It was known a long time ago that people saved them against breathing of gas by a piece of some cloth put on the mouth. Common cloth could help man only in this case if he had to move in smoke for a short time. However, at the firemen the situation was other: The saving lives and property of others they risked there own lives and health.

Garrett A. Morgan (1877 - 1963)

For it Garrett A. Morgan from Cleveland was thinking how could help to firemen and so himself. In 1914, he received a patent for breathing equipment. It consisted from a linen cap with a view through it, which was put on a head. From this cap two hoses leaded on the back, there they were again joined and finished by a sponge soaked water which served as a filter against a smoke and cooling hot air.

Morgan’s gas – mask
(from http://web.mit.edu/invent/www/inventorsI-Q/morgan.html)

The first real test of this mask didn’t let wait on itself a long time. When in 1916 a tunnel was being passed under the lake Erie, there was an explosion in one night. Three saving parts tried to relieve working labourers but none of them returned back. When Morgan learned about it he arrived in this place in the moment this way as he was in his pyjama. He had four masks with him however. In spite of warning policemen and firemen, he with his brother and two volunteers set out into the tunnel. In a moment, they could be seen as they were returning and drawing choking labourers. They returned into the tunnel for several time. Morgan saved so the main supervisor this way [including the breathing from the mouths – to - mouth]

 While on the one side of our Globe some people were thinking how to rescued lives on the other side of our Globe German generals were thinking quite other way: In Europe the war was raving mad and Germany needed a success. In addition, even if the poisonous gas was not put away of a low as a war’s arms along The Haag`s International Peaceful Conference from 1899 German military force decided to use it against British and French soldiers. There had to be necessary to protect own soldiers and so it was necessary to think out a gas – mask this time to all intents and purposes.

Fritz Haber (1868 - 1934)

About it, German chemist Fritz Haber took car; in this time, he was a chief of chemical research of Prussian ministry of war. The poisonous gas {180 tunes liquid chlorine which was clanged on a gas] and before it saving mask was first time used by German on 22 April 1915 at Ypernu. The enemy was equipped by palls, which was bound over a nose and mouth and was impregnated by some chemical substance saving against harmful results of breathing this poisonous gas.

The artillery battery in the gas - masks.

The Germans used close- fitting masks with a respirator with charcoal, which filtered {exactly say there was a chemical reaction because molecules of gases were too small on it to could be filtered away]. It is paradox that the military – political machinery, which Huber helped on the world, returned him this way that in 1933 in a time of coming of Nazi he had to leave Germany for his Jewish original.

The gas - mask [1916 – 1918] with a case.
(Three last pictures are from  http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/wk1/kriegsverlauf/gas/index.html)

During The Second World War, inhabitants and troops were equipped by a gas masks for a case that the enemy could use the poisonous gas again.
The day’s masks are used in minors and chemical plants there are equipment for firemen and the rescued parts and so on.