Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-17
WOMEN OF KEY WEST
THEY WILL CARE FOR THE WOUNDED
AMERICAN FIGHTERS.

The Convent Of Mary Immaculate win
BE Turned Into C Hospital - IL Well
Suited to Present Needs - No Creedal
Lines Will BE Recognized
American women in Key West are
learning how to make dainty invalid
dishes for wounded soldiers and sailors
Some of them have even taken lessons
in the art of scraping lint, and the
household ragbags have been overhaul
ed in the pursuit of old linen and mus
lin for bandages. The Cuban women
there since the war between the Span
iards and insurgents began have had a
relief organization. Hospitalarias Gu
banas by name, and they, too, are pre-
pairing TO act as nurses at the hospitals
in Key West or in the field.
The fact that Admiral Sampson ac-
cepted the offer of Sister Mary Floren-
tine, the mother superior of the Con-
vent of Mary immaculate, to turn the
convent into hospital, is regarded as
conclusive evidence that Key West is
to be the principal point of naval and
military concentration and the base Of
supplies. The Convent Of Mary Immac-
ulate is the coolest, cleanest, prettiest
and largest dwelling place in Key West.
There are doors and windows open to
every breeze and wind, for it stands in
the center of ten acre tract which is
covered with semitropical trees and
Towering shrubs. 1t is the home of the
Sisters of the Holy Name and is really
a school, for the sisters are teachers.
They came to the island 30 years ago,
apd ten years later work began ON the
convent building, which had woman
for its Observation-Disclosures Theresa of Je-
sus, who drew the plans. The structure
is modelled after a Cuban villa, and it,
with two connections schoolhouses near
at hand. will be able to accommodate
at least 400 sick and wounded men.
Each of the school buildings is 100
feet long by 40 feet wide. Each of the
two floors of each school building is
one immense room. 1t would seem that
the builder of the schoolhouses had in
mind the present emergency, for they
are admirably suited for hospital pur-
poses. Wide galleries or piazzas grid
each floor, and they can be transformed
into hospital wards by hanging canvas
or reed curtains along the open side.
The convent is $50 feet long by 40 feet
wide, but the piazzas add ut least 80
feet to the length and width. Running
back is a wide ore story extension, used
for the kitchen, dining room and store
roums. The lower floor of the main
building may be thrown into ono large
room, for the schoolrooms are separated
by wide folding doors When these are
thrown open there is a room $50 feet
long, varying from 80 to 40 feet in
width. The generous galleries of the
convent may easily be converted into
wards by canvas curtains. The eight
acres Of the convent and the two acres
in which stand the school buildings
furnish ample cleared space for hospital
tents, several of which are ON their way
to Key West.
Of course the hospital service of the
army and navy will have to furnish
cots, operating tables and the other
paraphernalia Of modern hospital serv.
ice, and large shipment of these nee.
essaries has been made at Washington,
consigned to this point.
Father Friend, pastor of st. Nary
Star of the Sea church and the head OF
this parish, is cooperating with Sister
Mary FlOrentine and the other 90 Sis.
tiers of the Holy Name in this work Of
love and mercy. He says that church
lines will be obliterated, for the convent
hospital will show no sectarian face
to sick and wounded men. Protestant
and Catholic alike will be welcomed,
nursed and restored to health if willing
hearts and gentle hands can do it.
Besides the convent hospital the ma.
rine hospital and the army hospital Of
the military post will be ready for real
service. The wounded Maine men were
taken to the marine and army hos.
pitfalls. Malcolm Mcdowell in Chicago
Record.