The New York herald., 1874-08-14
THE LIFE BOAT.
Seven Hundred Sick Infsnts ON Deck
Scenes ON Board the Floating Hospital
of st. JOhn,a Child Yesterday.

Seven Hundred Sick Infants ON Deck
Scenes ON Board the Floating Hospital
of st. Johns Guild Yesterday.
The HERALD has told the story OF the "battle or
baoyhood ior life day py day. There has been no
more color In the argument Of its pubisnings than
IN the faces OF those whose sunerngs 1t attempted
TO picture 1t las been the sad story OF want and
sickness, OF close nosome cellars ana pare oroii-
ing garrets, where, herded together, the little
family OF some unfortunate business man. me-
chanic or common laborer has found lever added
to the hunger that nearly consumed them. when
the great volunteer charity OF 81. Johns Gulid
stepped forward to take the place OF the paid
public Department OF Charities and Correction'
which recalled its physicians and visltots the
HERALD hailed 1t, and when the Floating Hospital
an immense strioe IN advance OF oil previous
attempts. was projected, the HERALD warmly IN
dorsed IT,
Day by day the writer has watched the progress
OF recovery among the hundreds Of infants who'
nursed by their own mothers, were carried over
the waters Of the Sound, the Bay and the HUDSON,
and 1t is wonderul truth to tell that, among all
those who have been on board since the Wednes-
DAY, two weeks ago, when the barge first lett It's
m0orings in Tenth street. not one mas died.
What can be said to surpass this simple fact
Yesterday but 100, including the mothers Oi the
babies, were on board. The upper deck was Ior
this reason more pleasant, while hardly less I'M
DOSING tnan on tne Q8y before. AnOLneT feature
that gave an added picturesqueness TO the scene
was the sunlight that necked the groups in pa ches
by reason or the canvas curtains lowered at the
sides TO protect the sleeping babies. Here IN the
sunlight Law little urchins OF from three 10 SIX
years VI age, playing and pointing out TO each
other the strange sights upon the waters that sur
rounded them Little cripples, some twenty In
number, were scattered about, exhioiilng all
phases Of physical deformity IN their persons and
an air or utter hOpeessnesS in their faces. In the
shade hundred babies were lying at their mothers
feet, ana lully TWO hundred others were held upon
their MOI hers knees and clasped IN their mothers
arms. The corps of ply slclans III attendance were
headed by DR.. Thomas, and were untiring In their
efforts to attend TO all the sufferers whose
mothers pleaded 1Or their presence. Among those
10 whom a DEBT oil gratitude Is owed ls Mr.. rem
nell, OF the steamship company (the Whte star
hnej at whose wharves tue Floating Hosph al
nnds moorlngs, and from which 1t starts. Notice.
able also Ii the uniformly KIM and gentlenanly
conduct of tile officers usually In attendance de-
tailed by Captain Leary, OF the police.
Another barge Will De chartered f0r future ex.
cursions, as the charter which was held by Messrs.
Martin and Kas ;all expires to-day ana with IT the
sup-chai ter OF the Harvest Home to The Guild The
barge has only cost s. 70 per day, while the usual
charge 500. and ON few occasions Is 1t less. 10
Captain R1venburgh; Lasher, the mate; Frank
RivenDurgh, the clerk. and j. II. ShuiCis, the
steward. ana crew, the Guild and the sick alike
consider themselves indebted for numoerless acts
OF kindness.
The total cost OF the excursion was $21S G5.
The Oeef consumed-rOast and DOiled-amounted
to $50 pounds. There were also used $50 quarts OF
milk 200 loaves OF bread, and large quantities Of
rice, butter, sugar, tea. coffee, &c
Destitute Sick Chlldren's Excursion
Fund.
The following additional contributions have