Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-23
AN AMBULANCE SHIP.
SCHEME CT DR.. VAN REYPEN FOR
NAVAL USE.

1t Ii Intended to Lessen the Horrors Of
War Comfort Of the Sick and Wounded
the Result sought-Will Fly the Geneva
Cross Flag.
DR., w. K. Van Reypen, the head of
the naval medical corps, has devised a
plan for an ambulance ship, the pur-
pose Of which is to extend to the vic
Tins of war on the seas the aid which
is possible through the medical corps
in the land forces.
In DR.. Van Reypen's proposition he
says:
81 submit plans of an ambulance
ship which has been arranged to include
as many conveniences as are practicable
in such vessel. 1t is primarily intend
ed as Il vessel for the care of sick and
wounded men, and all other considera-
tions are made subservient to this end.
"The vessel as designed will be of
$500 tons displacement, 275 feet Oh
the load line and 800 feet over all, with
twin screws and speed Of IA knots, so
foot beam and drawing IS feet, and a
coal capacity of 450 tons, giving IS days
steaming at 10 knots.
1.-THE water tanks will hold 5000
gallons, and the ship will carry four
steam launches and four barges, each
barge arranged with a flying floor be-
tween the thwarts, so as to convenient
ly carry IL cots on the floor. There will
be beds for 274 men and hammock space
for 36; staterooms for s disabled officers,
and cot space for IL. The beds for the
men are hair mattressed ON woven wire
springs, supported by plain iron frame
work with corner stanchions.
"The height of the deck beams, being
s feet, allows two tiers of berths. The
forward ward OH the upper deck has
been left with only one tier of berths
for ward of isolation or to accommo-
date more serious cases. The vessel can
comfortably accommodate $50 wounded
or sick men, with sufficient berthing
space for the crew of the vessel.
"There are quarters for medical
officers, apothecaries and IL nurses.
On the upper deck is an inclosed room,
22 by "a feet, for convalescent officers,
and room 26 by 30 feet for GONZALES,
cent men. On this deck also are the
galley, laundry, washroom, drying
room, lamproom, closets and bathrooms
for both officers and men, and the office
of the senior medical officer and the ex-
ecutive officer. Dumb walters go from
the galley to the diet kitchen on the
decks below The upper part of the
operating room is also inclosed Oh this
deck.
Near the center of the ship on the
berth deck is all operating room, 1S by
81 feet 1t is we'll lighted by large
skylight and by air ports opening above
the upper deck On either side Of this
operating room is an elevator large
enough to hold cot. The elevator runs
from the upper deck to the lower deck
and is run by electricity.
IA patient can be hoisted in this col
from the barge alongside the ship,
placed in the elevator, lowered to the
operating room and from there trans,
ferred either to bed on the berth deck
or lowered and transferred to the deck
below. This transfer is accomplished by
means of an overhead trolley, which
runs from the operating room and the
elevator between the row of beds, and
by means of which the occupant of any
bed can be transferred.
con the engine room deck are all ice
machine and cold storage room, disin.
fecting chamber, Sturtevant blowers
and ample storerooms for all depart.
ments Of the ship. Its ventilation is ac.
complished by two powerful blowers,
with the necessary connection and sup
Elementary electric plant The vessel il
to be heated by steam and lighted by
electricity.
"The constructor has so arranged the
model Of the hull as to insure the min
imum of motion either in head OF
beam sea. There are steam winches or
the upper deck for hoisting or lowering
wounded or boats. They can be worked
on both sides simultaneously.
"The outfit of the operating room
will include two or three operating ia.
bles of the model approved by the sur.
geon general of the navy. The tables
are OF antiseptic value, are light an6
portable, being easily folded and carried
to any part Of the ship. The floor Of the
operating room will be tiled and all OF
it's appointments arranged with view
to strict antisepsis.
'As soon as the action is over the
launch should tow its barge alongside a
vessel that has been in action, and the
wounded should be hoisted out into the
barge by means Of the apparatus already
described. 1t should then steam with
all dispatch to the ambulance ship, un-
load it's human freight and speed away
again on its mission Of humanity. In
no other way could wounded men be
better cared for Or a fighting vessel be
more speedily disincumbered and placed
again in readiness for battle.
"The ambulance ship would, Of
course, fly the Geneva Cross flag. As an
angel Of mercy she would spread her
wings alike over friend and foe, miti.
eating the horrors Of war and Fastening
the day that will bring peace on earth
and good will toward men. "--Philadel
phia Press.
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