"GASMAN" TELLS
GRAPHIC STORY
British Permit Account of Spe
cial Corps Which Adminis
ters Deadly Gas
London (correspondence of the As
sociated Press). Before the "big
squeeze" began discussion of British
gas attacks was strictly prohibited, but
now the taboo has been lifted and a
British "gasman" has been allowed to
write a graphic account of the work of
his own special corps whose business it
Is, he says, "to doctor the Germans
with their own medicine."
"Behind our lines," he \vrite3. "the
sun set in a blaze of glory. A glance
over the parapet shows the green ana
scarlet of the poppied Xo-Man's land
already merging into the gray mists of
twilight; but lau yards away, like a
brown earth shadow among the grays,
hangs the rusty barbed wire of the
enemy and Just beyond a white, chalky
upthrow marks his front line trench.
The gasmen stare across the silent
shadows at that white line and for a
moment they think of the choky,
gurgling cough of the men who die
by gas. It is not pleasant to die fcv
gas.
"•Connect up!' The order comes
down the line from one bay of the
trench to another, and the gasmen im
mediately get busy. The front rows
of neatly piled sandbags of which
fire-step is apparently solidly built are
pulled out and disclose a cavity in
which show, black and ominous, the
cowled heads of a row of iron cylin
ders. They are sunk in pits well
'bagged up' to protect them from pos
sible crack or puncture by flying frag
ment or ricochetting bullet. Each
cylinder weighs about 130 pounds, and
contain sufficient compressed gas, if
it could be used without waste, to put
an entire company out of action.
"On top of the cylinders lies a tangle
of flexible connecting pipes, three and
four way joints, spigots, and screw
jets, and upon these, with spanner and
key, the gasmen start work. The cyl
inders are all connected in series, and
nothing remains but to throw the
jets over the top of the parapet and
open the valves in order to release
the deadly fumes.
Need Favoring: Breeze.
"But something is required to carry
the gas over to the German lines—a
favoring breeze —and never did sailor
scan the sky more intently than the
gasmen watch their little, inconspicu
ous wind gauges, fixed to the edge of
a trench. They must have a wind of a
certain direction, and they prefer it
of a certain strength. On this occa
sion, the direction is satisfactory
enough, but the breeze shows sign of
weakness, and occasionally falls to a
mere, almost imperceptible zephyr.
"When not -matching the wind, the
gasmen are watching their pipes: re
peatedly feeling and testing every inch
of tube and joint; for none know bet
ter than they the danger of leakage
and of the escape of gas into their
own trenches. Persistently an officer
passes down th«i line, casting rapid
though keen glances as he goes at
each set of cylinders and their con
necting pipes. And in «very bay he
pauses and whispers two words to the
corporal in charge: "Eleven o'clock."
But the wind, without which the gas
will not reach the enemy's trench and
do its deadly work among its occu
pants, begins t3 peter out.
"At ten-fifty the gasmen don their
special respirators, which in the dim
light, give the wearers a strange, al
most inhuman appearance. Masked
and goggled, with weird, trunk-like
pieces of hose running from the
mouth-piece to the box of air-puri
fving chemicals strapped to their
chests, they look like some of the
unearthly beings who people the books
of H. G. Wells.
"But not a breath disturbs the still
air. The feeble breeze has died com
pletely. Hurried the order runs down
the line: "Cancel, and stand by." Be
hind their masks the gasmen grunt
disgustedly. But suddenly—crack!
crack-I rat-a-tat! rat-a-tat-tat! The
orders to the infantry have not been
countermanded, and the quiet of the
night is roughly shattered by a long
line of viciously cracking rifles and
Lewis guns to which the Germans
reply.
Cylinders Are Exposed.
"The gasmen move about uneasily.
It Is not for themselves they fear, but
for those pipes and cylinder heads
lying bare and exposed to the hail of
flying fragments. Well they know the
danger of burst 3 and of trenches filled
with gas and no wind to remove it.
But they cannot "bag up' without
orders, and so they detail one of their
number in each bay to watch the cyl
inders while the rest gather behind
the traverse, as being a slightly safer
spot.
"When day breaks a fair wind is
blowing, straight towards the German
trenches. But.of course, it is now
broad daylight, and the gas will be
visible as soon as it leaves the pipes.
The gasmen know what to expect.
They know as soon as the greenish
gray clouds appc-ar outside their para
pet there will be running messengers
and hurried telephoning in the Ger
man lines. They know that within a
few minutes the word will have
reached the German big guns at the
back, and that every piece capable of
flattening out a parapet and burying
them, mangled and broken, among
their own cylinders will be concen
trated upon the front line trench in
which they stana.
"Time! Over the top the jet-pipes
are flung, and then, simultaneously
along two miles of trench, there arise*
a sibilant hiss, as If some monstrous
and venomous snake suddenly aroused
from slumber. Now the gasmen are
working frantically with wheel and
spanner and key, and the hiss in
creases in shrillness and volume. Out
side the parapet the green poison fog
is already spreading like a foul blanket
over No-Man's land. Carried cease
lessly forward its outer edge is rap
idly approaching the German trenches,
into which it will presently sink,
spreading agony and death among
those who cannot escape.
"No rifle or machine gun fire has
been ordered this time, and from
either line scarcely a sound is heard
except the deadly hiss of the escaping
fumes. The nvnutes pass in tense,
ominous quiet. Nature herself seems
to pause aghast to watch this latest
deviltry is practiced by her children
upon one another.
"Behind their masks the gasmen be
gin to breathe more freely, and then
suddenly, to th«< left. "Crash!' And
'crash' again, and yet again. This time
on the right, somewhere close at
hand. The men crouch lower over
their cylinders: the explosions follow
one another almost too rapidly to
count, and In any case their minds
are no longer fitted to count—or care.
Only the valves must be turned, and
the pipes must be watched, and the
sudden spurt of vapor which marks
a leak must be checked by the applica
tion of a handful of mud, which the
gas Itself immediately freezes into an
iron-hard and inpenetrable mass.
"In one of the bays, the parapet
rocks suddenly and falls forward,
burying the men and their cylinders.
Almost immediately the men scramble
out unhurt; but the pipes are broken,
and the gas Is filling the trench. With
spanner and mud the thing is stopped,
new connections are rigged up, and
the death vapor is again directed out
side what is left of the trench. But
one of the men has had the mouth
piece of his respirator broken and al
ready he is coughing and choking
painfully. 'l've got it!" he gasps
hoarsely, and goes behind the traverse
FRIDAY EVENING,
J3jOmMM2% _____
BKI.L—IMI-VMTED HARRISBt'RU, FRIDAY, AUGUST S3, 101«. FOUNDED 18T1
For Saturday M— Store Open |[
jTplO-MORROW is the last Saturday half holiday of the season. During the five busi- Until 1 P. M.
I ' I ness hours, BA. M. until 1 P. ML we will be at your service in full strength to pro
iSmm vide that which you desire for the week-end. We have likewise provided an in- . j
teresting budget of special-price offerings that will give you merchandise of a season- / * L
able nature, but lowered in price. \
Dress Fabrics of Quality A Contingent of Special- I
36^ r^ s \
Wool Suiting-56 inches; mix- Hearth size, 36x63 inches; excel- SSBlftßfe
tures of tan, gray and green Spe- j ent quality; mottled centres with
cial 89c yard. fancy borders—Special #2.19. fjOI/VtYLCLTL "
Worsted Club Check S -56 inches Scr ; m Curtains .
r*Z y T , yards long; in white and ecru; LUggagC
Seco Silks 24-inch; various pat- ] ac e edges and hemstitched-Special Clnt>C Withmi +
terns and plain shades Special §51.35. v>t/C-O rr ILILKJLLL JJ r\ T~) 7|/f
1 r' curtain Laces Question
Cotton Voiles—4o inches wide;
figures and strioes; desirable-Spe- Nottingham and Filet laces in as to the endurance and general life ===============^==== .
. . „ , white and ecru; about half the form- of the hundreds of bags and suit i i r • r> c iw.
cial It c yard. er prices—Special 19c yard. cases and trunks that make up this For Saturday Morning ror Saturday Morning—
V 7ou r S?nfind„o larger assort- Women's Dependable Worthy Offerings From
ments in Harrisburg. _ Shoes; A Clean-up Re- Two Basement Depart-
An T npynPffpH Arrival in flip #13.50, including dependable black gardless of Former ments
1 111 illlivai 111 walrus and pebbled leathers. An Prices Crystal Flower Vases—lo
- fpArfYPt-fP excellent leather bag may be had for inches; heavy pressed blank; rose
1 Willi U1 tJl VJCUI HCIIC #5.00. You want shoes for every day use design, genuinely cut—Special 59?.
t - y . - • Suit Cases in fibre are $1 and —for marketing and for many uses Mason Fruit Jars—quart size;
And Urene dC V>ninc -DIOUSCS 'li. 1 while . le f th ers range from that do not require the very latest packed_one dozen to a carton—Spe-
Jr #3.50 to #13.50. style, yet will wear satisfactorily; c i a l 15<\
Will be offered for sale this evening and all of to-morrow Trunks range from a reliable dress then select from 100-piece American Porcelain
_ . , , . . . _ • or steamer style at #5.25, to the Dinner Set—floral decorations in six
morning at lowest-notch prices finest Wardrobe Style at #72.50. High Shoes, Low Shoes distinct patterns; gold trimmed—i
F (P 10 & *7 £T Wardrobe trunks include the famous t r, ~ , r Special #IO.OO set.
KP&.KJC/ $&•/ O Likly, Indestructo and Belber. and Pumps at a Uniform Sevon's White Enamelware—4-
T , ~, , ~ j. • , , BOWMAN'S —Second Floor. 11 r> • quart Berlin kettles; 4-quart Berlin
1 ou II recognize in these blouses, qualities of georgette and Ulean-Up rnce sauce pots . 2-quart coffee gots^and
crepe de chine that only appear in a regular fo( . Saturday Mo{,/)/! D/yfr ** P "" ~ **
way in blouses marked at twice Venetian Enamelware-blue mot
these amounts. rour specials From . BOWMAN . £ Maln Floor tied on outside and white within; 3
Choose from neatly tailored styles of a seasonable nature—choose from Women's Underwear and anc * 4-quart covered buckets; 2-
models that are fanciful but practical and desirable—choose from models U * n t «- quart coffee pots; 2-quart milk
which have never been marked so low in price—sizes begin at 36. liOSiery department • kettles—Special 19^.
n 1.1. r* D 1 Women's Silk Hose heavv For Saturday Morning — Ekko Portable Cooker com-
Georgette Crepe Blouses, fhreari cilU hicrh cro;™ri plete with can of solid alcohol; used
■ ' : iffec-.. thread silk, with high spliced heel A Savin* For Men in for heating liquids or for preparing
$2.25. and wide garter top; in black and Saving ror IVlen in a quick di f h -Special 190. *
U Wornp?'c CI T c*ii. Seasonable Underwear 6-quart Aluminum Preserve Kettle
Crepe de chine Blouses, Women s Lisle and Fibre Silk -famous "Wear-Ever" brand; a
«'■ H ° se— "? k ' hlte ' S ra y and tan Men's Swissani Athletic Union splendid value in a busy preserving
$2.39. igjr w P ~fP eicial \ J* P air c .. . Suits—plain checks and silk finished period; bail handle—Special 83(«.
fJ, I Women s Union Suits sleeve- materials; sizes 34 to 46—Special "Wear-Ever" Aluminum Stew
Georgette Crepe Blouses, -to f/l l/fr MI- : less; lace and tight knee styles; JtJe. (Second quality). Pan—2-quart capacity; deep style;
<r«o yc regu ar an extra sizes pecial, Men's Mesh Shirts and Drawers exceptionally low priced—Special
ipCi.lD. ■ ■ * , «... ... TT . _ . —white shirts and drawers (knee 39c.
(On sale main and third floors') cle P vel^!r. S \l rf > InH ' length); ecru shirts and drawers, 10 cakes of Swift's Prize Soap—
'h Ws sleeveless, tight knee (ankle length)— Special gar- a fine laundry soap Special 10
styles—Special 4o£. ment cakes for
BOWMAN'S—Main Floor. BOWMAN'S—Main Floor. _ _ BOWMAN'S—Basement.
to suck an acrr.onia ampule and die
slowly.
"Closing-up time! Rapidly the
| valves are shut down, the jet pipes
withdrawn and plugged and stacked
away. Feverishly the men work at
bagging up their cylinders again. Im
perturbablv a sergeant stalks down the
ruined and battered trench, shepherd
ing his flock towards their dugout. He
is an old-timer—a transfer from the
1 infantry—and he scarcely quivers as a
shell bursts behind a traverse he has
just left. Quietly he directs two of the
men to carry an unconscious case to
the nearest point of the communica
tion trench where stretcher-bearers
may be found.
"In the dugout with the shells still
1 pounding overhead, the section's roll
is called. Most of the men answer
i to their names. Some are answered by
I comrades as wounded and for others
no one anwers at all.
"But over in the German trenches
hundreds of men are choking and
gasping in agony for an hour before
they can die. They have been made
to quaff their own medicine."
Shoots Lessee of Wife
When Refused Rental
Pittsburgh, Aug. 25.—Having rented
his wife for a year to Nicholas Plush
achefsky for an agreed prtce of SIOO,
Yokim Batalskl grew angry because
the lessee refused to pay the rental.
While Plushachefsky, who works
nights, was asleep in his room, Batal
ski broke down the door and insisted
that the money be paid. Batalski did
not get his money, but Plusachefsky
did receive in the stomach two re
volver bullets out of four aimed at
him.
Mrs. Batalskl frankly told the po
lice of the contract by which she had
been leased, declaring she and her
husband had in good faith carried out
their part of the agreement. She said
her husband had repeatedly de
manded the money from Plusha
chefsky.
Sews Hens' Eyelids to
Cure Them of Pecking
Portland, Ore., Aug. 25.—Because
she sewed shut the eyes of three hens
to keep them from pecking their
broods of new chicks, Mrs. Mary
Loveland is the party of the first part
In a warrant secured by Humane Offi
cer Pitts.
According to Mrs. Loveland, her
hens acted all right while they were
hatching their families, but when the
chicks burst through their shells the
mothers manifester their displeasure
by trying to peck the down from the
youngsters' bodies. Mrs. Loveland
decided she wasn't going to have the
helpless infants maltreated, so took
a needle and thread and performed
the operation which Pitts says is
cruelty to animals.
Woman, 84, Makes Hay
and Cares For Garden
Cooveville. Tenn., Aug. 25. Mrs. <
Nellie France, 84, who lives near!
Beaver Hill, mowed hay last week,
j "Aunt Nellie' enjoys remarkably good
' health. She has a splendid garden
| which she has made herself, doing all
;of the hoeing.
While her hay was being mowed
she went to the hay field and asked
; permission to drive the mower, which
was being pulled by two large mules.
| Her request being granted, she made
[ several rounds in the large hay field,
j She did the work with steady nerve
1 and insisted upon driving longer, but
' the overseer, fearing that she would
! overexert herself, prevailed upon her
! not to do so. The day following, how
ever, she donned her sunbonnet and
went back to the hay field and raked
all day. She frequently rides horse
back from her home to Monterey, a
distance of eight miles.
Peppered His Bed, Says
Man Asking Divorce
Toungstown, Ohio, Aug. 25. The
| charge that his wife vented her spite
on him by spattering cayenne pepper
in his bed is one of the allegations
in a divorce petition filed by David'
IL. Lodwick against Jennie Lodwick.
Other attentions which Lodwick
| claims his wife showed him during
their marital career of eight years
were a blow on the head from a
hatchet, a dash of acid in the face
and a practice of burning his shoes!
, and clothing. He declares she locked j
him out of the house, and later caused i
his arrest when he cut his way
| through the screen door. I
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
BUT THIS IS HOW
/OH
(AUNEWPORT.. I KEPT TftINGS SURGED)
> OP TOO ?
BUT
HOW'JBE PIP ITI
EMBARGO OX U. S. GLASSWARE
By Associated Press
Pittsburgh, Pa., Aug. 25. QUu
manufacturers in the Pittsburgh dis
trict were notified to-day by their
London agent* that an order In coun>
cji had been loflugd alacln* an
AUGUST 25, 1916.
bargo upon American table glassware.
Shipments leaving the United States
before August 18, the cables stated,
would be accepted. While the order
was made to read table glassware,
manufacturers were of the opinion
that all kinds would be affected ex
cept, possibly, lighting glassware of
which England buys a considerable
quantity in this country.
Uncle's Million Dollar
Estate Dwindles to $5
Los Angeles, Aug. 2 J. —After jour
neying across the continent from her
home in Monessen, Pa., to secure her
deceased uncle's "fortune" of sl,-
000,000, Mrs. A. T. Blush has left for
home, satisfied that tne fortune does
not exist.
Inquiries at a local bank where
Edwin Kerns, the uncle, was sup
posed to have had a safety deposit
box containing the $1,000,000, re
vealed the fact that Kerns had in
September, 1915, withdrawn his valu
ables. Mrs. Blush will receive, it is
said, about $5 for her trouble.
Joins British Army
For Revenge; Is Slain
Pottstown, Pa., Aug. 25. Having
lost her sister, Mary, when the Lusi
tania was torpedoed, Miss Allison Bu
chanan has just received a cablegram
telling that her brother, Robert, had
been killed, July 2, while participating
in a drive of the Allied armies in
France.
Filled with a spirit of revenge when
his sister lost her life, Robert, who
was 22 years old, left America and
Joined the First Battalion, London
Scottish volunteers.
Missing Professor
Reported With Allies
Newberry, S. C„ Aug. 25.—-It is re
ported In Newberry that Professor
Fred D. Mac Lean, the young New
CASTORIA For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Hate Always Bought
berry College instructor, who myste
riously disappeared from this city, la
now with the forces of the Allies in
Europe.
Angus Jones, another Newberrlan,
has recently joined the Allies, and is
now. located in Scotland, being con
nected with the commissary depart
ment. It is said that Professor Mac-
Lean is in the same department with
Jones, but no definite information can
be obtained to that effect.
Continued Quiet Results
in Withdrawal of Tender
From Mexican Waters
By Associated Press
Washington. Aug. 25. Continued
quiet along both Mexican coasts re
ducln gthe necessity of keeping a
strong naval force there already has
resulted in the withdrawal of the de
stroyer tender Dixie, for the eastern
coast and other vessels will be relieved
soon.
A plan Is being worked out by the
navy department whereby reserve
battleships will be used as soon as the
ware games are ended, to maintain
the usual peafe time naval strength in
Mexican waters.
TO ISSUE BONDS
Jefferson City, Mo., Aug. 25. The
State Public Service Corporation, up
on application by the road officials to
day granted authority for the St.
Louis and San Francisco Railroad
company, to issue bonds totalling
$194,138,3X6 preferred stock to the
amount of $9,452,026' and common
stock aggregating $48,000,000. The
application stated the road would
have outstanding on July 2, 1917, in
addition to those authorized to-day,
obligations totalling $321,674,886.
ARCHBISHOP SPALDING WEAKER
Peoria, Ills., Aug. 25. Arch
bishop John Lancaster Spalding who
has been in failing health for the past
two weeks, as the result of a heat
attack, grew weaker during the night
and t< ' ' ''as unable to converse
with relatives.
Bears tha _
3