Advice
Theory is not real life and pedantry is not real science. If you wish to know what the real dangers of HCN or any highly poisonous gas are, begin by checking what those dangers are in reality and not according to theories, speculations, extrapolations. If you wish to know what real possibilities, if any, there were for the Germans in the ’40s to execute millions of people with HCN, begin by checking what in reality an American execution gas chamber was at that time (building material, shape, technique, operation). If you wish to know what the real possibilities for those Germans to incinerate millions of people in crematories were, begin by checking how many bodies, at the most, a crematory oven in your own country can, today, in reality incinerate in one month (and do not ask how much time is needed to incinerate one body; that question is theoretical and you would make wrong extrapolations from the answers).
R. Faurisson
In the October 1994 issue of the Liberty Bell you printed an article by Friedrich Berg entitled “The Furnace Tender Should Wear a Gas Mask when Tending the Fire”. I contributed a letter which you printed in the April 1993 Liberty Bell, which dealt with the explosive characteristics of HCN and my engineering experience with natural gas and explosion proof equipment.
The existence of an explosive air-gas ratio is not a pre-requirement for the installation of explosion proof electrical devices. What is a concern is the malfunction of equipment or operator error in handling inflammable gases near open flames. Particularly in equipment leaks of heavier than air gas (which does not include HCN) in enclosed areas. In industry propane is the chief villain. In most cases the explosive danger is far fetched but is installed anyway in accordance with the National Electric Code. That does not mean it was a requirement in National Socialist Germany. I am certain that all contemporary designs of any installation that would normally have any level of HCN in the atmosphere would require explosion proof equipment, Dupont notwithstanding.
It is true that HCN’s inflammability limit ranges from 5.6 to 40% by volume in air, but that range is at standard conditions and will expand on an increase of temperature and I believe also with pressure. So if a pocket of air-gas mixture is ignited the sudden temperature increase would also incinerate the more diluted adjacent air-gas volumes, thereby contributing to the flame body or explosion.
Recently, while reviewing my old collection of Life magazines, I came upon an article (Life, December 22, 1947, p. 31) with “before” and “after” photos of a house in Los Angeles being fumigated with Cyanide gas. The “after” picture showed the house completely flattened from a devastating explosion [see reproduction below – ed.]. Also, some time during this year’s news, it was reported that a lady had released all at once 25 cans (bug bombs) of fumigants in her house resulting in an explosion.
In real life, HCN does explode. I also agree that the danger is generally ignored by most people handling the stuff.
Yours truly, R.T., California
Liberty Bell (USA), December 1994, p. 36-37.
Dilettantische Kammerjäger
Das ging gründlich daneben. Drei vergiftete Ortsbewohner und eine Reihe überlebender Holzwürmer waren das Fazit einer gründlich verpatzten Aktion gegen die Schädlinge in einer Kirche im kroatischen Urlaubsort Lovran bei Rijeka. Wegen der unsachgemäßen Arbeit der Kammerjäger mußten mehrere hundert Einwohner des Ortes sicherheitshalber evakuiert werden.
Die Kammerjäger wollten in der Nacht mit hochgiftigem Gas gegen die Holzwürmer in der Kirche des Heiligen Juraj in Lovran vorgehen. Da sie das Gebäude jedoch nicht fachgerecht versiegelt hatten, entwich das Gas in die umliegenden Häuser, in denen die Menschen bereits schliefen. »Wegen der plötzlich einsetzenden Übelkeit sind die Menschen zum Glück gleich aufgewacht, das hat sie vor dem sichere Tod gerettet«, schrieb die Zeitung Vecernji List. Dennoch erlitten drei Bewohner schwere Vergiftungen. Der Bürgermeister entschloß sich zur Evakuierung des Ortskerns. Die Kammerjäger wurden festgenommen : Die Holzwürmer überlebten. dpa [Deutsche Pressagentur].
*****
Germar Rudolf, Diplom-Chemiker, to Robert Faurisson (December 5, 1995):
“Die dpa-Meldung wird […] auch in vielen anderen Zeitungen erschienen sein. In der Tat beweist diese Meldung das, was Sie immer behauptet haben auch gegen die Skepsis manches Revisionisten, mich eingeschlossen.”
[“This dpa news also appeared in many newspapers. In fact, this news proves what you have always asserted also against the scepticism of many revisionists, including myself.”]
December 20, 1995