The times., 1898-07-17
VICTORIES OF THE RED CROSS.
Blessings Wrought by It's Goodness
TO Sufferers in Cuba.

New York, July ia letter from c.
II. H. CottreIl, who is at Santiago with
Miss Clara Barton. to the chairman of
the executive committee of the American
National Red Cross, gives an interesting
account of operations Of that organiza-
ton in Cuba.
Mr. Cottrell reports the departure of
the Red Cross supplyship Texas from
Key West on June 90 The Texas was
able to make only seven or eight miles
an hour, because the long delay in tropi-
cal waters had allowed of dense marine
growths on her hull
Miss Barton on June 25 reported TO Ad-
miral Sampson, off Santiago, and was
advised to remain in Guantanamo Bay,
awaiting developments. Many attentions
were paid to the party by the naval Off
GERS. The party visited Siboney on June
25. The letter says:
"All the army officers received our ad-
vances politely, but rather stlfiy, at first
declining any aid, but eventually con-
Tossing that they had nothing but army
rations Of hog meat hard tack and coffee
with which TO feed their sick, and that
they would accept "a few things to help
them out until their own supplies arriv-
ed. But they declined all offers of nurses
and doctors
Refused by our own people. we next
called on Gen. Garcia. of the Cuban
army, and were most cordially received,
his medical men being only too glad to
accept all we had to offer. So the next
Ttgr paJ nd
Sister Bettina went over 10 the Cuban
hospital. which was as repulsiye and for
bidding place as can be imagined. and
began to work The patients were as
founded and transformed with such a
baptism Of soap and water as never was
heard of before in this benighted region.
and by afternoon that little hospital was
one clean spot in town. Scoffers became
believers. and army officers became gen
t!emen who dOffed their hats 10 our de-
mure drab little women, who believe that
cleanliness is the first essential in health
fulness.
That little bit OF practical work spread
through rank and file like wildfire and
before nightfall our poor boys in blue who
mad been lying on the floors, many of
them without even q blanket were ask
ing each other and their slovenly male
I 'HN----S AAC" ~ was tlldt the lkEu Gross
came down here and gave them the go
by and put the Cubans on beds with soft
pillows and blankets and clean sheets. OF
course such vigorous kicking and the
! terrible contrast between the Cuban and
our army hospitals could have but one
} result, and the army surgeons are now
/ willing and eager to have US on any terms
/ we may suggest, and are constantly ask
ing for more than we are prepared TO give
/ We have opened a Red Cross hospital here
and have twentyfour beds, which is the
/ capacity of the hospital
me United States authorities were en-
/ tirely unprepared in medicines, food OF
/ services to handle wounded men. and the
/ Red Cross has proved a perfect Godsend
/ We are now in full accord with the mil
| itary surgeons-at this end
keenan, and Egan went to the front
last Saturday and found a depIorable
/ condition of suffering there. The next
! day Miss Barton, DR.. HubbeH, DR.. and
/ Mrs. Gardner and Mcdowell Joined them.
J Our people began work the moment they
! arrived on the field, and they will remain
/ there as long as there is need for them.
/ Lesser and the nurses have been doing
fine work hare in the army hospitals.
though they have had TO work day and
night under the most adverse conditions.
On Sunday night, when they We're coming
TO the ship for rest they were asked TO
board the Harvard ana attend a lot of
Spaniards who were on the fleet when it
was annihiliated. and they spent the en-
tire night there, returning to the ship in
an exhausted condition. After four hours
! rest they returned to the shore again.
I'VE have to run over to Port Antonio
Jamaica. for ice. Everything down here
has come our way, and the only regret
we have is that our foice IS not larger
and that we have not certain things in
our cargo that would be useful Just now
All our potatoes have routed. and we may
lose some meal and coGnsh. but the re-
mainder of the cargo is all right, so far
as we know
Mr. CottreIl also reports that Com.
mander McCalla, in Guantanamo Bay
asked for rations and was supplied from
the Texas.