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In practice I think the gas has normally been either hydrogen cyanide or carbon monoxide and both would be unpleasant - basically you would (and did) choke, coughing and spluttering, often pissing and shitting yourself, convulsing, and finally dying of asphyxia.
In reverse order:
None so far as I know.
Almost certainly not though it must depend what gas is used. If an anaesthetic such as nitrous oxide was used it presumably would be, in fact one would probably die laughing (not quite literally by the way). In practice I think the gas has normally been either hydrogen cyanide or carbon monoxide and both would be unpleasant - basically you would (and did) choke, coughing and spluttering, often pissing and shitting yourself, convulsing, and finally dying of asphyxia. Remind me not to experience this!
Basically you strap the guy into a chair in a very small chamber - in the US at least he was naked except for a pair of very loose boxers (since otherwise the gas trapped in his clothing would e dangerous to the guards when they entered to retrieve the corpse). Then at simplest you simply pump the gas in, or run it from a pressurised canister, though cyanide gas was often generated actually in the chamber by dropping a packet of potassium cyanide crystals into a tank of acid actually under the chair (the tank also served to collect his, um, effluvia as he died). Then you pump the gas out and go get the body. I think it normally took maybe 3-5 minutes for him to die though of course it would vary according to the gas and its concentration and they would leave him in longer to be sure.
Thanks a lot, I'm interest about US gas chamber, why prisoner is strapped? It's quite a lot close it in the chamber and close the door outside
OMG, djbear, you have given me such an education. Not many people think to ask about this sort of stuff, but it's interesting as hell when it's finally explained. I am left with this question: what is the rubber hose for that you speak of coming out of the white shirt of the condemned?