St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-10
The War in the East.
DAY AMONG THE WOUNDED IN ER-
ZEHOoM.

EkADhMs
10 tks Editor Of The Boston Jeernal.
Twelve days ago the first real hat
tie since the fall of Arabian took place
Sin days ago there was another. In
these two engagements probably Not
less than two OF three thousand men
were wounded. There were no ambul-
ances on the field, no surgeons. in fact
It tETT=Tssrs:ss>s..= -l.s.t.aU..T for caring for
the WOUaded. The pOos fellows after
lying for hours, perhaps days, where
they fell, were finally loaded on to
ox-earts aud started on for Erzernom.
50 miles away. After lying for three OF
four days on these carts, under the
burning sun, and covered with dust.
they finally arrive ia EIzeroOm and are
put into khan, where they spend the
night lying on the bare floor with not
so much as n blanket to cover them.
AbOLt eight o'clock this morning Mr.. G.
and myself, with two native assistants,
gained admittance to the khan, having
the day previous succeeded, after much
veNatious delay, IN obtaining a paper
from the Government, without which
we should be unable to do anything.
Immediately on entering we saw a
man wounded in the face. The ball
had entered the left cheek, making
fearful hole, and passed out just under
nose. Several days had passed and the
wound still undressed. Such sight
hope never to see again. The stencil
was something fearful, and the mans
cheek, tongue, mouth and nose, literally
alive with worms. For want of a bet
ter instrument | took my pocket knife
nd cI,onnaln1 in Eel I,
of white worms half an inch long. After
a while got very small pair of tweez-
ers, with which, at least, one hundred
were taken out. By the aid of sur
geOn, who happened in, the wound was
cleaned as much as possible, bound up,
clean shirt put on the man and a
blanket produced, on which we left
him. The poor fellow was afterward
taken to the hospital, where he will
probably die for want of care. One
other poor fellow, whose leg was shat
tered by rifle ball, was in much the
same condition, though the worms were
not quite so numerous as in the other
case. We remained in the khan till
o'clock, during which time we helped
to dress at least sixty wounds, provided
our own bandages, lint, spOnges ETC.,
distributing quantity of shirts, and
also bread, for the men were hungry.
Thanks to the Red Cross Society we
have some twenty-five shirts, small
number of bandages, a very little lint
and also few pairs of drawers. "But
what are they among so many ?" The
| Government actually has no prepara-
tion for the few hundreds now here.
What will become of the thousands yet
to be brought in !? Unless money and
supplies are provided Immediately not
only will there be most terrible suffer-
ing, but hundreds and perhaps thou
sands, must die, and all for lack of
proper preparation.
kilograms have all ready been sent
to England and Constantinople asking
for money and supplies, which it is
hoped will be forthcoming at once.
We, the American missionaries at Er-
zeroom, have entered upon this work
with the intention of devoting our time
and strength to it, and most cordially
invite all friends of humanity in Europe
and America to aid in this work of
mercy, and we also most cordially un-
dertake to distribute, rs faithfully and
judiciously as possible, all money and
supplies of whatever kind, which may
come to our hands.
Money is also greatly needed to pro-
vide bread for the thousands of desti-
tute families in and about Erzeroom.
If the war continues six months longer
the suffering of the poor villages must
be fearful. Crops are destroyed, ami
mails stolen, and, in many cases, the in
habitants obliged to flee for their lives.
War and famine in Turkey are ten-fold
more terrible than in most other coun-
tries. God have mercy on the people.
Erzeroom, June 81, 1877. j. E. p.