Assessing the Threat of 'Bugs' and 'Gas'

摘要

Martin quintino figures he's ready. On the day after the atrocities of Sept. 11, the 22-year-old Miami salesclerk bought one gas mask, one chemical bodysuit, a pair of camouflage gloves and an airtight hood that seals off the head and neck, all for $150. He wasn't alone. After residents of Snellville, Ga., stocked up on flags, they opened their wallets for $50 chemical suits and $100 water-purification kits. On New York's Fifth Avenue, Larry Lopez has been answering the phone of the Army-Navy store he manages, "We're out of gas masks.