The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-02
RODE LIKE 4 NAN
How the Wife of the Secre-
tary 10 the President
WENT TO THE FRONT
Mauser Bullets, Hospitals and
the Red Cross,


nails dispatch boat she was in the field
where The soldiers asked for food, in tn,
trenches where they fell, IN the tenr
where their wounds were dressed. OF wa.
she saw only the horrors Yet she remind.
one not at all Of the sad face of Dante
pictured AT his return from the Inferno
by a classic painter.
Here is all enthusiastic To the victims
the limpidity of her blue eyes must have
been an encouragement and an inspira-
ton. Her smile is intensely kind. She
| was dressed for a call on a friend in fash
! ionable society, and one realized with diff
! fculty that the woman who wore SO grace.
! fully a gown so delicate endured some OF
! the hardships that killed men in Cuba
| "Oh, 1T seems impossible that you were
! in the assault on Santiago" she was told
But I was" Mrs. Porter replied. land
| far in front Of the line. How far, do YOU
think? Well, within half a mile of San
tiago. I had to ride to that point, and, as
there was only a mans saddle, ! had to
wear mans trousers. I was escorted by
a general His name? 1 viii not tell
that"
Are you sure he should not be censur-
ed, contaminated, shOt?" John Addison
Porter, secretary 10 the President, asked,
with mock gravity.
Yes" she said Il am sure"
IN reply to question, she continued:
AT first, you say to yourself that you
must avoid bullets, and you bend your
head, but little by little, you realize that
you cannot avoid the bullet that was made
to kill you.
Then, if you are anxious to do things.
you think more of the good that you may
do than of the harm that may come to
you. Your work captivates you entirely
I had the advantage Of knowing person
ally officers Of the navy known officially
only TO other servants of the Red Cross.
Il could go to them and ask for services
that they were only too glad to render.
By the way, I saw Roosevelt, and obtain
ed something for his Rough Riders What
joy there was in being able to do little
errands that seem triding as one tells
them and were fraught with difficulties
almost insurmountable =.
The roads were impossible. There were
only aggravating traces Of one which
must at one time have been superb. The
weather was absurd. After II In the morn
ing there came a breeze, which increased
gradually in GOODNESS until you had pass
ed entirely out of torrid heat.
mo there is no exaggeration Of the
number of operations that one physician
had to make. Fifty operations by one
surgeon was not an amazing record. Oh,
I must not forget to tell you something
worthy Of note. When our men were shot
once down they fell. That is the intelIi-
gent principle of the Mauser bullet
1T disables a man with the greatest
economy Of time. Disabling one man it
disables three, because two men are re-
quired to carry one away from the field
The Mauser bullet tries to wound only,
because the killed are not picked up until
after the battle.
Il have seen Spaniards whom three, and
even four of our American bullets had
not disabled. They were full of wounds,
and they were fighting still. I have in
my mind now the image of a Spaniard
with a youthful face who had a wound
in the left arm, wound In are leg and
another wound in the chest. He was
caught. aiming patiently and firing as if
49, ~ - ~ NtAAie~DA ~ AtoAotii45 oSOlAy.
Il was in hospital No. l. around which
the bullets wheezed like wind through the
branches of trees in a forest. After a
while I became accustomed to the noise
and it passed out Of my observation en-
tirely. Had 1 experience as a nurse? No:
but have always taken interest in the
relief Of suffering and l visited the hos
pital in Connecticut often
7 did not go to Cuba in an official ca
pacity. I went as an assistant to Miss
Barton. whom I have known for a long
time. I could be of some use to her. be
cause Of my acquaintance with officers
of the navy and army. But Miss Barton
may never be praised enough. She knew
exactly what was wanted on the battle
fields, and provided in advance for a null
utude of wants that no other person could
have thought of.
"Oh, the Red Cross. Ask any soldier to
tell you what it does and learn how it de-
serves the most profound Affection
Mrs. Porter said that Miss Barton's de-
vouon was extraordinary. It had the i'm
petuosity Of generosity and the discerning
faculty of pure justice. Mrs. oPrter said
she had learned from her companIonship
with Miss Barton lessons that might be
eavied They were given in silence. usu-
ally. and they seemed to contain manuals
Of education and whole ages Of expert
ences.
1T IS hard to realize that I have been
away for one month only. And Vet have
been away from New York one month ex-
actly. I Left this Windsor Hotel at noon.
June .. and returned today. July Is about
o'clock. In all the time that was away
thought Of home often. but have not
felt that nostalgia. of which you say
soldier died near Santiago. was too busy
thinking Of what could be done for the
sufferers in Cuba. I suppose"
The State Of Texas sailed from New
York on April >. Il Went 70 Kay West.
20 Por Tampa, 20 Siboney. ntlGprovis-
ions. X fed at Guantanamo 200 recon
Centra5os. then il returned 10 S.boney.
After its provisions had been exhausted
there the vessl said 70 Kingston aad Port
Antonio. Il said into Santiago imme-
d.a;e,y after the surrender. carrying
Sampson and Schley.
The STATE Of Texas left Santiago week
ago and arrived a. Quarantine az noon
yesterday. There were tairty-one persons
-'- '''S NiS" ne passengers were MIS-.
John Addison Porter. SISTER Blanche. OF
tie Red Cross Society. and Drs. c. Ray
moad Bald. C. B. Long. d. W. Doaerty
and Il. Ligh,stone.
DR.. Doty sent 20 Hoffman Island the
stewardesS III Of a Sigh; fever. from
which she is expected TO recover today.
sister Blanche, VINO IS twenty-five years
Of ase ard very am.ao.e. said ma Mrs.
John Addison Porter he5 done much work
on me battle beds abou: winch she wcaId
forget 10 speak. With Mss Barton and