The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-01

covered tube, which goes in the mouth
You breathe through your nose: tho
gas, passing through the cloth helmet
is neutralized by the action of the
chemicals. The fGul air is eXhalcG
through the tube in the mouth, this
tube being so constructed that it pre-.
vents the inhaling of the outside air on
gas. One helmet is good fer five hours
of the strongest gas. Each Tommy
carries two of them sIung around his
shoulder in a waterproof canvas bag
He must wear this bag at all times
even while sleeping. 70 change a de.
fectiVe helmet, you take out the new
one, hold your breath, pull the old one
OF. placing the new one over your
head, tucking in the loose ends under
the collar of your tunic.
For minute, pandemonium reigneC
in our trench-Tommies adjusting
their helmets, bOmbcrS running here
and there, and men turning out of the
dugouts with fixed bayonets. to man
the fire step.
Re-enforcementSw were pouring ont 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,
fia1l Nv ,f IL,
erS.
We had to work quickly, as Fritz
generally follows the gas With an in
fantry attack
company man on our right was
too slow i'll getting on his helmet; he
sank to the ground, clutching ut his
throat. and after a few SpaSnOdic
tWiStings went West (died). 1t was
horrible to see him die, but we were
poWerleSS 10 help him. In the corner
of a traverse, a 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 a gas attack.
AT times gas has been known to
travel with dire results, fifteen miles
behind the lines.
y gas, or smoke helmet, as it is
called at the best is Il vile-Smelling
thing, and ii is not long before one gets
q violent headache from wearing it.
Our eighteen-pounders We're burst
ing in No Mans Land, in an effort, by
the 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.
curtain fire on the German lines, to try
and break up their attack and keep
back re-enfOrcementS.
| trained my machine gun on their
trench and its bullets were raking the
parapet.
Then over they came, bayonets glis-
tening. iE 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 o<les 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 it was bonib against bomb,
and the devil for ALL,
Suddenly my-h1as ltaeHEaeesl 10 70 burst burst
from loud ''crack" Id my ear. Then
my head began to swim. throat got
dry, and a heavy pressure on the lungs
warned me that my helmet was leak
ing. Turning by gun over to No. 2, l
changed helmets.
The trench started to wind like a
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 had been out
for three hours; they thought l was
dead.
The attack had been repulsed after
hard fight Twice the Germans had
gained foothold in our trench, but
had been driven out by counter-at-
tacks. The trench was filled with their
dead and ours. Through a periscope
| counted eighteen dead Germans in
our wire they were CHASTITY sight in
their notwithstanding respiratOrS.
l examined my first smoke helmet.
A bullet had gone through it 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
killed and two wounded.
That night we buried all of the dead,
excepting those in No Mans Land. In
death there is not much distinction ;
friend and foe are treated alike.
After the wind had dispersed the
gas the R. A. NJ. c. got busy with their
chemical sprayers, spraying out the
dugouts and low parts Of the trenches
to dissipate any fumes of the German
gas which may have been lurking in
same.
Two days after the gas attack | was
sent to division headquarters, in an
swer to an order requesting that cap
tains of units should detail man
whom they thought capable of passing
an examination for the divisional in
telligence department.
Before leaving for this assignment
| went along the frOnt-line trench say
ing goOd-by to my mates and lOrding it
over them, telling them that | had