The Worthington advance., 1898-11-03

Myer, Fort Mcpherson and For,
Thomas. While regimental or di.
vision hospital may receive only the
patients of it's own organizat ton, from
which the surgeons are selected, gen.
eral hospitals are for the use of any
troops in the United States service.
The general hospitals are excellent.
Fort Myer has now about IS patients.
many of whom on returning to thei,
regimentai mess have told me that
they wished themselves back to the
flesh pots of Egypt. The general hos.
pitals are regularly established in.
stitutions pertaining to the regular
army. and that is the secret of their
superiority, for, though the volunteer
officers have meant well, it has been
problem almost beyond human pow.
er to- properly systematic the enor.
nous volunteer organiza tions in any
of it's branches in so short a period.
At the Fort Myer hospital every room
has been utilized for. the patients, and
even the riding school was converted
into ward. the largest hospital ward
ever used in this country.
Much has already been done by
way of transporting the patients to
the general hospitals. A special hos.
pital train of ten tourist sleepers has
been commissioned as transport
and is running constantly from camp
TO camp. The patients in the isolated
hospital tents are being taken away
just as soon as they are strong enough
to endure the trip. r On recent Tues.
day 181 regulars were received at
Fort Myer. The next day the same
train took large number to Fort Nc.
Pherson. Many of the states have been
and are still making strenuous efforts
to carry their own sick away from the
division quarters to private hospitals,
Train after train of Pullman sleeper,
has taken Missourians, New Yorkers,
Philadelphians, Ohioans, Yankees and
others from hospitals at Loring. Chick.
amauga and elsewhere to their home
states. Thanks to the charitable Phil
adelphiaEs their ico-chirurgical
hospital alone has quartered almost
two hundred soldiers.
In speaking of private charity, one
must not forget the good Samaritans
of the gentler sex. What woman has
done to alleviate the suffering of thou
sands and thousands of soldiers n his.
tory can ever record; but those who
have suffered and have seen the suf-
fering know of their great and noble
work. The funds that bought the
ice cream and champagne at Montauk
were secured by and through the ef-
forts of women; the nsportation of
patients to better quarters was large
ly the work of women's orgariza tions.
SWher it was learned that the soldiers
were sent from camp to camp with
half-sick men among them, crowded
into day coaches and fed at half ra-
tions and 21 cents coffee money for
"a hours, kind-hearted women met the
trains at every station with refresh
ments for the hungry and pillows and
cushions for the sick. This method OF
comforting soldiers on transports has
been organized into q regular prac-
tice at every station from Fernandina,
Fla, to New York city. A great work
has beer accomplished also by Sisters
of Charity and other trained nurses
who volunteered their services at the
division and branch hospitals. Sol
dier rest homes have been provided
by the Legion Of Loyal Women and
other organizat tons. where soldiers on
sick furloughs and Others are re.
freshed, comforted and entertained.