The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-21
OUR new YORK LETTER
FIRST NIGHT AT ANCHOR IN "GOD'S
COUNTRY" ON THE OLivETTE.

How tho Last Hours Before Landing wer,
skili-How the Wounded Men Got Theil
First Batch Of Fresh Morning Papers.
NEW YoRE, July 21.-[Special. Ne
set of linen were ever more truly honored
by the Inhabitants of this town than the
wounded officers and soldiers who reached
here by the hospital steamer Olivette on
Saturday night. They have been the sub
ject of almost unrestricted newspaper
/ space ever since, while as "a topic of con.
versation" they have easily led all others,
l even surprising the formal turning over
| Of Santiago de Cuba to General Shafter on
| Sunday.
The scene on board the Olivette on her
arrival off the quarantine station has been
we'll described by many pens, yet some of
its aspects have not been and cannot ade-
quately be presented. The talk of the
men not yet taken ashore in the middle of
the night while tho vessel swung idly at
anchor waiting for daybreak and the
longed for moment of landing was one Of
the most interesting features of the entire
episode.
DO you see the shore over there, Jims"
questioned a man with both arms ban
daged and "slung" to comrade whose
head was swathed in linen.
Jim indicated that he saw.
WAL, old boy, amt IL comfort to
know that our folks can land on that shore
without being in danger of hearing them
cussed Mauser bullets whine all round
emf"
Jim assented, and then, turning to
civilian, by courtesy allowed to pass the
night on board so as to be near wounded
friend, essayed to give an imitation of the
Mauser's whine
Just for joke, whep we would be lying
in the bushes near Santiago" he said,
"the boys would sometimes make that in
fernal Kissing and throw a pebble against
bush. That would always make every
body duck. There never was man that
didn't want to dodge at sound of bullet,
don't care how brave he might be, and
that's no pipe dream neither"
Don't talk any more about them bull
lets, Bill, chimed in the man with the
bound up face. "We're in Gods country
now, where we needn't hear 'em siss any
more I'd rather talk about going ashore
and getting fresh eggs to eat. Say, my
friend TO the civilian-"you don t know
how good it'll taste to get some fresh soft
boiled eggs again, and we're going to get
'em tomorrow sure"
Major Appel.
Some of the men slept as usual most of
that first night at anchor on the edge of
Gods own country" but more than half
kept their eyes open as long as they could,
gazing longingly and lovingly at the shore
not more than 800 yards away.
Meantime in the captains cabin Just
abaft and below the bridge Captain Steven
son and Major Appel, medical officer in
charge sat together and discussed the
work TO be done on the morrow Major
Appel Is a man of medium SIZE with
clear blue eyes and quiet manner. He
has long been in the army medical and
surgical service and is man of great
professional skill and judgment. This is
fully borne out by the astonishing fact
that notwithstanding the presence ON the
Olivette of scores of men most dangerous
ly wounded there has not been a death
from q wound for weeks nor has an am
putation been rendered necessary by i'm
proper healing.
Some of the recoveries now in progress
among the soldiers brought north on the
Olivette arc truly marvellous. Two or
three men wounded in the head and Obliged
to part with little sections of the brain, yet
able to walk about, joking and laughing
and smoking contentedly, were pointed
out on Saturday night to the civilian on
board. One man who will not walk for q
long time was talking cheerfully as he lay
In his berth.
Want to see where the Dagoes pumped
mef" he said, turning down the blanket
that covered him and exposing five ban
daged wounds in the chest and dangerous
~ close to the abdomen. Pretty well
banged up, ain't II Going to get out all
right, all right, though, and I hope in
time to go back and pay 'em what owe
emil Either OF my lungs shot through
Both OF ON. But, pshaw, they've got
his thing down SO fine now that they
lon't worry about a little matter like a
wound through the breathers. So long,
I'D chap. feel like speaking to every
good American SEQ as If he were an old |
friend of mine now"
Patient Heroes.
One Of the most surprising features of |
The night before landing on board the Oil |
Tette was the absence Of moaning or groan- |
ng or grumbling among the wounded |
men. There was absolutely none among |
hose who were awake, though occasional |
y OAO WOuAu Wy Ouu III LIS bitcp 6uu Whk- Il
m, and when that happened nurse would |
hurry to the side of the sufferer to see If |
he pain might be relieved
Soon after the sun arose, however, the
men began to give signs of impatience.
{ did seem to them that time had never
moved so slowly before, and they all felt
hat they must get ashore at once, yet
ven then there was no grumbling, no
rankiness whatever, so far as the civilian
ould observe. Major Appel was astir
cry early awaiting orders as to the dock
ng of the boat and looking after the rou-
inc of the vessel exactly as II tho men
vero to remain indefinitely on board.
Not long after O the quarantine boat
Governor Flower put off, bringing orders,
md prepared to take ashore number of
officers who were to be quartered
N Staten Island instead of at one of the
brooklyn hospitals. The Governor Flower
lso brought on board the first detachment
4 reporters, young chaps with keen eyes