The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-29
HEAVY ARTILLERY COMING.
FOUR BATTERIES To BE SENT
HERE AT ONCE FROM MAINE.


mt savannah without DeIay-Corps
VIII Take 200 Female Nurses to
Cuba-There Are $50 Men in the
Hospital Corps Volunteers Have
to BE Pampered, Says the Officers.
No sickness Contracted In Savan-
uah, Col. Maus Says-COntracts for
Oats. Bran and Wood Awarded.
Four batteries Of heavy artillery are
coming 10 Savannah at once to Join the
Seventh Army Corps
An order 10 this effect was issued by
Mai Gen. Shafter on oct "a, pursuant
to telegraphic instructions from the war
department
These batteries belong to the First
Maine Heavy Artillery stationed at Au-
gusta. Ne This battalion OF artillery has
been ordered to proceed to Savannah with
out delay It viii first go to Boston and
from there to New York by steamer. The
depot quartermaster at New York has
been ordered to arrange for transportation
for the battalion to Savannah from that
point Just as soon as II arrives there. and
the subsistence department has been or
dered to furnish the necessary subsistence.
Copies of this order were received in the
city by yesterday mornings mail, and
were in the possession of the adjutant
general of the corps.
It is expected to send the heavy artil-
lerymen to Cuba along with the corps as
they will be needed in providing force
for the land batteries there when the
American army takes possession.
The battalion of engineers which was
ordered here from Montauk Point mas not
yet arrived, but is expected any day.
cavalry regiment, the Fifth, is also ex-
pected here within a few days to take
a transport for Porto Rico.
The work of organizing the hospitals Of
the two divisions and getting the hospital
corps into line is one of the most impor-
tant features of camp life at present. At
Jacksonville Lieut. Col. L. NJ. Maus, sur
geon Of the corps, had about so privates,
hospital stewards and acting hospital ste
wards in his department. besides 800 fe-
male nurses. These were distributed around
among the three divisions of the corps
there as they were needed. Many OF the
men attached TO the hospital corps We're
transferred from the regiments. others
were enlisted from private life, while still
others were formerly attached TO the nos
pital corps of the regular army.
These hospital nurses and stewards are
better paid than any other men IN the
army. The private in this service, who is
expected to be a man of more Intelligence
than the ordinary private, is paid $2LD
per month The hospital steward re-
ceives $54 a month, the acting hospital
steward $50 and the female hospital nurse
$50 per month, together with board travel
ing expenses and transportation horne af-
ter she leaves the service.
The soldiers attached TO this corps per-
form the same duty as do the female
nurses, and in addition they handle the
ambulances, serve as druggists clerks
and litter bearers, and during an engage
ment are expected to be right on the line
of battle.
The female nurses are an innovation in
the army. They are not found in the reg
ular army at all, but the officers say ow-
ing to the complaints of citizens general
ly. the volunteer soldier had to be PAM
pered and nursed, and fed on milk bot
tie. As one of them remarked there were
bowls from certain quarters because per
chance the volunteers were not req at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
The female hospital nurse has to nave
better care than the male nurses, and bet
ter buildings and accommodations have
10 be furnished for them. Orders have
Just been issued for the construction or
kitchens, store houses and dining rooms
for the female nurses at the hospital camps
of each of the divisions. These buildings
win be put up at once, and will be in
shape for the nurses when they arrive
in Savannah.
So far only about twelve out of the 300
nurses In jacksonville have arrived, but
there are about 100 men here belonging
20 the hospital corps. The Second DiVls-
ion hospital which Is located an the forks
of the Thunderbolt shell road, near The
water tank, has about been completed
and the tents for the First Division hos
pital are now being put up. Both hos
pitals will soon be in good working shape
The hospital camps are carefully con-
structed and laid out in streets radiatirg
from a common center. The grounds aud
surroundings are kept thoroughly clean
and every possible provision is made foe
the care of the men.
Col. Maus said yesterday that he expect
ed to take anywhere from $50 to 200 wo-
men nurses to Cuba with the corps, and
all of the male portion of the hospital
corps. with the exception of those
who are discharged before the
corps moves. He does not fear how
ever that he viii be short in numbers,
for there are always applications for this
branch of the service, usually more than
there is room for.
up to the present time" Col. Maus
said. there has been no sickness in Sa-
vannah among the troops from local
causes, There are some few cases OF
fever, measles and mumps, but none of
these cases were contracted here. The
measles and mumps are almost altogether
in the Second South Carolina Regiment,
and these diseases existed there before il
came to Savannah.
There are still between 700 and 800 stick
soldiers in the hospitals at Jacksonville.
and the majority of the hospital corps is
therefore retained in that city for the pres
ent Some of these. according 60 their
cases. are sent to the general hospitals
at Atlanta in Virginia. or other places,
while others are furloughed and sent home
and those who are able to do so are re-
turned to their regiments. Within the
next two or three weeks the hospitals
there will no doubt be entirely cleared out,
and most of the hospital force will be in
Savannah"
Among the surgeons and doctors in the
corps there are about fifty who carry
commissions, and there are about fifty act
ing assistant surgeons who are not com
missioned Those who get into this branch