Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-25
natten Island, would kill its popula-

tion.
In this connection it is pertinent to
reveal some facts, until now not known
to the public, about the manufacture
Of mustard gas. The chlorhydrin pro-
cess for making this poison was un-
|suited to quantity production, and it
was not until February, 1918, that an
English professors discovery Of new
method was cabled to America The
cablegram anticipated by just two days
George Washington University in
Washington, where experimental tests
, were under way.
| In March a smaller experimental
station was established at Taft avenue
and East 131st street in Cleveland,
with Colonel Dorsey (then Mr.. Dor
sey of the National Lamp Works) as
Technical director The little two
story office building of the Great Lakes
Refining company became, in August,
the offense section of the Development
division, with Colonel Dorsey in
charge. 1t was connected with a large
single story structure suitable for
plant operations.
This plant, within six miles Of the
Cleveland public square, was in a con-
gested district, and great precautions
were necessary to avoid gassing the
neighbors, who did not suspect the
deadly material being prepared within.
But few outsiders ever became aware
of the nature Of the work being done
IN East 131st street, and no serious
trouble was caused by it. The second
story room was converted into a con-
troll and research laboratory, and was
equipped with ten well-ventilated
hoods and all the other necessary
equipment. The rapid assembly Of the
materials was made possible through
the cooperation of Cleveland manu-
featuring concerns, whose attitude
throughout the war has been thus ex-
pressed: "If we have 1t, the govern
ment can have it; If we haven't we'll
get it."
At this plant no barracks nor mess
hall was provided, and the men ate
and slept wherever they could in the
neighborhood. AS each arrived, he
was told what was being done and its
importance was explained to him; and
the officers in charge report that the
workers performed eagerly and thor
oughly the tasks assigned to them, al
though often they were tedious and
hazardous.
The results at this plant were i'm
mediately transmitted to the Edge
wood Arsenal (Hastings-on -Hudson)
plant, to the National Aniline and
Chemical company plant at Buffalo,
and to the Dow Chemical company at
Midland, Mich. At each Of these
places mustard gas was made in guam
titles. Nela Park, so named from the
initial letters of the National Electric
Lamp association, forerunner of the
National Lamp Works, was the hub
from which these spokes radiated. At
Nela Park Investigations were made
ofstwoE-other poison gases, ~before the
methyl work was undertaken, but the
War department stopped the other in
quiries before they were completed.
The main result Of the 131st street
plant was the development Of mus
tard; the main result at Willoushby
was the production of the death dealing
|methyl.
1t may be seen with what caution
and energy the United States set about
meeting German ingenuity in cruelty
and destruction, and how successfully
American chemists surpassed the enc
my chemists. The visible death deal
ing evidence of their technical skill
has been destroyed. France and Eng
land and Italy are continuing their
chemical warfare services unimpaired.
The United States has disbanded her
personnel and dismantled her plants.
To the Chemical Warfare service
was assigned the bureau Of mines.
DR.. w. K Lewis representing the bu-
reau, went to Cleveland on April 2S,
1917, to enlist the aid of the National
Carbon company and the National
Lamp Works Of the General Electric
company. At that time mustard gas
was the main goal, and electric power
was required for the electrodes. More
over, expert knowledge about char
coal was required on the defensive
side of the work, in devising gas masks
and other protective apparatus. For
example, tests at Nela Park. proved
that cocoanut hulls were the best raw
material for making absorbent char
coal, and so that material became the
standard The plant Of the Great
Lakes Refining company in Cleveland
was taken over for mustard gas re-
search, and it's personnel Of 35 was
increased to IT'S officers and enlisted
men. That was a microscopic but ty-
pical example of the methods adopted
| to meet the greatest emergency In
Americas military history.