White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-29

! this plant, 025 were injured, the Duik
of them, 674, In mustard gas
Taking up the defensive side Of gas
warfare material. the report shows
that the American troops had tine best
and most protective gas masks the
world had seen; and they brought
these with them by the millions" A
total of 5,250.0O0 masks was produced
Of which 1900, 900 were sent overseas,
and the report states that these masks
gave twenty times the protection az
forded by the best German gas masks.
"No American soldier was ever
gassed due to the failure OF an Amer
lean gas mask" the report says, AND
such gas casualties as did occur were
due to the fact that the masks were
not quickly enough utilized when the
gas was thrown over, or because the
soldier was unaware Of the presence
Of gas"
cermans' Great Gas eiunder.
The original order from the depart
ment was for 2 5000 masks to go with
P~ershing's first expedition, and the re-
port tells In detail OF the frantic efforts
necessary to procure them. efforts
| which actually counted for little. since
the masks were not used for many
months. At the time the expedition
sailed, however. the British and French
were not thoroughly acquainted with
the gas warfare that was developing,
nor had complete effective protection
been worked out. In speaking of the
first German gas attack upon Canadian
troops at Ypres. the report says chlor-
Inc was used, and while protection OF
the troops from II later became an
easy matter. at was only lack of faith
In their new weapons that prevented
the Germans from winning the war with
II then and there.
Had they brought into the fighting
a sufficient supply OF this chlorine"
the report continues. "they might have
gassed their way to Paris In short or
der. As IL was. they brought to the
line an almost negligible supply. and
they themselves were insuficiently pro-
tected to go through their own gas and
follow up the attack. BY the time they
were able to renew gas warfare the
French and British had equipped them
selves with masks which we're sufii-
cient TO protect men against chlorine"
The report tells of the development
Of gas masks. from the original gauze
pads soaked In chemical to the box
respirator' which came into general
use. The Americans and British EN-
ployed a double-protection mask. the
facepiece being gas tight. but. TO insure
against leaks, a mouthplece and los
clip being supplied also, insuring pro-
lection ' in a torn mask. The first
order wa for 100000 Of these masks
for the American forces.
Subsequently, 10 provide greater
comfort for the men. II was decided
abroad that a single-protection mask
would be sufficient. the risk Of leaky
masks being regarded as preferable to
the discomfort Of the double-protection
type. When this decision was received,
however. on this side. IL was decided to
carry forward experiment with new
types Of masks which would give both
comfort and security. This was car
ried forward 10 = point where a squad
Of 80 men In the fleld-testing section
almost lived In their gas masks. work
Ing. playing baseball, digging trenches,
lighting sham battles day and night In
which actual gas grenades were en-
ployed. and exposing themselves TO the
hea West concentrations Of the deadly
gases under all conditions.
Careful Tests.
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