In a statement Hoess made to Polish authorities, he described the scene inside the gas chamber, explaining:
It could be observed through the peephole in the door that those who were standing nearest to the induction vents were killed at once. It can be said that about one-third died straight away. The remainder staggered about and began to scream and struggle for air. The screaming, however, soon changed to the death rattle and in a few minutes all lay still. After twenty minutes at the latest no movement could be discerned… The victims became unconscious after a few minutes, according to their distance from the intake shaft. Those who screamed and those who were old or sick or weak, or the small children, died quicker than those who were healthy or young.
The gas they were using was prussic acid, which came in a crystalline powder called Zyklon B. This gas would paralyze the victims’ lungs, causing them to suffocate. They would black out from lack of oxygen and pass on into death. Before using Zyklon B, the Nazis usually used truck exhaust, which caused carbon monoxide poisoning. This was not nearly as efficient, and after being gassed, the victims sometimes revived. This didn’t happen with Zyklon B.
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “Victims of History.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 187. Print.
Further Reading:
Rudolf Höss (also Höß, Hoeß or Hoess)
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