The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-01
GAS KILLS 2MOREE:
u. S. SOLDIERS
Sixty Others Are Made III by
German VapOr.
ARTILLERY FIRING is HEAVY
Failure of Men to Adjust Masks
Quickly Caused Fatalities in Gen.
eral Pershine's Forces.


eraI Pershine's Forces.
With the American Army in France,
March 1.-Two more American sol
diers died in the hospital from effects
Of German gas shells.
This makes five dead in all frcm the
attacks of Tuesday
Throughout the day, groups CT m .
were discovered who suffered from the
effects of the poisonous gases. BY
Wednesday the victims numbered
about sixty men. Most of them are
not badly affected. Some o. he men
belong to a French mortar battery.
The gas effects resulted T n the
fact the men could not adjust thei1
masks quickly enough. In some cases
they could not make them cure.
The enemy heavily shellei Ameri-
can battery positions with gas and
high explosive shells. The American
artillerists secured a direct Ii. on a
large enemy dugout, where many Ger
mans probably were sheltered. Amer
lean shells also reached numerous
working parties.
In one two-hour period twenty seven
enemy airplanes crossed the >Ameri-
can lines. One of a group of seven
was shot down by anti-aircraft guns
Infantry activity was confined to
ratrols There was no engagement.
Rain fell again. accentuating the mud
dy condition of the position.
Details have been received of the
death after terrible agony Of the
Americans killed in the German gas
attack.
Eighteen hours after the rain of
poisonous shells, stretcher-bearers
were still carrying victims from the
labyrinth of trenches.
In this attack the Germans used a
~ew form Of poison in their shells.
The heaviest casualties were among
infantrvmen III the front line. There
also were victims in the artillery an
french mortar batteries. Three men
were overcome by carbon dioXida from
charcoal brazier in their own dug
nut where they had taken refuge.
There is place on the front In
yhere the German and American
trenches are not more than 100 yards
part. At night, soldiers on the
american side can hear the kufing of
: little locomotive on ~ German
arrow gauge railroad. ~ night.
hen crawling silently q ,e edge Of
he German barbed VII nearl from
he trenches a few rs ahead the
unloading of what .ded like iron
pipe What was d was the I'M
oading Of the 49, mortars which
he Germans iminenwe~far," or
nine throws the enemy, at the
'rst favor@@~ind blowing away
rom theii IN trenches, sent over the
The md s were fired simultane-
,uslv by Kissing a single electri"
outton. The lells were of the 21o-
nillimetre (sAncn) calibre. These
ontair so per \ent gas and 90 pr
ent high explosN E. They were less
.oi@v than the ordinary gas shells
For several days, also, the Germans
ad been firing ineXplosive shells. =
supposed this was to take tn"
NmGric0ns of their guard by max no
hem think the gas shells also were
'Gude."
Another new wrinkle in the attack
was the use of fuses in TIE shells SO
lined as not to explode until severa'
seconds after they landed
White smoke from the shells was
detected Immediately. Alarms were
sounded on motor car horns. In less
than two seconds gas was filing the
trenches. Telephone wires were cut
by the first shells. Rockets. calling
attention of men at the barracks, were
not detected by the artillery until
after the second salvo of poisonous
gas shells had been fired. Then bar
rage was laid on the enemy's trench
es by five batteries. Fifteen hundred
shells were fired in the next half
hour
In this attack the Germans used
virtually every kind of poison gas
known. Some cylinders were charged
with chloroplcrine, a reproducing
gas, which temporarily blinds Others
were filled with mustard gas.