The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-07
QUIET DAYS AT SMELLING
FORT IS DESERTED EXCEPT FOR
A SCORE OF BLUE COATS


Women Of the Post Are Busy In the
Red Cross Work-There Is Some
Recruiting Being Done, but the
Usual Martial Appearance of
Shelters Some Sick Volunteers.
twenty-five blue-coated regulars and
| a band Of anxious women are having
weary time of it at Fort Smelling.
The children are the life of the post,
and on the Fourth were the only ones
who had any heart in a celebration.
Inc little ones enjoyed several rounds
or flre crackers and some handsome dis
plays of fireworks and went to bed
happy without care beyond wonder
ing who Should find the most sky
rocket sticks when daylight came The
older ones had matters of more weight
to occupy their minds, and every scrap
OF war news which was brought out
from town was eagerly devoured and,
while there was rejoicing over the vic
tory or their people, there were many
sad hearts wondering how the boys
from home were getting along.
Capt. Gerlach. the officer in charge at
the fort, now has two sons in the army
one young fellow is with the Sixth
battery, and, since the fighting began
at Santiago, nothing has been heard
from him or his companions. The 9TH
er son Is with the Fourteenth. Both
young men are privates. The regular
army men have to wait many years
for promotion, and, when time like
the present comes, they eagerly send
he ftNf tAc ,0,
their girls il they could, no doubt,
praying that their time for distinction
has come. And. when the promotion
comes, it amounts to something
The hospital at Fort Smelling has sev-
eral patierts in its wards. Some of
them are the boys who were taken
from Camp Ramsey suffering with
pneumonia and typhoid fever. They
are able now to be about the porches
and grounds, and will be sent forward
soon.
The hospital is the most attractive
place at the fort just now. It is pretti-
ly situated, with an old-fashioned
white picket fence incosing the
grounds. The grass is kept cut, and
there are several flower beds. and
fountain throws a cooling spray high
in the air all day. The building itself
IS clean, and remarkable for it's mill
tary order and neatness. A long porch
goes all around it. One Of the features
OF the institution is a training school
for men nurses. Ordinarily but few
men are allowed each hospital, but in,
times of war recruits are taken, and
at present there is a corps of nineteen
nurses at Tort Smelling. under the d.
rection of Dr.. Darling.
The men enlist for term of three
years, the same as any other United
states soldier. A course of daily lee
lures is given them and practical train
ing as to lifting and caring for the
sick and wounded. The men are most
Of them drug clerks or hospital nurses
and have had more or less experience
in nursing or medicine before they en-
list.
rms hospital covers the department
Of Dakota, which includes eight West
ern posts. The steward is DR.. Venue
man, who has been in the service nany
years and who has had much valuable
experience. The men wear the Red
cross, Which is worn by any army or
navy nurse or member of a hospital
corps, and not alone by members of
the Red Cross as SO many imagine
The quarters look very dismal and
deserted. and a more lonesome place
could not be lima gined. The grass has
grown long on the parade ground and
two lone horses, a gray and a bay,
Craze contentedly in its midst. There
are no lawn tennis or golf games in
progress and the few men Capt. Ger
ZACH has under him are kept busy all
day with various duties and have little
time or inclination for merry making
great American flag swings from
the barracks and over the hospital is
raised a Red Cross flag. Otherwise
there is not even patriotic display
of flags to tighten the place up Fort
Snallinp hos
matters to think Of than decorating it's
barracks
The women are doing Red Cross
work, making hospital supplies, etc,
and watching for letters from the front.
Second Lieut.. Palmer has been re-
cruiting men for the signal corps and
left last evening for Washington.
where he and his men had been or
dered to report for duty. Lieut. Pal
n1er was anxious to get to Washing
ton, fearing the war might end before
ne saw bit Of the fight He hoped
to be sent to Clrba
The men he had recruited were very
manly looking and We're above the
ordinary soldiers in education. They
were experts along electrical lines.
Their names We're:
George Selby Minneapolis
Carl Engbiom, Mnneano-is.
Thomas Erens Mark. Duluth. ,.
'Ohn u. Land. iron River.
Fred Vandervort Minneapolis
John ". VI. Kah., Mendoza
Henry Herbert Perrine, Ann Arbor
William Bertram Morrison Minneapolis
Robert Alexander Perdergast st. Paul
Clifford. Linn Higgins. Duluth.
Ernest Nicholas Cullen. ST. Paul
William R. Bertrand. Hersey Wis.
George Se!by will take charge of sig
nal detachment until further ins.r,lc-
tons at all times in the absence ef
the commanding officer in charge by
order of Don A. Palmer, second lieu
tenant United States volunteer signal
corps. Robert Pendergast is q broth er
of Father Pendergast. of this city The
men underwent the same physical ex-
animation as any other regular army
recruits. The sigma! corps fellows the
skirnlish line in battle and is one of
the most Important bodies of men in a
battle. They use various kinds of
methods for signaling according TO cf--
cumstaL ces. Lieut.. Palmer and his de-
tachment left last evening at $40 for
Washington.