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Lethal
Gas Chamber. Salem, Oregon, USA 1938
Original caption: Efficient Lethal Chamber Replace Noose
in Oregon. This lethal chamber has replaced the
hangman's noose as a means of execution at the Oregon
Penitentiary, at Salem. Death comes quickly and cheaply
in this octagon-shaped metal box provided with five
bullet proof windows for observation. When the
executioner pulls the lower lever near the chamber's
window, cyanide eggs placed beneath the doomed person's
chair are spilled into a crock containing a solution of
sulphuric acid. Deadly cyanide gas generated by the
combination causes the prisoner to loose consciousness
in 30 seconds. Death occurs within four minutes. After
the execution is over, the manipulation of the upper
lever expels the gas from the chamber through a vent 40
feet above the prison roof. Guards wearing gas masks
enter and remove the body. The cost of the deadly gas is
less than a dollar per execution.
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