Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-22
GHOST OF GAS

Continued from Lnge one)
from the neighborhood of the city,
the people advocated that the storage
OF deadly gases near urban commun-
tiles be prohibited. They demanded
the providing of an adequate supply
of gas masks, accessible for public
use at any time.
Tank Burst
The exact cause of the tragedy was
not established. The gas was in con-
tainers in the free port section of the
city when a tank containing eight
cubic meters (2S2 cubic feet) burst.
The lid was forced off and a section
Of the corrugated iron roofing was
torn off the building. Experts thought
that an unduly warm atmosphere
caused the deadly gas to burst the
container since phosgene vaporizes al
a relatively low temperature.
Once free, fitful breeZes carried
the vapor back and forth across the
district killing man and animal alike
who CHANGED to be in its path. Two
brothers peacefully fishing on the
banks of a canal near the leaking
tank dropped unconscious.
GulAS IN the NlHQ GdNAtGQ AuG k0e
to a pleasure resort where men, won
en- and children, among them a wed
ding party, were making merry. Some
fell unconscious from their chairs
which were grouped about the table
set for the feast. Promensder;
dropped in terrible agony. sSoon the
cry poison gas" arose and panic
reigned.
City Terror Stricken
The entire section of the city near
the tanks was trror stricken. Pc
into the emigrant sheds Of the port
Motor ambulances rushed the victims
TO hospitals. Firemen and ambulance
attendants, insufficient!y protected
by smoke masks, fell in the work OF
rescue.
Adequate masks were rushed from
Berlin by airplane and, protected bS
these, the firemen got close enough
70 the leaky tank to dilute its con
tents adm empty it into the canal
Others fought the cloud with water
and ammonia.
Then the rain came and decom-
posed the gas into elements whicr
the atmosphere might absorb withou:
harming the people.
There was mystery as to the exact
status of the chemical firm where
the phosgene gas was stored. It was
believed to be the same firm which
five year ago was granted a permit
BY the ministry of defense for manu-.
facture of gas for use by the Russian
wnNGFn mnnf a., Sapnnrn the IIkrafnn
This firm later went bankrupt and
was taken over by the ministry Of de
tense for liquidation.
Major General Amos A. Fries. chief
n the chemical warfare service OF
the American war department, said ir
Washington that none Of the gas was
Z have been shipped TO the United
States for use Of the American army
The war department, he said, had
long ago found that il could produce
rs own gas more cheaply than il
could import il.
General Fries added, however. tina;
Tor some time Germany has been
shipping gases 10 America in com
mereial form. Phosgene is used IN
dye manufacture after il has beer
altered TO eliminate its poisonous
qualities.
League Probe Talked
Disclosure that the deadly gas was
stored IN Germany set league of ma
tions circles abuzz. Germany under
me treaty Of Versailles is forbidden
70 either use, manufacture, impor:
or store esphyxisting poison gases.
mere was some talk of an investi-
cation BY the league since interalIied
control OF German ornaments be-
came the duty Of the league in 1927.
such investigation Jould have to be
called for by q member Of the league.
Ihen the league would decide wheth
er the protest was ju~stifiable, and II
u was appoint an investigating com
mittee.
Those prominent in league circles
said that the tragedy indicated that
the time had arrived when strict cor
troll by AZ n~ssicns and the league NJ
The msnufacture of poison gases vcs
necessary.