Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-03-01
New Assault After Hot Artillery
Bombardment at Butte du
Mesnil Halted.
GAS KILLS PERSHING TROOPS
Five American Soldiers Are Killed anc
Fifty in Hospital From German
Attack in Attempt to Wipe Out
Uncle Sans Army.


bombardment German troops In the
Champagne at night attempted TO re-
capture the positions recently taken
by the French at Butte din MesniI. The
official report says the Germans were
halted by the French and American
fire.
Raids Northwest Of ST. Quentin.
London. Feb. 2s. Hostile raids we're
repulsed during the night northwest of
st. Quentin In the neighborhood Of
Bullecourt and east of yermelles. says
the war office report. 'The artillery
was active on both sides early in the
morning northeast and east Of Ypres.
U. S. Men Killed by Gas.
With the American Army in France.
Feb. %. Five American soldiers were
killed and fifty, suffering terrible ago
MES. sent to hospitals in the first Ger
man gas attack on the American sec
tor
Those were the casualties up to the
hour Of cabling this dispatch.
The first victims included boys from
Massachusetts. Pennsylvania. North
Carolina, Indiana. Kentucky. New
Jersey, Tennessee. Rhode Island. Ohio.
New York, Washington aud Arkansas.
The attack came suddenly early in
the morning after an ail-dav rain. The
clouds had parted and the moon was
shining brightly in the trenches. Still
ness prevailed
Three Officers Ceased"
Suddenly there was huge flare
from the German trenches is the
minenwerfers were discharged Then
came the detonations Of high expIo-
sives. with the quick spread Of deadly
gases.
Three officers ran into 2 dugout and
closed the curtain so tight they mar
rowly escaped death through asphysia-
ton from the charcoal fire They were
taken TO hospital, but their condition
Is not serious.
Three men were killed and nine
overcome IN this sector alone during
the first attack
When the gas came over the men en-
deavored TO adjust their gas masks.
Those who weren't quick enough were
soon gasping for breath.
They were carried to hospital. A
child could not look more helpless than
these Americans. Their huge chests
raised and lowered the covers as they
fought for breath.
Suffering Relieved
AS their breathing grew louder and
more difficult and choking started, the
doctors hurried an oxygen tank TO the
side of the victims cot. He drank in
the oxygen from the rubber cup with
a SIGH of satisfaction at the temporary
relief.
The American army has gas e.luip-
ment and win use it as the occasion
demands, but it is a matter of self
defense. The Boches introduced the
gas terror to the world. Its first use
against the Americans has aroused the
entire army to the stage of seeing
red"
1t would stir the fighting blood Of
every American to view the hospital
where lay the victims of the first
German gas attack. At the hour of
cabling five were dead and twenty
were in hospital struggling like drown
Ing men for breath. Word came that
thirty additional were en- route 10 the
hospitals.
Doctors Stirred bv Hatred
At the field hospital where the sirst
twenty victims of German gas fright
fulness we're taken, the doctors were
stirred to the deepest hatred toward
the Roshes after having seen the sur
fering. The struggles of victims for
life could be heard hundred feet
away.
With closed eyes and blue faces,
these American boys gasped and strug-
gied for every breath, while the at
telsaants, in charge of a captain,
worked tireiessiy Among the doctors
was one from Waco. Tex, and one
from Milford. Pa.
Every effort TO relieve the sufferers
was resorted TO. Blood-lettings and
the giving of oxygen were tried. Ev-
cry breath was a groan. The Ameri-
cans eager drawing in of the Cod
given air sounded like bellows, so
nearly were the lungs closed.
As the sufferings became worse, thu
mems hands were outstretched as
though they we're drowning Their
fingers distendcd. they stiffened +;
there was sudden foaming at the
mouth. then the end.
The doctors cursed the Boches for
every minute the E.en suffered.