Item 04: John Duncan McRae diary, 6 May-18 September 1917 - Page 100

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[Page 100]

Aug. 22 We marched to the canal-bank & there heard a lecture on the latest German gas, commonly called 'mustard' gas.

The afternoon was a half-holiday.

Alan and I visited the Arques glass-works & saw the complete process entailed in producing tumblers, wine glasses, liqueur glasses, lamp-funnels etc.

The process itself was exceedingly interesting, but my attention directed was drawn chiefly to the workers themselves. There were worn out, emaciated-looking men, girls, and boys, many of very tender years, like so many other earthly devils in a little hell of their own. Some worked around the furnace filled with molten glass, others carried bits of this on long blow-tubes, others blew it & so on. (Of course all our cigarettes & matches soon leaked out of our pockets.)

I noticed, one wee chap in particular: he had to set a mould for the blowers & was kept busy

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