The times., 1898-09-04
THE RED CROSS In CUBA
Doing Splendid Work Under
Some Difficulties.
MISS BARTON'S TROUBLES

MISS BART0N'S TROUBLES
Not Allowed to Handle Her Own
son-in-Law-The Thrilling Scene
When Santiago Was Entered -
Feeding the Starving.
Santiago, Aug. 12-Whenever mail
comes in from the States our quarters are
turned into regular postoffice, with bags
upon bags of letters and piles of news
papers and packages. AS many of the
names unknown to US, 1t is sometimes
extremely difficult TO find the owners of
the precious words from home; but in
every case the strongest effort is made
although 1t is not legitimate Red Cross
business because we, ourselves, know how
good it is TO get news from the world
which seems so distant
The Morse has brought us a beautiful
cargo of ice, and never was anything more
needed in fever-stricken Cuba. But there
is not an icehouse in Santiago and no
where to discharge it. Miss Baston Of
fered the whole cargo to Gems. Shafter
and Wood for the use of the army bet
they were equally powerless to provide
place. Then she gave 1t TO the various
transports filled with sick and wounded
convalescents going home, and since that
blessed day all have been plentifully sup
piled The long voyage is terrible at the
best for feeble and dying men, but an
b,,p nf ice rnhg II nf half ifc mis-
cry.
Thanks to Miss Barton. the Santiago
hospitals now have ice galore, to the un-
told relief of the feyerish and delirious.
Here is something which demands at
tention. The steamer Olivette, under
command OF Major Appel, (son-in-law
of Surgeon General SterRberg) brought
to Santiago the shipment of auxiliary No.
q to the Red Cross Society. No manifest
or notice of il ever came TO Miss Barton
Some of her men saw il being unloaded
Oh the Santiago dock, marked plainly
American National Red Cross" and
with the cabalistic sign upon il. AS in
duty bound, they proceeded to attend to
it. when they were roughly told TO let
that cargo alone, as it belonged to the
Olivette. Some of 1t was finally stored
IN warehouse, close along side other
Red Cross property, but by Major APP
rells order Miss Barton and her helpers
are forbidden to touch II; and there IL re-
mains, of no use to anybody Tales leak
ed out among those who came on the Oil
vette of boxes bearing the seal of the
Red Cross, containing delicacies for the
sick, being broken open and used on the
officers table.
Perhaps ii is proper fer Major Appel
to dispose of anything he chooses in his
own way, but it is certainly confusing TO
see a portion of our own supplies, with
our own mark upon 1t, handed about be-
fore our eyes and we denied the right to
say a word regarding its disposition. OF
course, under such conditions, the Red
Cross has no control over anything, des-
pite the sudden friendship which Surgeon
General Sternberg processes. Miss Barton
has no wish to rule except in the little
matter of Cuban relief, which she came
down to manage. While she is willing and
prayerfully glad to put the days of her
| life as they are passing into the work
which our good President has asked her
| TO do, she does feel that there should be
| some protection for her between the OBJ
| stacles. the insults and instructions of
| the army. If she could be left free to act
| under the navy, which has always been
| respectful and courteous, and be released
| from the barbarities of the army, 1t would
| give little heart, hope and strength 70
| the work. How long she can endure what
| is daily put upon her, with no arm of
protection, nothing between the raw flesh
| and the armylashes, do not know.
| You have been told in brief dispatch
| how the Red Cross relief ship, State of
| Texas, entered Santiago harbor ahead
| of everything else after the battle, even
| Gen. Shafter Sampson and Schley fol-
| lowing in the rear; but you can have no
! idea of the dramatic features of the
| scene, as related by those who partici-
pated in it. There We're the two armies
the conquerors and the conquered, the
| wretched ships, the starving people The
silence of the grave hung over all-the
| horror of what had gone before, battle,
murder, terror and tragedy; and now was
coming the first CLEAN of hope to dying
people. Said Miss Barton, who, by the
way, is not a member of any church,
"can somebody sing the Doxology?'
"Praise God From Whom All Blessings
Flow rang out in quavering chorus
from the little band in the Prov of the
Texas, taken up and repeated here and
there on the battleships and the shore,
while strong men wept and the wounded
| waved their feeble hands. Then "Ameri-
ca made the welkin' ring:
My country, it's of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
| OF thee / sing.
And thus amid patriotic and religious
enthusiasm was Santiago first entered
| after the battle. 1t was late on a Sun
day afternoon-and in these ATTITUDES,
you know, there is no twilight, but dark
| ness falls after the setting of the sun
There were thousands of people in a
starving condition, many literally dying
who had not eaten for days; and there
was a shipload of provisions to be dis
tributed. Great difficulties were expert
enced in getting things started. Ships
cannot approach the wharves within half
a mile or more; there were no lighters
no laborers, no teams to haul goods, nc
warehouses in which to store them. Mr.
| Elwell, one of Miss Bartonss secretaries
who was once a lumber merchant in San
tiago and therefore knew the ground bet
} ter than any other American, came
ashore Immediately, secured a storehouse
and drummed up steyedores among al
who were able to stand.
A little food and hot coffee put new
strength into these. All night they work.
ed, and by o'clock next morning the frs
distribution of food began. The scene
beggared description Among SO many
thousands of famished people 1t was a
first impossible to maintain anything like