Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-25

before, or at least never recorded
Subsequently he came to this country
and when the question Of poison gas
les came to the fore he recalled his
narrow escape and impaired the infor-
nation to the government. The pro-
duction of methyl resulted.
Not one worker died from poisoning
In large measure this was due to the
precautions enforced by Capt. George
A. Plummer, physician from the Ma
yo institute, whose work was the care
of lives in an institution dedicated to
the destruction Of life. But, in addi-
ton to those precautions, mask and
suit Of clothing was devised which af-
forded protection against methyl. De-
fensive work went hand in hand with
the offensive work. None Of the gas
masks invented to save lives from mus
tard gas and the other poisons was ef-
fective against methyl. 1t is a certainty
that even now, should it ever become
necessary to use this poison in warfare,
the enemy would be a long time in
finding a way to protect himself. But
the workers themselves were equipped
with a uniform and face covering
which afforded safety.
The work went ahead with remark
able rapidity. An entire plant was
supplied with an equipment such as
had never been used before. To COM
plete the plant required three months.
The speed accomplished was due to
the fact that the biggest industries in
the United States fitted for that kind
of work put themselves behind Uncle
Sam in his war effort.
Colonel F. M. Dorsey, former chem
ical engineer of the National Lamp
Works of the General Electric comp
any, a graduate of Ohio state unive1-
sity in 1908, and a man who added
courage and tremendous driving ener-
gy to his specialized technical ability,
became chief of the development di-
vision under General Sibert. The Gen
eral Electric Company permitted him
to give all his time to the work. M.
W. Allen and Mr.. Bachelor Of the
National Carbon company, F. S. Ter
ry and B. G. Tremaine, General Man
ayers of the national Lamp Works,
and ]. E. Randall, its consulting en-
gineer, offered their facilities and
met all the expenses involved, under
an agreement to be reimbursed later
at the convenience of the war depart
ment. This was to save the time
which would have been consumed in
waiting for appropriations. Time was
as precious as poison :sas in those
days; and to the efforts Of these men
can be credited much of the success
of the development division of the
service.
Captain w. H. McAdams, a graduate
of the University of Kentucky, 1913
became Colonel Dorsey's executive as
lsistant and right-hand man. Other
executives and experts were recruited
from the largest and most successful
industrial establishments in the United
States. The companies put into the.
war work assigned to them not only
the superb technical equipment of
their employees, but also their own tre-
mendous resources.
In the production Of mustard and
other poison gases known to the public
some complaint was made to delays.
No such complaint could have been
made about methyl, even if the public
had known anything ABOUT it. This
compound is known to the Chemical
Warfare service also as G-34. The
preliminary experimental work with
it was done by the Research division
at the American University, Washing
ton. When General Sibert on July II
last told Colonel Dorsey to make ready
to manufacture the poison, it had been
produced by laboratory process of
five steps. Subsequently the fourth
and fifth steps were revised. But the
immediate problem was the design
and layout of full scale equipment
for quantity production. Some Of the
raw materials required were Of an
unusual nature for such work, and
were difficult to procure. 1t was nee
essary to manufacture two of them in
the plant itself. And it was necessary
to assemble a new organization Of ex-
ceptional calibre.
Colonel Dorsey set to work with that
energy and lack Of ceremony which
had won him a name in the industrial
world for getting things done. He
took over on July 1919 the abandoned
plant of the Ben Hur Motor company,
Cleveland. On July 20 he installed
Major James B. Conant Of the Re-
search division there, with Lieut.. Col.
w. G. Wilcox in charge as superin-
tendent. On July 26 there was a guard
on hand of twenty-five men, and work
was under way. The plant was in such
condition that it IVES necessary to
grade the dirt floor, wire it for elec-
tricity, provide for sewage and water,
install desks and chairs. The first Of
the laboratory equipment arrived In
trunks, as personal baggage. Colonel
Dorsey was in hurry.
Space will not permit a detailed
narrative here of ell the obstacles
overcome, of all the vexatious barriers
to be hurdled in order to make this
record achievement in speed. The ut
most secrecy surrounded the efforts.
lit was forbidden to officers and men
to divulge the nature Of the prodnc'
or even the existence Of the plant.
Mail was censored. A Cleveland post
office lock drawer was used, and let
ters were mailed and received there,
for the very name of Willoughby was
verboten in correspondence. Tele-
grams were sent through the head
quarters at Nela Park. The expert
mental plant as it was called, was con-
Quoted as an army post and the men
irtt 1n nd