The evening times., 1898-07-16
VICTORIES OF THE RED CROSS.
blessings wrousht ~ Its Goeaness
to SuAerers In Cuba.

to Su4erePs In Cuba
New York, July 1s.-A letter from c.
H. 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.
Ar. 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 tropl-
cal waters had allowed Of dense marine
growths on her hull,
Miss Barton on June 3 reported to Ad-
miral Sampson, on Santiago. and was
ADVISED to remain In Guantanamo Bay
awaiting developments. Many attentions
were paid to the party by the naval ofi-
GERS. The party visited Siboney on June
IS. The letter says:
"Ali the army officers received our ad-
vances politely. but rather stifIiy. 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
morning our four Red Cross nurses and
sister Bettina went over to the Cuban
hospital. which was as repulsive 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
beievers. and army officers became gen.
tiemen who doffed their hats to our de-
mure drab little women, who believe that
cleanliness Is the first essential In health
fulness
Ihat little bit of practical work spread
,hrougn rank and file like wildfire and
before nightfall our poor boys in blue who
had been lying on the floors. many az
them without even blanket, were ask
ing each other and their slovenIy male
nurses now II was that the Red Cross
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
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 twenty-four beds, which is the
capacity of the hospital.
The United States au<;or;ties were on
Greiy unprepared in medicines food o.
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 deplorabIe
condition of suffering there The next
day Miss Barton. DIR. Hubbell, Dr. and
mrs Gardner and Mcdowell Joined them
Our people began work ,le 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
fne work here in the army hospitals.
though they have had to work day and
night under the most adverse conditions.
On Sunday night. when they were coming
to the ship for rest, they were asked to
board the Harvard ana attend a lot Of
Span1ards who were on the fleet when il
was annihiliated. and they spent the en-
tire nigh, 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 10 Port Antonio,
Jamaica. for ice. Everything down here
has come our way. and the only regret
We have Is that our force - not larger.
and that We have not certain things in
our cargo that would be useful just now.
All our potatoes have rorted. and We may
lose some meal and codish. but the re-
mainder of the cargo is all right. so far
as we know"
Mr.. Cottrell also reports that Com
mander McCalla, in Guantanamo Bay,
asked for rations and was supplied from
the Texas.