The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-06
NAVY HOSPITAL SHIP IN.
BEINGS Q WOUNDED AVID % sT0K
FROM sIMPsoN'S FLEET.

TIVE were Hit OF SEE Jusn see Essr ~ Cisn-
FueEss-An LansntiuE THAT They HAVE Got
oct sF the war Before the Einish-ln
the hawai- Hospital-Ons fnvnlided Omcor.
Fifty.four sick and wounded sHilors from the
! ships in Admiral Simpsons feet arrived in this
port yesterday on the navy hospital ship solace.
Among them were men who took part in the
bombardment OF San Juan, others who received
their injuries while engaged In the perllous
work Of cutting cables from small boats within
forty yards of tho Cuban coast and under the
fire OF Spanish sharpshooters, and others who
have been engaged in blockade duty of Ha-
vanA. Some of tho men are in rrotty bad
shape, and several Of thom will be cripplos for
life. All are lAmentinR that thew have been
ordered North for repairs. They wanted 10
doctor up" on their respective ships. DO as to
be on hand for battles TO come.
There was one man who was shot hve times
at CionfueEoS while cutting cables, and IAN
other whose right arm was so badly shattered
by q shell at San Juan that it haR been ampu-
tated, and all these two could think Of yoster-
day was how long It would be before they could
get back with the feet. They actually regard
cd it ~ an injustice that they should be sent
North, and the man with the i've bullet wounds
declared most vohsmently that he was a. we'll
able to fight now as he had ever beon.
Tho Solacs met Admiral Sampson's feet
two days after the San JuRn lombard
mont of May IL, They met about $50 miles
from Porto Rico, and three mon from the Iowa
and one from the New York were transferred
TO the hospital ship in small boats at night.
Tho Solaco got orders Immediately afterward
to proceed to Key West, and take on the sick
and wounded there. She left Key West at
4 O'Clock last Wednesday afternoon. The
weather was very bad on Friday and Saturday,
a. IGAa1- L.
that, as tho SOlace has been transformed into q
model hospital ship. and there are all kinds Of
comforts for the sick.
The SOlRce dropped anchor Off Tompkinsville
at 10 o'clock yesterday forenoon and two hours
later proceeded to the navy yard. The Red
Cross flag atsher masthead revealed her iden-
tity to the other craft in the bay and they footed
con inuouBly az the hospital ship steamed by.
The injured sailors, some with ~bandages around
their heads, others hobbling around on crutches.
could be seen on tho decks of the Solace and
many a cheer.went up for them from the mon
ON passing boats. At the navy yard word was
sent at once to the Naval Hospital for ambu
lAnces and trucks, the lAtter to transport lug
gage and bedding. By 8 o'clock all of the men
were in the hospital.
Most of the injured men on tho Solaco were
shot while cutting cables Off CtonfuegoB on May
IL. This work was carried on In small boats
from tho Marblehead and Nashville, and In
order to grapple the cable the men had to 60
within forty yards of the shore, in easy range of
the Spanish cavalry and infantry. 1t was work of
the most perilous kind, but there was q scramble
for places in the boats whom volunteers were
called for.
Gunner's Mate John Davis of the Marble
head was hobbling around the deck of tho
Solace yesterday. Davis was shot in the
kneo at CienfueRoB. Seaman Robert Volz
of the Nashville was another one of the mon
shot in the Clenfuegos fight. who came up on
the Solace. Volz got three bullets In the side,
one in the Shoulder and another in the head.
Harry Kuchmeister and Harry HennioksOn of
the Marblehead, who were in the same boat
with Davis, also came up on the Solac0. Kuch-
meister was shot in the mouth and Hennickson
in the stomach. Seaman John J. Doran of the
Nashville, who was In the boat with Volz, was
shot in the thigh. He was left at Key West.
Two Of the most interesting Of the Solace's
patients were Marine George Merkle and Sea-
man John Engle Of the 10 va. who were injured
by the Same shell while at their stations in the
fighting tops at San Juan on May IL. Merkle
was struck in the right arm and right leg, and
his arm has boon amputated from . point about
three inches above the elbow. Englo's foot was
badly injured by a fragment of tho same shell,
and 1t will be some time before he'll be in shape
to resume duty.
~ was stationed in the superstructure on
the port side Of the Iowa during tho fight" said
Merklo yesterday. There were other mon I'd
there, too, and we were reporting tho work Of
our guns. They call our work range finding
on the ship. Shortly after the engagement be.
gan the tire from the forts bacame so fierce that
We were ordered below. 1t was q great disap-
pointment to us, because from our point OF view
the bombardment was q fine sight. 1t was
after the command was given to cease firing
that WAS ordered back TO my station. Tho
forts were still blazing away at US. and the
shells were whistling in the air when l climbed
up to my place. l plainly saw the shell that
exploded near me. but. there was no getting out
of its way. Ono piece OF the shell struck me on
the right arm and another cut open my leg.
1T didn't hurt NO very much at the time;
my whole side seemed numb. but when 1 looked
at my arm the sight sickened me-. 1t had boon
torn to ribbons from the elbow down, and 1
realized then that my hrst battle was my last,
because the Government has no use for q one
armed sailor. l passed the word down that 1
was injured, and l was ordered below. l came
down without any assistance, lowering myself
a part Of the way by rope, but collapsed en-.
tirely when l reached the deck. They cut OF
my arm at Key West, and l suppose that the
end Of my service in tho navy. Well, I saw
one big battle, anyway. and there's something
in that, even If it did make me q cripple for
life"
Naval Cadet Giles of the Oregon was the
only officer among the sick and injured on the
Solace. Ho is suffering from lung trouble. and
has come North to recuporate. Following 10 a
full list of the mon who came up on tho SolGoe:
IowR-GeorRe Eierkls. marine; John Engle,
seaman; George Twiss, water tender.
Marblehoad-Harry HennickSon. seaman
BARLEY O'Leary, coal passer; John Davis, gun
ner'B mate; II. w. KuchmeiSter, marine.
OreGon-William Giles, naval cadet; PhiliI
J. Lynch, marine; AlonEo Gartley, apprentice
Dolphin-Albert w. Simons. auartermaster
Thomas Dodds. seaman; Charles Schmitt
boAtswaiu's mate.
Machias-Max Cook. coal spasser; William
A. Shaw, machiniBt.
Annapolis Albert Link, machinist; Louil
Il. MitschAll, sergeant OF marines.
Amphitrite-Winston Chiles, mess attendant
Adam II. Howard. fireman.
Mangrove-John Verify, fireman.