DETAILS OF GAS TESTS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 359, 13 February 1937, Page 5

DETAILS OF GAS TESTS

BOOK PUBLISHED.

MASKS USELESS

Disclosures Of Experiments At Cambridge.

Press Association—Copyright

Received 11.40 p.m. London, February 12. Simulta.-eously with a sudden overnight "black-out” test at Bedford, which was chosen as being an important strategic town, while R.A.F. bombers carried out a realistic raid which seems to have awakened everybody, Victor Gollanz published a book describing the Cambridge gas tests reported on February 8. He discloses that the gas penetrated bricks and plaster, the cracks covered with brown paper, sealed doors and fireplaces. In one room gas,' which outside would be fatal in two and ahalf minutes, would kill indoors in 10 minutes.

The scientists also tested incendiary bombs and discovered that the official remedy of spreading sand is useless. Even welding thermit, which is a comparatively mild incendiary, burned under water through the metal and sand.

Completely gas-tight rooms could only be constructed by experts at great expense. The test of the civilian gas mask costing 17/6 showed that it would protect against chlorine for four hours, but did not solve the problem of protection against mustard gas, which attacks the whole body.