Charlevoix county herald., 1919-05-09
WAR GAS DUMPED
FAR OUT AT SEA
Some Large Drums and 200, 900
Loaded Shells Rest in 800
Feet of Water.
were FOR use THIS SPRING
Poisonous Fluid Of No Commercial
Value and Unsafe to Have Around
America Sent Gas for 100000
Shells to Front.

SuSub "
Washington-The first lot of poison
gas which the American army devel-
Oped and manufactured for use i'm kill
scheduled for 1919. but halted by the
signing of the armistice, has been dis
posed of by dumping 1t at sea. IT con-
sisted of 100000 poison-gas shells and
some large drums or containers of poi
son gas, which have just been taken
to sea from Baltimore and dropped
into Davy Jones' locker. The gas dis
posed of consisted of mustard gas and
chlorpicrin gas, both of which are very
dangerous and could not be used COM
mercially.
The 100000 gas shells were brought
back from France on q transport
about two weeks ago. After other
cargo of the transport had been I'M
loaded the poison gas shells were
taken In the same transport from Bal
timore out to sea distance of. be-
tween sixty and one hundred miles
and dumped deep enough not to have
any effect on navigation and far
enough at sea not to have any effect
on the coast.
Dangerous to Have Around.
The containers taken to sea and
dumped showed signs that they were
soon about to begin to leak, as a re-
suit of chemical effect of the gas, and
in the interest of safety these were
taken to sea and disposed of under di-
rectiOns given by Major General ST.
bert. head of the chemical warfare
service.
Ultimately all Of the poison gas in
drums will be disposed of in this fash
ion, but until after the treaty of peace
is signed the army viii be In no hurry
to get rid of very valuable asset, and
1t Is not tho plan to take all this gas
to sea for dumping until after the
signing Of the peace treaty, except in
those cases where, through containers
showing signs of leaking or for other
good reasons, it is considered in the
interest of safety to dispose OF the
gas sooner.
General Sibert submitted to General
March, the chief of staff, memoran-
dun in reply to the statement that
no American gas shells were fred at
the enemy.
"In June, 1915" the memorandum
asserts, "the following shipment of
gases In bulk was made to the Ameri-
can forces in France to be exchanged
for gas shell: Mustard gas, Is tons;
chlorpicrin, 705 tons; phosgene, 4S
tons. Further shipment in bulk over
seas was stopped pursuant to a cable
gram from France dated July 81, 1918,
the reason for this being that France
had no more extra gas shells to be
filled with American gas.
"There not being gas shell available
with suitable boosters and adapters,
the gas plants were not operated to
capacity. However, sales of some ex-
cess gas were made both in England
and to France. England was sold 900
tons of chlorpicrin and 36S tons of
phosgene. France was sold 300 .tons
of chlorpicrin and / ,408 tons of chic
rine. equivalent to 1,126 tons of phos-
gene. Phosgene is so per cent chic
rine. and France furnished phosgene
shell In exchange for this chlorine. In
addition to the above 200 tons of mus
tard gas were shipped to England for
loading shell originally made for Rus
sla. These shells were never loaded.
and the gas, at least q large part of
1t, was utilized by the English in load
ing shell.
"There were. therefore, shipped to
Europe 3662 tons of gas, or its equiv
alent. which gas was largely loaded
into shell and used by the United
States troops, or those of our allies,
against the enemy. Three thousand
six hundred and sixty-two tons of gas
would have loaded about 100000
shells, two-thirds of them being 75
nm. and one-third 155 NM, "a number
which Is thought to be at least equal
to the total number of gas shells fired
by the American troops in action in
france, showing that, while American
gas was not actually fired in American
shells tn the war, IL was fired against
the enemy. and that America fur
nished at least as much as she used.
'In addition to this. $4,000 liven
drums loaded with phosgene were
shipped to France These contained
279 tons of gas, and some of them, at
least, were fred at the enemy. AS
soon as shells were available they
were loaded with gas, and 25OOO
shells, IS nm. caliber, were shipped
to France on August z, 1913. On Au-
gust another shipment of $4,000
shells Of the same caliber was made,
after which time shipments were made
as fast as shell and boosters were
available.