Graham guardian., 1898-09-02
A STORY OF EERoIsM.
splendid Work of The Red Gross Nurses
Over Four Hundred Manned Men
Attended in Twenty-four Hours by
Eight Surgeons

A correspondent of the New
York Sun, writing from Siboney
under date of July 6, tells most
interesting story of that awful
night, following the battle of Santi'
ago, detailing the sufferings of the
wounded and the inadequate means
Of caring for them. The devotion
of the nurses of the Red Cross was
equal TO the emergency, and eight
surgeons, in twenty-four hours,
operated upon 425 manned SOL
diers, The correspondent says:
II mentioned in a former letter
the lack of preparation on the part
of the army to care for the sick.
There was then almost nothing
no cots, no bedding or proper food
for more than hundred sick men.
Two days later, when the wounded
came in, the needs Of the hour were
overwhelming. Is il strange that
surgeons were desperate and the
nurses distressed? The force of each
was wholly inadequate. The exact
number of wounded may never be
known. The estimate at this time
is 1000, pretty equally divided be-
tween the front and this place.
Wounded men who made their way
down on foot--eight miles over the
rough, hiily road-will never know
just how their strength held out.
Others were brought down in army
wagons, by the road, as few ambu-
lances were at ha'td. Fortunately
there were some tents here that
had been used by troops before 60
ing to the front. Under these hay
was spread on the ground and COW
cred with blankets, and the impro-
vised hospital was ready. One
was taken for the operating tables
and the work of surgeons and
nurses began. They worked night
and day for forty-eight hours, with
only brief intervals for coffee and
hardtack. Wounded men had to
wait for hours before bullets could
be extracted and wounds dressed.
But there was no complaint-not a
word-only silent, patient suffer-
ing, borne with courage that was
sublime AS the wounded coptin.
we'd to come in tent room gave out,
aud hay anu blankets were placed
"%@..SS;;1e, VIA ~;th no covering, ana 10
these "beds" the less severely
wounded were assigned.
att was the Fourth of July, two
days later ago, IN this little bit of
Cuba. The Stars and Stripes were
flying from every masthead, war.
ships and transports were decked
with flags and pennants, and news.
paper dispatch boats were gay with
fluttering colors, But it was not a
Joyeus deyrhbove hospital teuts
Red Gross flags are waving, and
here is the real life-suffering and
heroism. Everybody who can do
even so little as carry cup of
water lends willing hands to help
wounded soldiers. Most of the
wounded are from the first days
engagement, when the infantry was
ordered to lead the attack on San
tiago.
"The surgeons turned 10 the Red
Cross ship State of Texas for help,
and the supplies originally intend
ed for the starving Cubans were
sent ashore for our wounded. Miss
Barton had been urged and advis-
cd to wait until the army had open
ed and made the way safe for land
ing supplies for the reconcentrados
and refugees. But she had fore
seen the situation to o certain de,
gree, and followed the army as
quickly as possible to wait for the
emergency rather than the emer-
gency should wait for her ship.
while surgeons and nurses were
probing for bullets and dressing
wounded force of men on the Red
Cross ships worked half the .1ight
getting out cots and blankets. food
and bandages, and at daylight lext
morning these supplies were land,
ed, taking advantage of the smooth
sea, between and 9 O'Clock. There
were six tables in the operating
tent and eight surgeons. In
twenty.four hours the surgeons had
operated upon and dressed the
wounds of Ats men. Four Red
Cross sisters--tralned nurses-as.
sisted the surgeons, working
through the entire time without
rest, other than a moment TO take
a cup Of coffee carried in to them.
They were Sister Bettina, wife of
DR.. Lesser, surgeon.in.chief of the
Red Cross Sister Minna, Sister
Isabel and Sister Blanche. Their
knowledge of surgery, skill and
nerve were a revelation to the
army surgeons. These young
women, all under 80, went from
one operating table to another, and
whatever was the nature of the
wound OF amputation, proved equal
to the emergency.
"ln the Red Cross hospital, across
the way, Sister Aune was In charge
of the sick men turned over TO the
? Q . Q . . 9 Q Q . Q Q o {