The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-06
HEROES ALL OF THEM.
Victims Of Engagements in Cuban
Waters in New York.

Copyright, 1898, the Associated fress.)
New York, June 5.-The ambulance
ship Solace came into port today, hav-
inc ON hoard "a wounded and siok, some
Of whom had been transferred from the
American warships in Cuban waters
and others taken from the hospitals at
Key West.
Her after deck. has been tented off with
canvas and upon swinging hammocks lay
half dozen of the more seriously i'll of
the patients; the convalescing room was
the basking place of score or more of
the poor who had not.given up the fight
without a struggle, while the privilege
of the decks had been accorded all these
who were able to move about or anx-
ious to watch the green hills as::the good
ship moved in shoreward. The Solace
anchored off Tompkinsville, Staten ISL
and, early this morning, where she was
boarded by representative of the Asso-
ciated Press. She left Key West on We'd
nesday afternoon last and made the run
to New York without incident until Sat-
urday night, when gale tumbled her
about bit and made things to some
extent uncomfortable for the patients
she carried. But the sea voyage was a
the sweltering heat OF the tropics-had
changed suffocation and exhausting winds
for refreshing breezes; many were near
ing home; all at least were to rest in the
heart of the great country that had been
lighting for.
The Solaoe, fifty named, with her white
sides and the Red Cross flag flying at her
masthead, brought in many a, little band
of heroes among the 81. They had gath
cred together in little groups on the voy-
age up many time and told again the
story of brush With the Spaniards or
q night on watch at the blockade. And
to those who know, brush with the
Spaniards is hardly to be compared with
the dangerous work OF scouting in gale
at night without lights, off the Cuban
coast.
-Four of the heroes from the Nashville
and the Marblehead were among the pa
tents on the Solace. Robert Voltz of
San Francisco and Henry Hendrickson,
John Davis and 81. W. Kuchmister, all
Of New York. They are the wounded Of
that gallant band of volunteers who out
the cable at Cienfuegos nearly month
ago. 1t is tale that has been told be-.
fore, but that noble effort will live in
history, side by side with the Merrimac' g
journey into the narrows at Santiago
harbor. Volz had three bullet wounds.
22-calibre bullet passed through the
skull at the base Of he brain and out.
Compared with this. the other wounds
were Insignificant. He was unconscious
for several days at the barracks hospital
at Key West. But gradually they brought
him around. Now Voltz looks we'll.
Hendrickson was shot through the
abdomen. Hendrickson, when seer
aboard ship today, however, said he
ho oh fhn Sv,oy ov,1a O.,
the end of the month if there was fight
left in them. The Winslow sent one
man here to remind the people of the
North of that famous torpedo boat, and
Of the terrible engagement at Cardenas,
when Ensign Bagley was killed. he is
Robert L. Grub. landsman. Grubb
was among those rescued by the Hud-
son.
Lieut.. Bernardou spent some days at
the hospital at Key West. but he is now
again in command of the Winslow.
A victim of the Porto Rico lombard.
ment was also brought here on the So
lace, George Merkle, slender, pale-faced
marine. He was on the Iowa at Sar
Juan and he came out of the engagement
lacking one arm. Those who have beer
through the thick of the shot and shell
and have merged unscathed may tell Of
marvellous escapes and thrilling encoun
ters.
Three men from the greatest of battle
ships, the Oregon, were among the pa.
tients of the Solace, who by the way
have been transferred to the marine hos
pital in Brooklyn-Louis Epson, P. J.
Lynch and Alonzo Gartley. They were
not the only ones to suffer from thu
record breaking voyage of the Oregon
but they were the most seriously i'll aftel
the battleship reached Key West, and i
was deemed advisable to send them to
more favorable climate.
No men are prouder Of the grand worI
of their ship than they. One of the mos
remarkable cases brought here by the bi,
ambulance is William Taylor, a Washing
ton boy, and first.class apprentice on tn
cruiser New York. Taylor's recovery Il
the most marvellous Of any Of those re
marked upon by the naval surgeons
One day soon after the bonn bardment Of
Matanzas, through which the men or
the New York passed without the slightest
injury, revolver dropped from the belt
Of Boatswain Mullen and exploded. The
bullet passed through Taylo r's right arm
at the elbow. entered the abdomen, passed
up through the liver, grazed the lung and
came out through the left shoulder.
An operation for laparotomy was per.
formed and Taylor has recovered, al.
though naturally he is still suffering
from the effects of his multiple wound
and the operation.
" these "a American seamen, four are
afflicted with consumption.
Or. Thomas F. Street, surgeon of the
Solace. said today that all of his patients
hao improved greatly during the four
days trip. Those who are afflicted with
lung diseases made the entire voyage in
the swinging hammocks on deck, and the
others took occasion to draw in fresh
ocean breezes at all times by day and
night. There was small crowd at the
navy yard when the Solace was warped
ambulances were on hand and the
patients one by one, were carried out on
the stretcbers or led down the gangway
by tender hands and transfer red to the
marine hospital.