The New York herald., 1874-08-06
THE FLOATING HOSPITAL.

The Excursion Yesterdny-New Life and
Restored Health to Dying Infants.
The most interesting, most peculiarly touching
OF all the Tree excursions which the charity OF this
city has accorded TO the children OF Its poor was
that OF yesterday, when the Floating Hospital for
sick children, under the direction of Rev. Alvah
Wiswal, Master Of ST. Johns Guild, made its first
voyage.
Some delay In the arrival OF most necessary
portion Of the commlssariat detained the barge at
the north side an hour or two longer than the
time appointed for the departure. At pier No.
27 crowd OF mothers ami little ones, with
DR.. Thoms, who may justly be called the physician
in ordinary OF these excursions, and . HERALD re-
porter waited expectantly a long while for its
appearance. The mOnot0ny or waiting was, how
ever. broken In rather startling manner by the
sudden cry Of
'.sOME oNB ovERBOARD."
and the Immediate plunge OF man from the
wharf to the rescue. At first 1t was thought that
one OF the children had tumDled into the water,
but the appearance OF man clingtng to one OF
the piles OF the wharf, supporting on one arm the
semi.inanimate form Of woman, showed wholly
different state OF AFFAIRS A woman, whose name
was afterwards found to be Margaret Dwyer,
had made deliberate attempt at suicide,
and was only frustrated in her rash
effort by the prompt and gallant conduct of Mr.. J.
H. Parkinson who happened TO be on the pier at
the time, and without moments hesitation
leaped In and saved the misguided creature.
Shortly after this occurrence the wished barge
came In sight and moved up TO the wharf, The
Dand was playing; the upper deck showed q good
their arms, and many little faces peering out to
watch the new corners join the party. This
detachment being taken on board, the Harvest
Wa0
at the loot OF Sixty first street. On the lower deck
were laid out tables loaded with subs an:al viands
and manilesting In their arrangement the taste
1ul, careful MANAGEMENT OF those truly J1U
KIND LADY MEMBERS
to Mr. Wswa ser er DE
parture from the Sixty-hrst street pier all were
treated 70 breakfast Of tea, milk. bread and
beeL The barge continued her way up the river.
and by and by the effects OF their good meal and
oiiui, heaiihlal innusnce on the crowd Of weakly
infants began 10 make manifest Its benefit The
weary languld little heads lying stlessly on their
mothers b0soms gradually uplilted and the pain
wrung expression OF their pallid faces grew mo.
mentarily less and less The change frOm patient
absolutely astonishing. II was really at ffrst q
nOatlng hospital OF ailing, sickly babies; but, II
alter the two hours SAIL and while the barge
rested in mid stream, opposite Fort Schuyler, q
stranger had come on board he would have seen
a merry, laughing, Joyous crowd OF little folk, with
ever varying throng. There were Of course ex-
ceptions-many to whom pleasure must ever be
only OF a comparative character. poor little boy
was there, a wretched sufferer OF disease OF the
spine, crOuched f
LIKE FROG
upon @ seat. his back bent double his head
pressed deep between his shoulders and his legs
emacaSed 10 q degree. Yet even to him some
ALIENATION came. the panied compression Of the
thin pale lips departed, and The large, thoughtful
blue eyes took q greater interest In the scene
about MIN. 'Yes, sir" he piped in hts feeble
eD pretty deIlcateiacea little girl with sps,ttues s
expression, dark brown eyes and luxuriant brown
hair seemed, as she sat on one OF the benches. to
be, IRON her thorough sense OF enjoyment,
Of that most grim enemy.tne Gripping
ent OF chronic dlsease-the result Of foul
air, neglect, and bad dlet-were too many to take
on board by Dr. Tnoms revealed to the HERALD
representative an amount Ol occult infantne
sna o f MOST
convinced, can be cured, or at least alleviated,
by nature's best medlcaments or fresh air and
numerous, and the enect OF the voyage on the In
vads was wonderful. pretty, very pretty little
about two years oid tastefuly dressed, and with
q nice blue SILK Bretagne bonnet, lay helpless, mo-
tlonIess, in the arms Of its anxious grandam at
the wharf, before the barge came up. Its father
ana mother were far away, steward and steward
ess on board ship that mad gone to Australia.
This little one was able to walk about the deck on
was brought on board at Twenty-third street,
looking more like dead child than living, aud
before the end oil the trip ths one was sitting up
In its happy mothers arms and with baby
wonderment gazing ct the busy stir around.
The many various forms oi SUI suffering which on
merous to give in detail, and yet 30 benefcent to
them was the 0ay's outing, tue fresh, pure air,
the good f0Od tnat most appeared at the end or
the trip restored 20 comparative health The
women and the children, IL has been safd were
neatly dressed: None are 50 charitable to the the
whole resources of the impecunous establishment
were called into play to furnish forth ''poor Mrs:
So and SO and ner SICK bapy' 1Or the occasion. or
the numerous instances or
PATIENT SUFFERING
and privation which yesterdays excursion Pc
vealed the limited space or tins description can
but give the most scanty idea The barge, with
It's living freight, returned. after lew hours
sixty first, Twenty third and Market street PIERS
and then going round TO tnat at the loot OF West
Tenth street. The Union Home Band, directed
cellent music throughout the DAY. Excluding the
item OF Sl7s for crockery, cooking utensils
sxcursion @ a aoansed to but slsa That the expen
diture has reached this very email sum Is mainly
due 10 the generous assistance that IN many quar-
ters was accorded in aid OF tile movement
present OF chest OF first quality tea was given,
no charge was made Tor the barge, the butchers at
Washington Market gave the meat at cost pr1ce,
MI. Simmons, OF Murray street. gratuitOusly pre-
pared 1t; the American Ice Company contributed
800 pounds Of ice and the CONDENSED MIR Com
Wlswall hopes to have many such excursions dur
ing the heated term. The next Will he on Friday,
the 7th inst
Destitute Sick Children's Excursion
Fund.
The following additional contributions have
been received by Rev. Alvah Wiswall, Master OF
ST. Jonn's Guild:-
Cash ............$ IS 90 Alfred NJ. Hoyt..... IS 90
Lawrence Sons. 90 A. H. C......-........ ~ 10
y. w. a Co. 90 George Il. Ward...... w
s. NJ. Jarvis ......... 20 q. G. B.......... / ~
Gaff, Fieischmann c. q. M. 50
observation-disclosures 90 Cash, A. W. B...... Is Ol
Chaa Lung A,Co... Is 90 Baby Willie. ] GU