The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-20

friends when he served for several terms
rs the assistant secretary of the Maine
Senate He has just won for himself de-
served praise as the officer in charge of the
hospital train for it was supposed when
he left Camp Thomas that there would
be several deaths in the cars before he
reached Maine. However, when the train
reached Portland it carried every ma
who had boarded it at the camp and with
a very few exceptions all were better than
they were when the train started. A
Press reporter had q talk with DR.. Wheel
er while he was waiting for the departure
of the special for Rockland. DIR. wheeler
told an interesting story OF the trip. AL
along the way. he sa i'd. the troops were
greeted with sympathy by the people. AL
levelai,d where they had the misfortune
to he delayed by the breaking OF wheel
under q car in which were q numper oi
the worst cases, there was trouble al hrso
a number Of the employees about the
station insisting that the occupants OF the
car should be removed 81 declined to do
anything of the sort, +" said DIR. Wheeler,
"and when they found that I meant it
they took me before the general superin-
tendent. He heard what had to say and
then he cave orders that that car should
be fixed without disturbing the sick men
in it,. He told his subordinates that
not soldier should be troubled. The car
was run to the shops and the work done.
a crew of men being .cafled out in the
middle of the night to attend to it,. More,
than that the superintendent had he
train run out on the lake front where the
boys got good nights sleep, the bree re
from the lake cooling the air. 1t was
when we reached the lake that the men
began to improve. They grew better all
the time after that On the way north,
/ had to procure supplies sby telegraphing
ahead. In this way 1 got $50 gallons of
milk, 1900 sandwiches, two gross of cans
of beef extract, two crates of oranges.
1900 pounds of ice and as gallons of coffee.
The men who were able allowed to leave
abe train and get their meals at the res
taurants along the way. At Syracuse the
Daughters of the Syracuse American
Revolution were on hand and furnished
q lot of good Things for 1.-The boys. I es-
tablished diet kitchen in the baggage
car and kept supply of hot water there.
There was no daily routine on the train.
1 did not know the men by name but I
became familiar with their needs and
when call came for my services I an
swered it, The men you see about the
platform here are fair sample of the
whole regiment. I came north on 8 ten
days detail and when Issget back expect
to find second train load waiting for
me. On this train took AZ out of "a cases
in the hospital They were at work
making up furloughs when I left :.
Major UImer is our worst case. think
and hope that he may come through all
right. He has been better for the last
two days. We have had many cases of
typhoid and malaria. I have had the as
sistance of Elk privates on the way. They
are Privates Graves of Rockland, Adams
OF Norway, Cram of Westbrook, Levarge
of Biddeford, Chaples of Rockland, who
has had the care of Major Ulmer, and
Nick enney."
While DR.. Wheeler spoke modestly of his
labors in behalf of the men under his
charge, from others it was learned that
he had been unremitting in his atten-
tions to them. On the way north he did
not have more than three hours of sleep
and he showed the right spirit when he
as.,+h 10 1nf ~ foly
men because broken wheel had been
found on the car.
SOLDIERS STORIES.
Thin and i'll in appearance but evident
Jy glad toy get home was Private Higgins
of Rockland with whom Press reporter
talked of the condition of things in Chick
anlauga. Private Higgins had been sew
eral weeks in the hospital. He said that
the hospital SO far as he could see was
reasonably clean. So was there" he sad
when we had the big storms. The hospi-
tai tents were blown down and trees
were uprooted. l had just raised myself
from my cot when a tree fell right across
it. For food at Chickamauga, we had
O0i6C&tJ Ny WAtCA 40 114ONAo oAO 1dLOI
back hog, made into bacon, bread and
coffee, the coffee being thrown into the
pots without having been ground There
are lots of sick boys down there"
Private George Fox of Augusta was an
other who had been in the hospital. He
told much the same story and was equal
ly glad to get back home.
Private Graves of Rockland who was
one of DR.. Wheeler's assistants on the
way north spoke in praise of the DOCTORS
efforts in behalf of the sick soldiers.
Private Graves said that the soldiers in
the hospitals at Chickamauga were as
well cared for as men could do the work
but the absence Of women nurses was felt.
Mr.. Graves was one Of the few men who
seemed to have stood his southern expert
ence without loss of flesh. He looked hale
and hearty, in marked contrast to the
soldiers around him.
The sleepers in which the Maine troops
made their journey had previously been
used in similar service. In lone of them