Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-30
First Drenching
Of l68th With Gas
Year Ago Tuesday
lBy First Lieut.. John w. Ball, In Des
Molnes Capital.l

lBy First l.isut. John w. Ball, In Dea
Moines Capital.l -
A year ago Tuesday, at l2.66 =, m,
while the first battalion issth infantry
was holding down the Village Negro
sui sector af Baccarat sector, the Iowa
guardsmen were awakened by the
rending crash and roar Of protector
gas attack their first experience oil
this weapon OF warfare.
As far back as Badonviller the
buildings trembled with the concus-
sion, and the sky glowed red with inc
sudden flash of the explosions. some
of the men ON post said they could see
the projectors coming thru the air.
Then in about fifteen seconds they
landed and half the battalion area
was suddenly drenched with concen-
trated fumes " phosgene gas.
Some Of the men on post were lucky.
They saw the projectors coming ana
got their masks on In time. The gas
guards at dugouts occupied by Sleep
ing men did everything in their power
to warn the men inside, some OF them
neglecting to put on their own masks
in their efforts to waken others, but
In some instances projectors burst at
the very doors of dugouts blowing In
the doors and gas curtains, and imme-
diately flooding the interior with dead
" fumes, one breath Of which would
kill.
Germans Bombard Thorn.
To add to the the confusion of this
midnight horror, the German artillery
which had been directing a heavy
bcmbardment on our artillery POSI-
tons during the earlier part Of the
night, shifted it's fire to the area COW
cred by the gas. The enemy had d.
rected the gas projectors with diaboi-
ical accuracy, and now came the
shrapnel and high explosive to stir up
the deadly vapors and prevent our men
from getting out to open air and SAFE
ty.
Many lives were risked and some
lives lost that night in heroic work OF
relief. Lieutenant Priddy Of Company
C, worn out from the strain Of patrol
of the night, remained on active duty
doing for the men of his platoon until
late the next morning. and it was from
this sacrifice OF his own safety that ne
was SO Severely gassed that he died.
In recognition Of his devotion to duty
he was awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross posthumously.
Lieut.. Green Victim.
Lieut.. Clarence r. Green Of Compa-
ny A (Winterset) gave his life In his
efforts to save the men in his COM
fhh-tt
trenches with his mask on, waking up
the men who were asleep and warning
all Of the danger but finding thai MS
progress was tao slow With his mask
on and that his voice could not DC
plainly heard ne removed his mask
from time to time and kept on with the
work, The gas that he inhaled In this
way caused his 6eath
Sergeant Gordon E. Perry OF Com
pany C, continued the work OF carry
ing patients 10 the first aid station
after he had been gassed himself, and
so aggravated his case that he lost
his life as a result.
Twa Y. NJ. c. A. workers, Cooper
and Smith, who had been operatlhE
the canteen at Village Negro, whiie
rendering valuable asSiSldHCe Al S~AA AAs
for the suffering after the attack. were
gassed so seriously rs to cause theil
dc aths. ~
Scenes Of Horror.
I'D in the front line men lay on inc
ground waiting for their turn to De
carried in on stretchers. struggling
thru their respirators with long spas
modic gasps for the relief that woui!
come to their burning lungs. Thru the
trenches went the stretcher bearers
handicapped by their masks ana the
darkness, making repeated trips to the
first aid stations at the road near VIZ
lage Negro.
Some men, delirious in their suffer
ings, tried to push the mask from theil
faces and their efforts had to be Tor
chilly prevented Soon the aid station
was filled and the yard around 1t linec
with blanket covered figures stretched
out on the ground. and long before
daybreak the ambulances began Il