The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-17
AMBULANCE SHIP soLACE.
Steamer That Has Been Well Fitted
Out for the Hospital Corps.

Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
KEY WEST, Fla, May Lett looks like
stern business when the hospital corps is
sent to the front. The first of those who
will attend the wounded on board ship
reached Key West Wednesday last in
the United States ambulance ship Solace.
The Solace had been at anchor for several
weeks in Hampton Roads. Her officers, sur
geons and others were anxious to get to
work, if there was work to be done. On the
Saturday previous to her arrival here she
received hurry orders to get nearer to what
is to be the scene of action. OF course the
plan is to have the Solace where she will
be of the most good and when Commander
Dunlap arrived in port he was uncertain
whether he would be ordered to Havana, off
the coast, or be sent to Porto Rico, at which
point Admiral SIMPSONS squadron was at
that time supposed to be heading. At any
rate the Solace has mission to fulfill be-
fore caring for the wounded, and that is to
cross the Florida straits and visit each of
the war ships of the blockading fleet
Among the sick of the blockaders the deli
cacies provided by the Colonial Danes will
be. distributed, or else they will be stored
on the various ships for future USE
The ambulance ship has been bountifully
supplied by the women of America with
the good things that are generally lacking
at sea and in the field. Perhaps no ship of
the war will be the center of so much con-
Germ as the Soace. Her white sides and her
Red Cross flag will mark her to friend and
foe Her mission will be enc of meY Ito
build up that which has been partly de-
stroyed, to care for the wounded, to COM
fort the dying. She is stanch and fast and
two hundred or more wounded sailors can
be accommodated on board this floating
hospital. While the battle RACES the
Solace will occupy position similar to
that Of the hospital tents ashore, and after
the battle her boats will be sent to the
ships and the wounded will be removed
Then, soon as possible, she will carry her
patients to the hospitals a. some port of
safety.
At Newport News and at other ports at
which the Solace has touched, the work of
QUILTING her has been completed, and now
she in every way resembles the most modern
hospitals. She is divided into wards, with
hunks, narrow but each separated from the
other by passageways. The operating room
is finely equipped with surgical instruments
and there is a tiled bathroom with an ap-
pliance for heating or cooling the water: a
complete paraphernalia for treating wounds
and convalescents room.
The commander of the Solace is Andrew
Dunlap p; pleasant, hearty, genial naval Of
hcer. The surSeon is DR.. Thomas H Streets,
ana Dr; Z. +: Stokes, passed assistant sur
geon of the United States navy is chief as
sslstant. The other surgeons on board the
Solace are DR.. G. T. Smith ana DR. E. 8.
Bogart There are eight nurses from the
BeiIevue school on board, and three apoth-
ecaries have been provided.
There is a CHASTITY department to the
floating ambulance. The Solace carries cot
ms IN section of the boat set aside for the
care OF the dead. No enc, known or I'M
SHOWN; need De buried at sea or be placed
away IN a desolate corner on the Cuban
coast. Arrangements have been made for
the embalmlng of bodice after which thew
may De deposited in metal-lined boxes nine
" rr Wnl en-, are stored away on the Solace
The officers of the Solace believe She will
prove model boat of her class. The mod
ern war ship, with her vast turrets and
great guns, her closed commandments and
everything cleared away for battle. has 81
changed the conditions which formerly pre-
ing Oh guns and the caring for the wounded
at one and the same time. Those who fail
IN naval battle of to-day are onlv IN he
trodden under foot or suffocated in the
SSo nat nsptlng boats until the ambulance
p I can get the wounded and care for
tnem Those who have been taught fhe
HrSt ald TO the injured =" on hoard fha
Solace have been led a step further in the
,ast rev weeks. They have, been taught
now pest TO carry the wounded bv hand or
hammocks through the narrow passapes re
the hospital ship where stretchers wound
fail to pass. "ouio
The Solace has a displacement Of $500
i LonS and an o- average speed of fourteen
nosed ooat OF fine lines A dark stripe runs
around her white sides and with the Red
cross nag flying. she will be protected by
the agreement of the Geneva convention.