The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-16
FOR THE DEAD.
Hospital Ship SOlace Reaches
Key West.
Has a Department Filled With
Collins.

Key West, May 16.-It looks like stern
business when the hospital corps is sent
to the front. The first of these who
will attend the wounded on board ship
reached Key West on Wednesday last
in the United States ambulance ship
Solace. The Solace has been at anchor
for several weeks at Hampton Roads.
Her officers, surgeons and others were
anxious to get to work. if there was
work to be done. On the Saturday pre-
Vious to arrival here she received hurry
orders to get nearer to what is to be the
scene OF action The plan is to have
the SOldce where she will do the most
good and when Commander Dunlap ar
rived in port he was uncertain whether
ne would be ordered to Havana, off the
coast or be sent to Porto Rico, to which
point Admiral SIMPSONS squadron was
at that time supposed to be heading
At any rate the Solace has a mission
TO fulfill before caring for the wounded
ana that is to cross the Florida strait
and visit each of the warships of the
blockading fleet. Among the sick of
the blockaders, the delcacies provided
by Colonel Danes will be distributed
or else they will be stored on the vari-
Gus ships for future use
The ambulance ship has been bounti-
FULLY supplied by the women of America
with the good things that are generally
lacking a sea and in the field. PerhaDs
no ship of the war will be the center of
so much concern as the SoIace Her
Whlte sides and her Red Cross flag will
marx her TO friend and foe. Her mis-
sion VIII be one of mercy-to buiId I'M
mat which has been partly DESTROYED
10 care Tor the wounded, to comfort the
dylng- She is staunch and fast and
zVV or more wounded sailors can be ac-
pital. nus
While the battle RACES the Solace will
u M to-,
hospital tents ashore, and after the bat-
ue her boats Will be sent to the shins
ana the wounded will be removed Th,s,1
os soon as possible she will carry her
of safety. a Soiiie port
AT Newport News and at other ports
at which the Solace has touched. the
work OF fitting her out has beeD COW
pleted and now she in every TUav &c
SemoIes the modern hospitals She is
QlNlded into wards with hunks narrow
pul each separated from the other bv
passage ways. The operating room is
nhely equipped with surgical instrII-
ments, and there is a tiled bath room
with an appliance for heating or cool
ing the water; complete parapherna
cents NOA4 0ieS-
drew DUNLAP - ALI
The surgeon is DR.. Thomas H. Streets
ana Dr. c. F. Stokes past assistant s1Ir-
geOn of the United States navy. is CHIEF
assistant. - 0A
The other surgeons on board the So
CERT. - . DO-
Ihere are eight nurses from the Belle
Nue school on board and three apothe-
carries have been provided.
There is CHASTITY department To tho
hoatlng ambulance. The Solace CARRIES
cof1ns in a section of the boat set asiGfe
Tor the care of the dead No one
known or unknown, need be buried 81
sea, or be placed away in a desoIata
corner on the Cuban coast Arrange
ments have been made for the emhaI917-
ing OF the bodies, after which they ma
De deposited in metal lined boxes a |
number of which are stored away on
the Solace. ~
The officers of the Solace believe she
VIII prove model boat of her class !
The day of the modern warship with
her vast turrets and great guns her
closed compartments and eVervtbine- |
cleared away for battle, has so changes
the conditions which formerly prevsiI-
ed, that there is no room for the work |
ing of guns and the caring for +be |
wounded at one and the same time |
Ihose who fall in a naval battle of TO- |
day are only to be trodden under foot
or sufocated in the griTny fighting box-
es until the ambulance boat can gather
up the wounded and care for them