The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-11
Quantities of the Poisonous
Stuff Laid Safely at Rest
in Ocean
WAS TO BE USED IN
SPRING CAMPAIGN

Fluid Found to Be of No Commercial
Value Sunk in 1900 Feet of Water
Thousands of Shells Also Put. Beyond
the Danger of Explosion.
WASHINGTON, March 1l.--The first
lot of poison gas which the American
army developed and manufactured for
use in killing Germans in the great
spring drive, scheduled for 1919, but
halted by the signing of the armistice,
has been disposed of by dumping it at
sea. 1t consisted of 2O00e0 poison gas
shells and some large drums or contain
ers of poison gas, which have just been
taken to sea from Baltimore and drop
ped into Davy Jones locker. The gas
disposed of consisted of mustard gas
and chlorpicrin gas, both of which are
very dangerous and could not be used
commercially.
The 100000 gas shells were brought
back from France on q transport about
two weeks ago After the other cargo
of the transport had been unloaded the
poison gas shells were taken in the same
transport from Baltimore out to sea
distance Of between sixty and 100 miles
and dumped in about 1900 feet of
water. 1t was dumped deep enough not
to have any effect on navigation and
far enough at sea not to have any effect
on the coast.
The containers taken to. sea and
dumped showed signs that they were
soon about to begin to leak, as a result
of chemical effect of the gas, and in the
interest of safety these were taken to
sea and disposed of under directions
given by Major Gen. Sibert, 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 will be in no hurry
to get rid of a very valuable asset, and
it is not the plan to take all this gas
to sea for dumping until after the
| signing of the peace treaty, except in
Hose cases where, through containers
/ showing signs of leaking or for other
good reasons, it is considered in the in
terest 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 fired at the
enemy.
I'm June, 1915" the memorandum
asserts, "'the following shipment Of
gases in bulk was made to the Ameri-
/ -. ho kar
| for gas she'll: Mustard gas, is tons;
/ chlorpicrin, 705 tons; plosgene, 4S tons.
/ Further shipment in, bulk overseas was
stopped pursuant to cablegram from
France dated July 81, 1918, the reason
or this Icing that France had no more
extra gas shells TO he filled with Ameri-
can gas.
There not being gas shell available
with suitable boosters and adaptcrs, the
Gas plants were not operated to capac-
ity. However, sales Of some excess gas
were made both in England and tc
/ France. England was sold 900 tons OF
chlorpicrin and 368 tons of phosgene
France was sold 800 tons of chlorpicrir
and ,4O8 tons of chlorine. equivalent tC
l,l26 tons Of phosgene. Phosgene is 81
per cent chlorine and France furnished
phcsgene shell in exchange for this
chlorine In addition to the above, 20t
tons of mustard gas were shipped t.
England for loading shell originally
made for Russia. These shells wer,
never loaded, and the gas, or at least ;
large part of it, was utilized by TIL,
English in loading shell.
"There We're, therefore, shipped t.
Europe 3,G62 tons of gas, or its equiya
lent, which gas was largely loaded int
she'll and used by the United State
troops, or those of our allies, agains
the enemy. Three thousand six hundred
and sixty-two tons of gas would hav
loaded about 100000 shells, two-third
of them being 70 NM and oDe-thirt
l55 NM, a number which is thought t,
Lbe at least equal to the total number o
gas shells fired by the American troop
in action in France, showing that. Will
American gas was not actually fired ii
American shells in the war, it was fre'
against the enemy, and that Americt
furnished at least as much as she used
Gin addition to this. $4,000 live
drums loaded with phosgene wer
hipped to France These contained OF
'ons of gas, and some of them, at least
vere fired at the energy. As soon a
shells were available they were loade
with gas. and $4,000 shells, rs Nh
calibre, were shipped to France on Aug
1918 On Aug. another shipment 0
10000 shells of he same calibre wa
made, after which time shipments wer
made as fast as shell and boosters wer
available.
"The first shipment of shells woul
have reached France ty Sept ]. The
were unassembled. All component part
however, were shipped. The ordnanc
department decided in June to assem-
bic gas shells in France. The time los
in such assembling is the only reaso
!. Tor these shells and others not reacl