The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-01
RAINY DAY In CAMP RAMSEY
RECRUITS GET A FORETAsTE
OF SOUTHERN SOAKERS
DISMAL surroundings Made Time
Pass Slowly on tbe Hands OF the
Soldiers Now Awaiting Muster at
HamIineNHospitaI Corns Is the
busiest Department-NO Drill
ing Was Done.

HamIine@HospitaI Corps Is the
Busiest Department-NO Drill
ing Was Done.
When reveille was sounded at Camp
Ramsey yesterday morning, every man
IN the three regiments aWoke and rose.
Inc great barns in which the First and
Third regiments are Quartered We're
suddenly transformed to places of the
lveliest activity. The men scrambled
from their straw beds in the stalls and
dressed as quickly as they could, and
then they hooked out to see what kind
of day their first day in the service
was to be. They found cloudy sky
and raw wind with every appearance
of approaching rain. 1t was dismal
prospect, and they Shuddered when
they thought of guard duty.
The same notes of the trumpet
aroused the men of the Second regi-
ment, who had passed the night in
tents, and they tumbled out very
quickly They had been warned of the
weather during the night by the flap
ping canvas. and most of them were
chilled to the bones. They were not
reluctant to get up, however, because
they slept in the tents in punches of
from ten to fourteen, and most of them
We're stiff and tired from being cramp-
ed. Lack of sufficient tentage obliged
dimes in the tents. They laid cross
ways, sideways and any way that
could accommodate the greatest num-
Der. They We're undoubtedly warmer
than they would otherwise have been
but they would have been better
pleased if there had been more tents.
AS soon as the men were dressed
they began to prepare for breakfast.
The quartermasters had already de-
livered to each company its allotment
of rations, and the company cooks were
COW TO give their first exhibition of
culinary skill. Few of them had had
much experience, but the men set to
work and assisted them as much as
they could. Trenches were dug fer
fires, and gratings were laid over the
holes in the ground, and, while some
went for water, others chopped wood,
and in a very few moments fires were
blazing in the rear of each company
quarters.
Each man was allowed a half loaf Of
bread and a ration of pork and pota-
toes. They were also given coffee.
Contrary to the general expectation,
. the coffee was good.
Each man was provided with a tin
plate and cup, knife and fork, and
they marched in squads to the meSSeS
and had their rations doled out to them
so much for each. Then they marched
back to their quarters and ate, seated
Ut lying OH the SIOuilOp as pSot Suilcu
them. It was a striking contrast to
the way they had been used to break
fasting. They were all good-natured,
and accepIed the situation without
complaint. When they had eaten
they did not look for water to wash
their plates and cups, but they took
up handsful of straw and cleaned the
tinware with that. Then they polished
1t with dirt.
The moment sick-call came a num-
Der of men started for the brigade hos
pital Some had collie. some had chills,
and others had caught cold and had
sore Threats. Nearly every company
turned out at least one sick man, and
in a short time the surgeons were busy
attending to them.
Every one Of the twenty cots in the
hospital was occupied. Two cases are
serious One is Robert ST. Clair, Of
Company I, Second regiment, who has
nervous prostration and liver trouble.
ST. Clair lives al SIS Wabasha street.
He was taken sick while on the march
to the camp Friday, and was obliged
to give up as soon as he arrived there.
He will be sent home today.
The other patient whose case is seri-
Gus is Charles Hoglund, of Company
H, First regiment. Hoglund and an
other man were trying to pull bayo-
net from a gun. Hoglund held the
bayonet and the other man had the
gun. The bayonet was stuck, and in
trying to wrest it from the gun it Slip
=. ned and pierced Hoglund's hand.
Several men bathed in pond in the
rear of the barracks and cut their
feet on rusty nails and pieces of tin
= in it. One man from the country had
! his eye injured Friday by an explosion
! cf dynamite which an enthusiastic
I small boy placed on the railroad track
+ to make a noise. When the cars pass
/ ed over it there was small shower Of
broken IRON, and a piece entered the
mans eye. Another man had his head
cut by bolt which fell upon him from
building.
The hospital corps was reinforced
yesterday by the arrival of DR.. William
4 Jacoby, first assistant surgeon of the
Third regiment, and DR.. w. H. Rowe,
4 second assistant surgeon of the same
II regiment. DR.. Jacoby is from Mankato,
and DR.. Rowe is from st. James.
ID The hospital needs some stoves and
lamps. There is neither heat nor light
in the building, and the surgeons are
seriously handicapped They secured d
small oil stove yesterday for heating
water, but they should have a large
:. stove to heat the building. They also
need more cots and more warm blan-
kets for patients.
The only Illumination in the hospital
at night comes from a few dim Ian
terms that were found about the prem
Uses. The doctors and attendants can
hardly see what they are doing in such
ltsht.
When the regimental commanders
saw the kind of weather that had come
I upon them they gave orders that drills
4 should be postponed except such as
could be given without inconvenience.
!. They did not want their men to start
work in damp weather and risk catch
y ing colds, when there was no necessity
4 for hurry. The men in the tents were
very grateful, and as soon as they had
compiled with the regulations they
turned into their tents and prepared to
spend the day indoors. It had begun
4 to rain, and the rain battered on the
tent-sides cheerlessly. The men dou-
bled up in whole squads inside the can
4 vas huts and smoked and played mu-
steal instruments. The company
streets were deserted but from every
tent came sounds of talking, laughter
b and strains of music
The only men in sight were the SEN
tinels, who paced up and down in the
wet, with their guns across their shoul-
r. ders, longing to be relieved.
The men in the barns were better
n fixed. They had roofs over their heads
and solid walls about them, and their
quarters were in every respect SUI
perior They object to having their
barns called barns-they want them to
4 be known as barracks. Their barracks
kept them dry, and they congratulated
thems elves on their wisdom in select
ing them instead of tents.
harra o.ar1v q, II Ac