty seconds in
which to adjust your gas helmet.
A gas helmet Is made Of cloth, treat
ed with chemicals. There are two win
dows, or glass eyes, In 1t. through which
you can see. Inside there is 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 30 constructed that 1t pre-
vents tho 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 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 q 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.
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, 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 a 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-
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 It Is
called, at the best Is a vile-smelling
thing, and 1t is not long before one gets
a 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.
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
and break up their attack and keep
back re-enforcements.
I trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking the
parapet.
Then over they came, bayonets glis.
tening. In their respirators, which
have a large snout in front, they look
ed like some horrible nightmare.
All along our trench, rifles and ma.
chine guns spoke, our shrapnel was
bursting over their heads. They went
down in heaps, but new ones took the
places Of the fallen. Nothing could
stop that mad rush. The Germans
reached our barbed wire, which had
previously been demolished by their
shells, then 1t was bomb against bomb,
and the devil for all.
Suddenly my head seemed to burst
from a loud "crack" In my ear. Then
my head began to swim, throat got
dry. and heavy pressure on the lungs
warned me that my helmet was leak
ing. Turning by gun over to No. 2,
changed helmets.
The trench started to wind like
snake, and sandbags appeared to be
floating in the air. The noise was hor-
rible; sank onto the fire step, needles
seemed to be pricking my flesh, then
blackness.
was awakened by one Of my mates
removing my smoke helmet. How de-
licious that cool, fresh air felt In my
lungs.
A strong wind had arisen and dis
persed the gas.
They told me that I had been "out"
for three hours; they thought l was
dead.
The attack had been repulsed after
hard fight. Twice the Germans had
gained a foothold In our trench, but
had been driven out by counter-at-
tacks. The trench was filed with their
dead and ours. Through periscope
l counted eighteen dead Germans IN
our wire; they were ghastly sight IN
their horrible-looking respirators.
examined my first smoke helmet.
A bullet had gone through 1t on the
left side. just grazing my ear. The
gas had penetrated through the hole
made in the cloth.
Out Of our crew Of six we lost two
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