The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-20
ARRIVAL OF
THE OLIVETTE
First Night at Anchor in
Gods Country"
HOURS BEFORE LANDING.
How the Wounded Men Get Their
Batch Of Morning Papers.
HOURS BEFORE LANDING.
MAJOR APPEL AND HIS SKILL.

NEW YORK, July 20.-[Special NO
| set Of men were ever moro truly honored
| by the Inhabitants of this town than the
wounded officers and soldiers who reached
here by the hospital steamer Olivette on
Saturday night. They have been the SUBJ
| ject of almost unrestricted newspaper
space ever since, while as IA topic OF con-
versation" they have easily led all others,
even surprising the formal turning over
| of Santiago de Cuba to General Shafter on
Sunday.
The scene on board the Olvctte on her
arrival of the quarantine station has been
well described by many pens, yet some Of
Its aspects have not been and cannot ade-
quately be presented. The talk of the
men not yet taken ashore in the middle of
the night while the vessel swung idly at
anchor waiting for daybreak and the
longed for moment of landing was one OF
the most interesting features Of the entire
episode
"Do you see the shore over there Jimf'
questioned man with both arms ban
daged and "slung" to comrade whose
head was swathcd In linen.
Jim indicated that he saw.
"Waal, old boy, amt 1t comfort to
know that our folks can land on that shore
without being In danger Of hearing them
cussed Mauser bullets whine all round
emf
Jim assented, and then, turning to a
civilian, by courtesy allowed to pass the
night on board SO as to be near wounded
friend, essayed to give an imitation of the
Mauser's whine.
Just for q joke, when we would be lying
In the bushes near Santiago" he said,
"the boys would sometimes make that in
fernal Kissing and throw a pebble against
bush. That would always make every
body duck. There never was man that
didn't want to dodge at sound of bullet,
I don't care how brave he might be, and
that's no pipe dream neither"
Don't talk any more about them bull
lets, BILL" chimed in the man with the
bound up face Were in Gods country
now, where we needn't hear 'em siss any
more. I'd rather talk about going ashore
and getting fresh eggs to eat. Say, my
friend"-to the civilian-"you don't { know
how good it'll taste to get some fresh soft
boilcd eggs again, and we're going to get
EN- tomorrow sure"
Major Appel,
Some of tho men slept as usual most of
that drst night at anchor on the edge Of
Gods own country" but more than half
kept their eyes open rs long as they could,
gazing longingly and lovingly at the shore
not more than 800 yards away.
Meantime In the captains cabin just
abaft and below the bridge Captain Steven
son and Major Appel, medical officer in
charge, sat together and discussed the
work to be done on tho morrow. Major
Appel Is man of medium size, with
clear bluo eyes and quiet manner. He
has long been in the army medical and
surgical service and Is man of great
professional skill and judgment. This is
fully borne out by tho astonishing fact
that notwithstanding the presence on the
Olivette Of scores of men most dangerous
ly wounded there has not been death
from n wound for weeks nor has an am
putation been rendered necessary by i'm
proper healing.
Somo Of the recoveries now in progress
among the soldiers brought north on tho
Olivetto are truly marvellous. Two or
three men wounded in the head and Obliged
to part with little sections of tho brain, yet
able to walk about, joking and laughing
and smoking contentcdly, were pointed
out on Saturday night TO the civilian on
board One man who will not walk for
long time was talking cheerfully as he lay
i'll nlS Dertn
want to see where tho Dagoes pumped
me?" he said, turning down the blanket
that covered him and exposing FIVE ban
dagcd wounds in the chest and dangerous
ly close to the abdomen. Pretty we'll
banged up, amt II Going 60 get out all
right. all right, though and hope in
time to go back and pay 'em what owe
emil Either of my lungs shot through
Both Of 'em. But. pshaw, they've got
this thing down so fine now that they
don't worry about a littlo matter like a
wound through tho breathers. SO long,
old chap. feel liko speaking to every
good American SEQ as II ho were an old
friend OF mine now"
Patient Heroes.
One OF the most surprising features of
tho night before landing on board the Oil
veto was tho absence Of moaning or groan-
ing or grumbling among the wounded |
mon. There was absolutely none among
those who were awake, though occasional
ly one would cry out in his sleep and wax J
en-, and whom that happened nurse would |
hurry 10 tho side OF tho sufferer TO see II |
tho pain might be relieved.
Soon after the sun arose, however, the |
men began to give signs of impatiencc. |
It did seem TO them that timo had never |
moved so slowly before, and they all felt |
that they must get ashore at once, yet |
even then there was no grumbling, no
crankincss whatever, so far ms the civilian
could observe. Major Appel was astir
very carly awaiting orders as to the dock
ing Of the boat and looking after the rou-
tino of tho vessel exactly as II the men
xuy,~ t<,r In tn AoN,, IL orI