The Portland daily press., 1898-09-07
SHIP WRECKED SOLDIERS.
Sick Men Taken From Lewiston Cared
For In Boston.

Sick Men Taken From Lewiston Cared
For In Boston.
Boston, September Gone hundred and
| thirteen battle worn, camp sick and ship
| wrecked soldiers, most of them of the
ninth Massachusetts, regiment, who only
few short months ago left Massachusetts,
| to fight for their country, arrived in this
city early this morning, and were dis
tributed among the different hospitals, to
| recover, if possible, from the fearful hard
ships through which they have passed.
They were the men who started from
Montauk on the steamer Lewiston. which
had been chartered for this purpose by the
Volunteer Aid association and which was
wrecked Monday night near Point Judith.
| 1t was about four O'Clock in the morning
| before the last man was taken OF the
| steamer and the train started for Boston.
| Another two hours was consumed III
| this work but at last, about quarter OF
four this morning, the last man was
carried aboard and the train started for
Boston. AT halt past five the PARK
Square station was reached. Here ambu-
lances from every hospital in the city, re-
inforced by all the police ambulances,
were in waiting and with large hospital
force the work of final transfer to the
different hospitals was soon accomplished.
| Forty or fifty of the men were absolute
| ly unable to walk, dozen were practical
| ly unconscious, but half O hundred man
aged to clam ber down from the cars and
with the help OF many strong arms take
seats in number of hacks and buses.
Sergeant W. j. Freeman of Lowell, who
was in charge of the ambulance corps as
duty sergeant after leaving New London,
~ y1c N C1Nk
bay at the time. says of the accident:
81 was standing in the sick bay prepar
| ing stimulants for patient, when the
crash came. 1t threw me forward in a
heap, and the second crash threw me
backwards. The thermometers and
clinical instruments ON the sidebo ard
| were scattered, but fortunately fell among
the chairs, and not among the hunks and
cots The behavior of the soldiers was
something wonderful. They asked what
had happened and just then DR.. Shea
came in and said the steamer had run on
a buoy and it was nothing serious. There
was no excltment. The sick bay WAS In
the ladies' cabin and in position where
the shock was felt quite noticeably. /
was not afraid of what would happen to
the steamer, but was scared lest the sick
men should get up and hurt themselves.
But not a man moved. I've never heard
Of anything like 1T.
ga little later when Redin came in the
ward I walked out on deck and looked
over the side. 1 walked forward to the
bow and thought the steamer was pretty
badly off, by the way the water foaIned
up around the side. saw the steamer
had run almost straight on and she was
well up on tie rocks. When our me n be-
gan to move the soldiers, walk was con-
structed over the breakwater. 1t was
found necessary to cut hole In the stern
- a.. to.f I,f.f u0ecrY henka aboJIt pfx feet
square. Through this hole were carried
the men ON litters. We laid out the men
as best We conld on the 1itters. Most Of
them wsre covered with sheets and it was
an awfally aTusso1ns sight. Tho men
did not mnrnur and some of them even
ioked about ths luck OF the ninth
"Wbsn the steamer STRUCK it was very
foagy, bat it did not seem moro tkan
twenty minutes later before the fog
cleared and tbs moon shone.
1.-THE trip in the lighter up the bay to
Newport was tough incident for the sea
was very rough and the spray soaked the
men. The tug which had us in tow, we
learned, was a government one. and the
men on it did everything possible, even
to serving us coffee at Newport.
"The police officers in Newport gave us
much assistance In putting the SICK men
on the cars. When finally the train pulled
| out of the station and started for Boston,
the greatest anxiety was felt for the
patients. Many of them seemed to fail
rapidly, but they were watchsd pretty
carefully, and In many cases the men
rallied as we neared home"
DR.. Shea said that the men of the ninth
showed the effects of the discipline they
had been under and this was the secret
of the safe arrival of every one in Boston.
1t Is a short story and the praise belongs
to the soldiers themselves.