The Portland daily press., 1898-08-27
Large Number Of the Troops Taken
to Hospital.
ONLf ONE DEATH ON THE WAY
HOME REPORTED.

Tremendous Crowds at the Station to
Greet the Returning soldiers-Many
Touching Scenes Witnessed by Those
itnces at the Camp.
II had been the expectation of General
Rel ards and Mayor Randall, from tele-'
grams received from DR.. Eliot, that the
hospital train containing the sick and
conyalescent soldiers of the First Maine
Volunteers would arrive In this city at
eight O'clock yesterday morning. But
dispstch recei we'd very early yesterday
stated that the train did not leave Boston
until a. m. aud later one announced
their departure from Portsmouth, N. H.
at 9 30 a. m, consequently there was no
chauee of tbs arrival before ii. 80 a. m.
Long before that no r the friends ana
relatives of the regiment began to as
semble in the station. 1t WAS 1.25 when
the ling train rolled into the Maine Ce1-
tral yard, and it was astonishing with
what rapidity the crowd gathered abol s
the q,rs. There were seven coaches AMI
they contained 17S men. OF this numbe,
II or, were thirty-two that needed Chit
care of the hospital or of tho home.
Amolg the SO were Lieuts. Lord and
Atkins.
1t 1gas a remarkable spectacle when the
train stopped. 1t was beautiful early
SeptC mbsr day in quality, with an air
full 6 life and vigor. or as one Of the
convDlescents expressed it, sit seema like
Heaw3n AFTER hell" The bright sun,
beams imported gentle and kindly
warInth co the men so long baked ty a
torrid sun, and lighted up in bold rslief
the great crowd of some four thousand
men and women who were crazy TO got
aboard the train. The police did excellent
service. They appreciated the feelings
that prompted the crowd and yet they
knew their duty and that room must ba
obtai1ed for the ambulancessto. get up to
the coaches and take off the sick. Gen.
Richards, Mayor Randall, Surgeon Gen.
eral Nay Col. Printable, City
Messenger Mcgowan, Sergeant Major
Chase. formerly of the First Maine, were
right on hand to receive the train, and
Gen. Richards was prompt and decisive
in all his orders Mr.. Andrew ]. Rich.
as on the occasion of the arrival of the
first hospital train-had on hand long
line a ambulances, and hacks, the police
furnished their ambulance wagon, and
Mr.. Chase and Captain Sawyer had
plentF of carriages. Lieut.. Riker and the
Ambulance Corps were also in attend
ance. The great difficulty that was at
first encountered was in giving an oppor-
tunity for the very sick men to be taken
from she train. People in the crowd
feared that each sick map was one of
their swn kith and kin, and they pressed
forwsFd eagerly. But the police did ex-
cellent service and are entitled to great
credia for their moderation and tact
Gesoral Richards was informed by DR..
Eliot that as soon as the sick men were
removed to the hospitals, and those con-
valesosnt, who had obtained their fur.
loughs Lad left the train, it would move
right on to Augusta. The general also
announced that by the kindness of Gov.
Powers Oh excellent dinner had been pro-
vided at the Union station cafe for all
the mon who desired to enjoy it. The
men evidently appreciated this kindness
heartily, but they had but little gimp left
in them, although those who were
preseIea when the erst hospital train r
rived bought that these boys were in
much better shape than those. num-
Der, however, went over and were treated
10 this first square meal they had tasted
since leaving Portland.
The saddest sight of all was the re-
moval on stretchers of the men that had
10 go to the hospitals. They didn't seem
to know anything. They were almost like
corpses in fact. Plenty OF doctors were
present to give aid and encouragement
among them, Drs. Charles D. Smith and
Cousins. Carefully and tenderIy they
we're taken out of the train on stretohers,
placed in the amhulanoes and removed to
the hospitals.
A representative of the PRESS asked
Dr. Eliot If he could spare him moment
for an interview while he was taking his
dinner, but the Doctor said that he could
not The train had come through from
Chickamauga, he SAIL, without interest
except the death Of Private HaggeFty OF
Go. !, reported by telegraph.