The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-04-19


The two principal factors la gas defense are 81.
fectiHe masks and thorough training of soldier.
va the use Of masks aud various methods Of avoid
Ing contact with poisonous vapors.
Experts who have been to this country By
the allied governments have pronounced the pres
ems American masks the most efficient In existence
The production of these masks Il progressing at "A
rate which lnanreS that the requirements Of the
American troops abroad will be amply supplied.
~ eaeh cantonment In the United States a gas
urtenss school has been established and placed Ia
charge Of divisional gas officer. who works la
conjunction with the chemical adviser both trained
la the theory and practice OF meeting gas Of.
f~nslxes, Through these schools every officer aud
isAnsreeelves Instruction as to proper means Of
gRs defense.
The use of Gus IN warfare dates back 10 about
sOts u. g. The spartHns saturated wood with pitch
and sulphur nnd burned IL under the wallis Of cit.
Ter Which they were attacking, For several cen.
iuries gas had not been used IN warfare and The
Hague convention definitely ruled against a.
However. ON April - 1915. the Germans liberated
great clouds of gas against Canadian troops near
apFes Terrible destruction aud ornIization re-
thssrthtirom this first gaa attack. and within u
week England made plans for gas warfare against
The dermnna Gas Is now everyday part Of
war.
Gases may he employed In the form Of clouds
oF Ia shells. bombs and hand srenades The first
khA attacks IN the present war were IN clouds
Fumes were liberated from steel containers which
were distributed In groups OF three or four al
Intervals Of 30 yards along the trenches opposite
the iine 20 be attacked. Tubes. provided with q
stopeoek attachment. were connected with the gas
tanks aud the end OF the tube was passed over
the paFapeI When the attack was Intended a
signal was given and the Atopcocks were opened,
allowing the gas to escape la the form OF LIQUID
which Immediately vaporixed.
noon after the arst German gas attack Eng.
lish aud Preach women sent 10 the front hundreds
az thousands Of home made gas masks For the
most part they were merely bandages impFegnated
with chemicals 70 wrap around the mouth aud
nose
The next step In gas masks was a cloth helmet
ar hood which had been dipped la neutraiizing so
luton, the bottom of which was tucked In the
collar. The next Improvement was 20 put In an
exhaust or outlet for the cxhalcd air. This type
Of maak has been used extensively.
The small b0x rrsplrutor mask was next dc.
veloped, and u Il the model Of the mask We are
az present using. II Is the highest development
nHordng good protection. II has an Imperv
Gus faeepiece. with glass or celiulold eyepleces
held IN place by rubber bands around the head A
eanlSter Il carried In "a small knapsack and "a hex
i6le tube connects the box In the face.pieee In.
side the face piece IL sma wire clamp with rub
Der pads which hts the nose and forces the
wearer TO breathe through his mouth. The end
~ the flexible tube has rubber nouthpece
through which the maa hreathes The Incoming
breath cnnies through the canister which Il filled
with several layers of speclai chemicals OF nm
absorbent nature which ueutrultse or render harm,
passes outside the face-pceo through u small rub.
Der valve
The American Ens defense service Is divided
into three separate parts (i) Fteld supply see.
slon; CD heid training sectton. tal overseas re.
pair section.
The function Of the field supply section /. 10
manufacture or procure all zas-tefensc materials
aud equipment. The blk work II course il to
furnish our troops with effective masks The
small box respiration type or mask admittedly the
IL I'm sMTaE
Tho manufacture of a gas mask Of this TYNE
presented problem. No manufacturing nrmS had
experience with article OF this kind More
han ordinary earc must he ussd In making parts
hccausc the slightest defect would render the
mask useless The wide variety OF materials going
Into the mask made Il necessary TO have the parts
made In separate plants and assembled at y cen.
lral plant. AZ present about sixty auufacturins
arsns contribute dlrrctiy 90 the making OF the
America mask.
With no actual experience 70 depend upon much
experimental and research work was necessary
An extensive experimental organization was built
40, Ntth branches IN several cities. Reecntly Il
saa decided o. establish = government operated
'laat 70 handle ths nnal assembling and the dlf.
icait sewing operations the faceplecc. Tbis
liant wilt Nooa be m tuil operation. With about
Iolo employees
The American mask similar 60 the British l. a.
mechanically perfect the best experts in the
uuntry have hren able 90 produce me vital lea.
ure - ans rysptFutor mask Il the chetnicnls ton,
uined IN the canister. These cbsmeuIs aud abs
svt'euis arv made fr1a SECRET formulate.
The faer piece consists ~ a bass of CottNo fab
s.. carefully rubbsrtsyi. Tlyse fayyeplec.s aF,
made "a Hf various tAp.s uf faces A network %
iastie bapds over The bead held, the tac,-plecy In
,ncs. The ssrs are left uncovered
The mnsk Is carried Ia kuapsaek az the left hip
upIaprtsd by shoulder hand. When troops ap-
roach a danger aons the straps shortened aud
ne knapsaCk - shifted ia rest high ou thc chest
naHy Fur tusFHnt use This d known as the HgTrrt
assition" The soldier has merely open the
snaIsark. pun out the noxihis ho2e with the facg
plece attached. put the rubber mouthplccc Ia his
nouth aud adjust the hands over MS head. The