The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-30


The wounded and dying brought
in in every Imaginable manner and
conveyance. Some succeeded in walk
ing there and then fell fainting on the
floor, where they We're allowed to lie
until they could be attended to.
Some came there only to die and be
sent to the Morgue.
The entire corps of physicians was
on hand in Il few minutes and busy as
they could possibly be.
At first efforts were made to keep
I some record of the injured and the ma
ture of their injuries, but the number
increased so rapidly that the stern
necessity for prompt attendance made
time too valuable to allow it to be de-
voted to asking questions.
Cots were collected from every
available source and in a few minutes
the Dispensary waiting-rooms and the
halls were filled to their utmost capac-
ity with injured and dying victims.
The whole scene was but dimly re-
vealed by the dull light of candles
hastily purchased at an adjacent
grocery store, and stuck up in corners
wherever a place could be found.
In and out among the injured, ter
ror stricken people were searching for
| friends orrelatives who where missing.
Failing in their search at the Dispen-
sary they would start for the MOrgue.
Health Commissioner Starklotf ap-
peared with his right arm hung in Il
sling and useless. He had not known
whether it was broken or not and did
not have time to lind out
The rain was falling in sheets and
the ambulances coming up at gallop
with more injured.
The City Hospital was a wreck.
Where to send the injured was the
problem. The Exposition was offered
SO was the Auditorium: then the
Armory. None of these would do.
The roof was off the Auditorium. The
roof was off the Armory.
Then Mrs. Scott, wife of the man in
charge OF the Armory, came to the
rescue. Get into the Good Sheperd
Convent. was her suggestion, and it
was instantly adopted.
DR.. Starkloff enlisted any one he
could lay hands on and under the
guidance of a Post-Dispatch reporter
the Convent was invested.
Mrs. Scott and the Sisters there
had already began to do the needed
work. The dark, empty room, which
had Il history OF their own already,
We're thrown as Il refuge for the vic
tins of the storm. The gas burned
with but a dim flicker. SO lamps and
candles had to be procured from ali
available sources.
The Missouri Railway Co., sent
down a lot of headlights. which helped
out considerably.
Blankets were procured from the
Armory, and "a wagon load of cots
was sent from the Missouri Tent and
Awning Co.
Dir. Brokaw had Il buggy load of
surgical necessities, and more were
sent from the City Hall.
Capt. Iiumbold of the Light Bat
terry assembled his hospital corps in a
remarkably brief space of time, and
soon had them in good working order.
The attery medicine chest was put
into service and within an hour from
the time the doors were opened a new
hospital had sprung into existence to
replace the old one which had been
blown down by the wind.
Then the injured began to arrive.
Not one came in without serious in
jury. Those who were only slightly
nurt had refrained from going to the
Dispensary. BY 10 O'Clock jS suffer-
ers had arrived and We're cared for.
Two large rooms IN the southeast
corner were filled'with the injured. The
surgeons with their sleeves rolled up
to the elbow were going about reduc-
ing fractured legs and arms, tying up
wounds and men0ing broken heads.
The sufferers grOaned and cried and
many wanted to be : mt home. so that
their families might not be unduIy
alarmed about them.
Il was impossible 70 send anr one
home. as all the available ambulance
service was oyer-Orked gathering up
the dead and dying.
There was no way TO feed them at
tie Good shepherd. as the commits
-a.E rad not been established. so
they We're divided into .wC groups
aGG one half sent 70 the Alexian
Brothers Hospital in South St Louis
and the other half sent TO St. Johns
Hospital on Lucas place.
Is soon as the Good Shepherd Con-
gent was cleared % lis casual suffer
eys. arrangements were made 70 trans
fer the patients from the wreck Of the
tity Hospital to the new quarters
The artillery ambulance was still IN
service. having used up TWO sets Of
huracs during the night.
The Health observation-disclosures were
going with new teams, and every
available conveyance was pressed in
to service.
The work even then was slow on'ac-
count OF the roundabout route the
wagons had TO take 20 20 from one
place to another.
The new hospital is sadly in need OF
underclOthing and clothes for the pa