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T H E JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
course of the experimental work, 40 tons of mustard were produced at this plant, and shipped to Edgewood. EXPERIMENTAL STATION
On August I, 1918,the Development Division took over an idle manufacturing plant .near Cleveland, Ohio, for the purpose of developing and manufacturing a poison gas. A personnel of 600 officers and men was rapidly assembled; barracks for 1000men were put up. The work progressed with such rapidity that a t the time of the signing of the armistice the plant was on a production basis. DEVELOPMENT O F BOOSTER CASINO AND QLASS-LINED
SHELL
Special Investigations Section
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BOOSTER CASING-On August 8, 1918,the problem of developing a booster casing and adapter for 75-mm. gas shell was undertaken by the Development Division a t the request of the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service. This work was to be carried out independently of that in progress under the direction of the Ordnance Dppartment. Methods of manufacturing booster casings by die casting froni an aluminum copper alloy and by machining in one piece from iron castings or bar stock steel were investigated. At the time of the signing of the armistice, a very promising die cast boocjter casing and adapter with a die cast lead jacket had been designed and tests on it partially completed. The chief advantage of this arrangement is the rapidity with which it can be produced. However, the best solution to the booster question was believed to be to machine them in one piece from bar stock steel. An experimental production unit for the manufacture of these booljter casings, as established a t the plant of the U. S. Automatic Company, Amherst, Ohio, had a demonstrated capacity of 2000 per 24-hr. day. GLASS-LINED SHELL-OTl August 17, 1918, the problem Of duplicating the French process of lining gas shell with glass was assigned to the Special Investigations Section. Some experimental work on this problem had been carried out a t the Corning Glass Works under the direction of the Research Division of the Chemical Warfare Service. It had been concluded from these experiments that a glass-lined shell, on account of its fragility, was inferior to an enameled or a lead-coated shell. The experiments a t the Corning Glass Works were continued under the direction of this section with the purpose of improving detsils of manufacture so as to produce a glass lining that would be inore resistant to shock. A parallel series of experiments was begun a t the National Lamp Works of the General Electric Company, More than 700 shell were lined at Corning and a lining developed that would withstand a drop of 15 in. on concrete floor. Out of 125 of these shell shipped to Cleveland, Ohio, from Corning, New York, a-distance of 311 miles, only two linings cracked. The seal between the booster casing and the glass lining was so arranged that cracking of the glass would not result in leakage of the gas, but only in contact of the gas with the lining At the time of the signing of the armistice, production at the rate of 500 per day could have been attained on a week’s notice. DEVELOPMENT DIVISION CHEXICAL WARBARE SERVICE NELAPARK,CLEVELAND, OHIO
THE ORGANIZATION AND WOFUC OF HANLON FIELD By JOEL H. HILDEBRAND Received February 10, 1919
In view of the description from time to time in the pages of THISJOURNAL of various phases of the work of the Chemical Warfare Service i t will doubtless be of interest to include a brief description of the organization and work of Hanlon Field, where
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the writer had the privilege of serving from the beginning of its experimental activity in June until the end of its work late in November 1918. The two principal activities carried on a t the Field were training and experimental work. The A. E. F. Gas Defense School was established there in June, being largely the result of the foresight of Lt. Col. G. N. Lewis, Chief of the Defense Division of the C. W. S., who appreciated the tremendous task involved in providing trained gas officers for our rapidly growing army. The success of the school was due to a great extent to the experience, skill, and devotion of Capt. pi. A. Bush (of the Bush Chemical Co.) who, though an American, enlisted as a private in the Canadian army and had long and valuable experience in various capacities in the British army, including Division Gas Officer and Corps Chemical Adviser. . Capt. Bush was virtually Director of the A. E. F. Gas Defense School, though he could not be officially appointed as such on account of not being an American officer a t the time. The school trained over 2000 officers in gas warfare during the period of hostilities, making thereby a contribution of incalculable value towards winning the war. Later an offense course was added, intended primarily for officers entering the C. W. S. and destined for positions on the staffs of Division, Corps, and Army Gas Officers. This course was in charge of Capt. F. H. Scheetz, a chemist who was also an artilleryman. The experimental work involved a wide variety of problems, Many of these were submitted by the First Gas Regiment, whose Commanding Officer, Col. E. J. Atkinson, was also for a period Commandant of Hanlon Field, so that very close relations existed between the work of the Field and the needs of the Regiment. The Engineer Officer of the Regiment, Capt. J. E. Mills (professor of chemistry a t the University of North Carolina), furnished much valuable counsel in connection with this work, whch included the making and correcting of range tables, the filling of large numbers of Livens drums with H. E. for use a t the front, design and testing of various means of transporting gas-troop material, study of rapid means of projector emplacement, manufacture of light emergency base plates for Stokes mortars, and the formulation of problems for experiment and of specifications for equipment to be manufactured in the States. Equipment of all sorts coming from the States was tested with a view to its performance and suitability under field conditions. The behavior of gases in the open was extensively studied in connection with tactical problems, and for the information of gas officers. A great deal of enemy material was examined and described, and the opening of enemy gas shell and the analysis of their contents was a routine operation. Hanlon Field was situated within a few hours’ run from all points of the American front, so that the constant visits of gas officers and officers of the First Gas Regiment to Hanlon Field, and the visits of the members of the Hanlon Field Staff to the front made possible an appreciation of actual conditions a t the front invaluable in the work of the Field. Sixty special reports emanating from the Hanlon Field Staff described work and presented conclusions and recommendations, many of which led to valuable results in the conduct of the war. Since Hanlon Field represented a geographic extension of all of the activities of the Chemical Warfare Service, the Commandant of the Field was appointed by and was directly responsible to the Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. The table here reproduced shows the organization of Hanlon Field a t the signing of the armistice, except for a few minor subsequent changes. Several well known chemists will be recognized among the members of the staff, together with names of younger chemists less well known, perhaps, but whose services were in most instances of a high order. It was often necessary
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to use technically trained men temporarily for positions of an executivezcharacter, instead of for experimental work, which duties-were always performed with a splendid spirit of devotion to the welfare of the Field as a whole. The sections on physiology andIpathology include names of international reputation. ORGANIZATION
COMMANDANT: Lt. Col. J. H. Hildebrand A.
ADJUTANT: Capt. G . P. Blakney
E. F. GAS DBRENSESCHOOL: Capt. W. A. Bush, R. E. Capt. H. Anderson, R. E Capt. I. J Bowman 1 s t 1,t. H J. Nichols
OFPGNSECOURSE: Capt. F . H. Scheetz 1st Lt. J. 0. Thoen 1st Lt. F. L. Firebaugh FIEI,D COMPANY: Capt. E. Patterson 2d Lt. D . L. Hough Mess and Billets: 2d 1.t. G. J. Levy Range and Town Major: 1st Lt. E. B. Peck POST SURGEON: Capt. R . I. Dorge, M. C.
SUPPLIES : 1st Lt. L. G. Eisele 1st Lt. B. G. Davidson EXPERIMENTAL WORK: Maj. E M. Dunn
Regorts: Capt. T. D . Stewart Artillery: Capt. F. H. Scheetz 1st Lt. J. 0. Thoen Chemistry: Capt. J. L. Crenshaw Capt. H . I. Cole Engineering: Capt. J. L. Alden 1st Lt. R G. Bowman Field Gas Experiments: Capt. B. B. Freud Ordnance Laboratories: (Shell opening, shell filling. gaine filling) 1st Lt. Edwin Smith, jr. Pathology: Maj. H. C. Clark, M. C. Maj. A. M. Pappenheimer, M. C. Maj. C . B. Farr, M. C. Capt. B. M. Vance, M. C. Physiology: Maj. A. N. Richards Cap. S. Goldschmidt Capt. D W. Wilson
The enlisted personnel required for all purposes numbered 250, and included a number of technically trained men assigned to the various sections. There were fifty-five major buildings, all constructed since April 1918,including barracks, mess halls, lecture auditorium, garage, machine shop, laboratories of chemistry, pathology, and physiology, animal shelter, stables, Y . M. C. A., warehouse, magazine huts, shell opening and filling plants, and gaine filling plant. The field equipment included a plentiful supply of mortars, projectors, cylinders, 75 mm. and 155 mm. guns and ammunition. There were two projector ranges and an artillery range provided with protected observation post, telephone line, and trenches In conclusion, it is desired to add a word of appreciation of the attitude towards experimental work of the Chief of the
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Chemical Warfare Service, A. E. F., Brig. Gen. Amos A. Fries. General Fries is an experienced army engineer and acquired a remarkable grasp of the scientific problems connected with gas warfare. He showed himself very appreciative of the value of experimental work and exceedingly open to new ideas growing therefrom. He deserves a high place in the esteem of American chemists. DEPARTMENT OP CHEMISTRY OF CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY BERKELEY
CONTINUOUS VACUUM STILL FOR “MUSTARD GAS”
I
B y ELPORD D. STREETER Received January 24, 1919
T h e a p p a r a t u s herein described was constructed for t h e continuous distillation of “ m u s t a r d gas,” or dichloroethylsulfide, (CH2C1CH2)2S. As shown i n t h e drawing, t h e a p p a r a t u s is fitted u p for a s t u d y of t h e process a n d t h e products obtained, r a t h e r t h a n for plant operation. T h e work on t h i s problem was left unfinished, because a change i n t h e methods of m a n u facturing t h e crude mustard gas rendered t h i s sort of a distillation unnecessary. This report is now being made as a m a t t e r of history, a n d with t h e hope t h a t some features of t h i s work m a y be of value in solving some peace-time problem. T h e crude mustard gas with which we h a d t o deal, contained, beside a large a m o u n t of sulfur a n d organic polysulfides t h a t formed a t a r r y residue after distillation, considerable free hydrochloric acid, ether, a n d other low volatile substances t h a t have not been identified. M u s t a r d gas itself boils a t 217’ C. at atmospheric pressure, b u t with considerable decomposition. I t m a y be distilled, under a high vacuum, b u t i t is i m p o r t a n t t o limit t h e t i m e of exposure of a given portion of t h e liquid t o t h e necessary high temperature, t o t h e shortest possible t i m e . T h e construction a n d operation of t h e a p p a r a t u s will be understood b y reference t o t h e drawing. T h e stock bottle for t h e crude mustard gas stood on a p l a t form scale, t o facilitate determining t h e r a t e of consumption. T h e r a t e of flow was regulated b y a cock, a n d observed through a sight glass. T h e liquid t h e n entered a pre-heating coil consisting of 50 ft. of I/z-in. lead pipe, in a b a t h of h o t oil. This oil was kept at a predetermined t e m p e r a t u r e b y means of valves in t h e oil circulating system (not shown). T h e hydrochloric acid a n d other low volatile substances vaporize i n t h e coil, a n d in t h e earlier experiments made i t impossible t o secure a uniform flow. Therefore a gas separator was installed. This consisted of a cylinder 4 in. in diameter a n d 1 2 in. deep, surrounded b y a jacket filled with hot oil. T h e liquid entered a t t h e side, 3 in. above t h e b o t t o m , a n d was withdrawn a t t h e bottom. A gauge glass was provided t o show t h e level of the liquid in t h e chamber. This level should be k e p t constant. T h e gas sepa r a t e d i n t h e upper p a r t of t h e chamber a n d was led off i n t o t h e scrubbing a n d condensing system t o be described later. A regular flow of liquid through t h e pre-heater was maintained b y controlling t h e valve on 1 Published by permission of the Director of the Chemical Warfare Service.
