Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-02-13
CAS- MEN PLAY
BIG part IN
WINNING WAR
Ten Thousand Soldiers Toll at
Turning Out Shells to Rout
Germans.
rrss,ss Hnr lAllllnFn aF llIfhnk
HlNY ARE INJURED At WORK
Edcewood Arsenal in Maryland Won
Place of Leadership over Allies in
Scientific Progress and Dead
liness of Output-Gas Fac
tory City in Itself.

baltimore, Md.-While the mon who
tagc been working in shipyards and
uHuition plants have received just
praise for their fulfillment of. patriotic
duty. there is an army of men looOo
,trrng who have worked faithfully,
rarerully screened from public notice.
performing some of the most impor-
!ant work of the war, work which was
argcIy responsible for the early sign
inr Of the armistice, who have re-
cciycd uo recognition at all.
Day sftcr day they have secretly
worked in the manufacture OF the pol
sonous gases which routed the Huns
and impressed upon the Germans the
ingenuity and reSourcefulneSS of the
American BRAIN
These men of the EdgewOod arsenal
STAYED ON American soil, never had the
excitement of an ocean voyage or ad-
venture in n foreign country or the
hpru-wOrship of those who have been
overseas. and vet while staying right
In lhiS country they ran greater risks
.han many of the men on the flrinS
line.
300 at One Time in Hospital.
The hospital mt Edgewood is now
occupied by 800 men who have been
c9~4cd or burned while about their
colrNy'S work There have been az
rs,ar heroes at Edgcwood as on the
lqlllchrld. There is in the hospital
= hlur-ryrd boy in early manhood,
s.liling hravely through scars which
nrc today as vivid as the first day,
months ago, when they brought him.
n urithin- bit of humanity, to the
ho,lital. Nor is he the only one. There
arp others, some of whom have been
gaSSfl twice and thrice and are today
luyal,drd in Colorado, having devel-
or 4 tuberculosis.
Hundreds of others are manned ana
viii always bear the marks of their
sacrifice for Incle sam, which trey
gave - gladly without any of the
giurv, stripes, promotion or encourage
mpln gwen to the men in the camps
and trenches.
uailn il possible for the public to have
the first insight into the vast work
when has been accomplished at the
LulpWood arsenal, where has been
manufactured and shipped safely
"oycr there" more gas than has been
made by England and France com
Lined. Far removed from prying eyes,
THESE thousands of men have produced
gases which will 90 down in history
ms among the greatest achievements OF
the war.
Gas Factory City in Itself.
Where on October "a, 1917, stood a
bare waste of forest, now stands what
is a small manufacturing town ana a
city in its activities Great chemical
plants have risen with lightning rapid
iy. There are the chlorine, phosgene,
rhoralin and mustard gas plants, and
thpn down near the water the large
tnlug plant where the big shells were
fn.d with deadly poisons and sent on
their errand of freeing humanity.
Idgewood arsenal covers "A tract of
500 acres. adjoining its companion
unit. the gr,.t Aberdeen proving
grounds. where the biggest of the big
guns were tried out that were de-
signed to smash the strongest OF Ger
man fOrtiticationS. At the arsenal
these results ii was confidently pre-
dictcd. would be more effectively Sc
cured, and certainly at smaller nu-
man cost. by the gas products when
i was confidently declared would
smother the Metz forts.
Irpon these 300 acres have been con-
Structcd a large number of immense
chemical plants with the necessary adj
iunctS, all on an extensive scale, con-
nccted by 80 miles of railway. oper-
ated by United States army crews,
working three shifts a day. AT hrst
il was attempted to run the arsenal
with civilian Labor, but the hazardous
character Of the employment made this
class of employee so uncertain, al
though fancy wages We're offered, that
il became necessary to use enllSted
mou exclusively throughout the plant.
The result has been that work or
hi@hly specialized nature and extra
hazardous has been done by men re-
ctEins from $50 month up, and un-
der rigorous military discipline.
The research laboratory work OF the
arsenal has been highly fruitful and
the gases of the Germans are said to
be mild in comparison with the more
terrible products of Edgewood, or
which the Germans had only got a
forntaSte when the armistice was
signed.
"came to Teach, Hemain to Learn"
Two experts, Colonel Auld and Cap
tain Hankar, one sent from England
and the other from France, to aic in
the eStablishmc of toxic gas plants
said on leaving "We came to teach
but we remain to learn"
The Central Construction corpora
ti0n received contract in October
1917, for the construction of gas