NEWS: Delaware Urged to Beware of Mustard Gas Bombs

A weapon, determined to be a mustard gas bomb from WWI dumped at sea, has injured 3 U.S. Air Force bomb disposal experts. It is believed that these munitions turn up among sea shells used to cover driveways.



It is not unusual to find munitions in driveways of Delware residents, but it is believed to be the first time mustard gas has been found. Standard procedure during WWI was to dump munitions in the sea, and Delaware has been trying to clean it up for some time now.

The three injured have since been discharged from the hospital. Residents have been urged not to touch anything they see that could be a mustard bomb or other munitions but to call 911 immediately.

[edit on 8-6-2004 by Valhall]

This has been a big problem where I live too. I live on the coast of the Firth of Clyde on the west coast of Scotland. There is a trench in these waters stretching to Ireland called Beaufort's Dyke where over a million tons of munitions and arms were dumped after the second world war; some even radioactive. Occasionally after big storms some can be washed up onto the beaches, mostly phosphorous shells.

I love how we take care of things....

Hmm this could be a problem.. let's just sweep it under this rug here so no one will find it for a 100 years...

100 years later...

kaboom.. my driveway explodes mustard gas all over.

Man this must stink. Isn't mustard gas that stuff that rots your flesh. Man I'd hate to have that in my driveway.

cyberdude78
Isn't mustard gas that stuff that rots your flesh.

The most lethal of all the poisonous chemicals used during the war, it was almost odourless and took twelve hours to take effect. Yperite was so powerful that only small amounts had to be added to high explosive shells to be effective. Once in the soil, mustard gas remained active for several weeks.

The skin of victims of mustard gas blistered, the eyes became very sore and they began to vomit. Mustard gas caused internal and external bleeding and attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. This was extremely painful and most soldiers had to be strapped to their beds. It usually took a person four or five weeks to die of mustard gas poisoning. One nurse, Vera Brittain, wrote: "I wish those people who talk about going on with this war whatever it costs could see the soldiers suffering from mustard gas poisoning. Great mustard-coloured blisters, blind eyes, all sticky and stuck together, always fighting for breath, with voices a mere whisper, saying that their throats are closing and they know they will choke."
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk...

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