Twenty-six miles from Baltimore on the edge of the government's
vast proving grounds, (Aberdeen), is [a] tract of land
fenced off even from the comparative publicity of the conventional
big guns. Early in the year 1917 here were the homes of a group
of Maryland farmers. Twelve months later was found instead, the
largest poison-gas factory in the world. The U.S. Government
had, by expending $72,000,000, built a factory capable of producing,
three or four times over, more mustard gas, phosgene, chlorine
and other noxious fumes, than the intensified output of England,
France and Germany combined. Nowhere in the world was there anything
like it. Now it lays idle, the machinery dismantled, but still
able to operate at a moment's notice.
Edgewood Arsenal (official name) was a city of brick kilns,
high chimneys, correlated vats in series, repeated shot
towers, miles of railway, miles of pipe lines, machinery
of the finest type and of most perfect installation, housed in
concrete and sheet-iron, built apparently for permanence. Situated
only a few miles from the Gunpowder River, with concrete piers
built in the midst of the once fine duck hunting preserves, its
shipping facilities were the very best. There, at these piers
vessels could be loaded with gas from the factory ready to sail
direct to Havre without a stop. Enormous in size and far-reaching
was the plant, each unit separated to avoid concentrated explosions.
Impressive to anyone becoming accustomed to the thought that
all this ingenious, costly mechanism was built to generate poison
for the sole purpose of horribly maiming and frightfully killing
our enemies.
In the manufacture of poison-gas, the basic elements are
salt, sulphur and alcohol, which, broken up into component
parts and chemically reunited, in some cases by heat, in
others by means of cold, and again by the force of gravity, form
mustard gas, phosgene, phosphorous and chlorine, etc., which
have been found efficacious in modern warfare. For cold processes,
vast refrigerators, covering acres were built. For heat, enormous
boilers and hot rooms were used. Curious towers of splendid steel
scattered around the plant, supported pipes, down which in a
different process were dropped chemical elements, which were
thus forced to fuse by gravity. Of all the poison gas manufactured,
mustard gas was found, for all purposes, to be the most effective
gas used because it advances comparatively easy and also so because
it is most difficult to protect against. Prussic acid, considered
to terrible by many, was discarded by the Germans because it
was too mild and as its substitute used mustard gas. So deadly
was its effect and so dangerous in handling, workers were compelled
to use the utmost precaution. The casualty rate per day in the
mustard gas plant averaged 3½ per cent of the force or
100% per month. The following accident will also show how powerful
and deadly the stuff really was. A worker came in from the plant
to the office. He wore rubber gloves as all do who come in contact
with the gas, but he did not know he had been near enough to
pick up mustard oil. He picked up a chair, placed it in front
of the desk, intending to seat himself. At that moment the phone
rang and he stepped to the phone to answer. Another helper entered
and took the seat at the desk. Forty-eight hours later he was
dead. The first helper had accidentally rubbed mustard oil on
the back of the chair. It had found its way through the clothes
of the second man and entered his spine. From this case you can
easily imagine the casualty of the enemy who receives it.
According to records, chlorine gas was first used in the
world war by the Germans April 22, 1915. Despite their boasted
efficiency, they did not understand the effectiveness of
the gas they were using. For instance, when they first used gas,
they waited twenty-four hours before following up with a bayonet
attack, evidently fearful the gas had not dissipated. As a matter
of fact the gas dissipated within thirty-five or forty-minutes
after its release and in that short time, it annihilated 80%
of the Canadians, Tureos and French opposing them. Had the Germans
attacked within the hour they would have taken Calais that day,
for there was nothing to prevent them. However, there were other
obstacles confronting them. They depended at first on the wind
to convey the gas over the lines and this proved unsuccessful,
for the prevailing winds of Northern France are 75% of the time,
from a southerly or southwesterly direction, and were in the
wrong direction. Later they devised guns and mortars to shoot
it across, and no doubt if they had had these guns earlier in
the war, it would have ended in their favor at an early date.
But the one reason for their downfall was their inability to
make sufficient gas to supply their army.
A study of the production of gas by the warring nations will
give the reader an idea of what the U.S. accomplished in a
short twelve months. England, utilizing every available facility
could command, as their highest production only 30 tons per day.
The French production at the best was much less than the English.
Germany, after four years of preparedness could only produce
at the highest, only 30 tons per day. United States in twelve
months under all kinds of handicaps, built a factory, invented
all machinery and the average production per day for the last
two months (September and October), of the twelve months was
200 tons.
After the Armistice was signed, I had the pleasure of hearing
the man, Col. William H. WALKER, of Boston Technical,
lecture. To him goes all the credit of U.S. rapid advance
in gas manufacture. He planned his own factory, invented all
machinery and put the factory in running order. His address dealt
chiefly with what the U.S. Government intended doing, had the
war continued another year. Preparations had been made for the
biggest gas offensive ever undertaken. Sixty days before the
Armistice was signed, there was perfected in this country, a
device whereby mustard gas could be transported in one ton containers
by airplanes. Released from a plane with a time fuse connected
and arranged for explosion, several hundred feet above the objective,
the gas being heavier than air, would settle and also disperse.
Such a container released would account for an acre or more of
territory and not even a rat would live through. The planes were
made and demonstrated, the containers were made and the mustard
gas was ready. One thing prevented immediate use. The allied
governments were not in favor of such a wholesale gas attack
by air. England was the first to accede to it, but France hesitated
because of fear of reprisals. Finally France consented, but only
with the proviso the attack would not be made until our line
had advanced so that there was no danger of the gas being blown
back in French territory, and not until the allied armies had
complete command of the air. These two conditions held U.S. preparations
up and it was impossible to meet them before the next spring.
We would have had ready in France, thousands of tons of gas for
such an attack and we could have wiped out any German city we
might single out. However, it was not to be. They capitulated.
Col. WALKER stated, he believed and was almost certain, that
the reason of their capitulation was the knowledge they possessed
of our gas preparations. They knew then their last hope was gone
and if there was any final argument that helped them make up
their minds it was our gas production.
United States had on the docks ready for shipment 2,500 tons
of mustard gas, the day the Armistice was signed. By
now, as it is of no commercial value, it has been taken to
sea and dumped overboard. There was nothing else to do with the
gas and there was enough of it if properly liberated to kill
every human being on both American continents. Out of the $72,000,000
expenditure there was just one little bit of salvage, a fifteen
ton consignment of brom-benz cyanide (tear compeller), which
has the effect of blinding people for six to eight hours, and
which was saved for police stations. During the experiments two
new gases were discovered - yet unknown to anyone in Europe or
Asia and more effective than either mustard or phosgene. However
there was no time to utilize them in this war and they have been
locked up for future reference.