Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-17
HER MISSION ONE OF MERCY
TO CARE FOR THE WOUNDED AND
COMFORT THE DYING.
Accommodations on Board for 200
Wounded Sailors-Fittea Out In
Every Way on the Lines Of Mod.
era Hospitals-EquiDDed
for EnbalniA4.

ed. 1883, by the Associated Press.) It looks
like stern business when the hospital corps
Is sent to the front. The first Of those who
will attend the wounded on board ship
reached Key West on Wednesday last In
tho United States ambulance ship solace.
The Solace has been at anchor for several
weeks at Hampton Roads. Her Officers.
surgeons and others were anxious to get
to work. II there was work to be done.
On the Saturday previous to her arrival
here. she received hurry orders to get
nearer to what II to be the scene Of ac-
tion. OF course, the plan Is to have tho
Solace where she will do the most good.
AMI when Commander Dunlap arrived In
port he was uncertain whether he would
be ordered to Havana, on the coast or be
sent to Porto Rico. to which point Admiral
Sampson's squadron was at that time sup
posed to be heading.
At any rate the Solace had mission to
fulhn before caring for the wounded. and
that was to cross the Florida strait and
visit each Of the Warships OF the blockad-
ing feet. Among the sick Of the blockad-
ers, the deiicacies provided by the Colonial
Danes were distributed, or else they viii
be stored on the various ships for future
use. The ambulance ship had been bount-
fully supplied by the women OF America
with the good things that are generally
lacking at sea and In the field.
Perhaps no ship Of the war viii be the
center Of so much concern a. the Solace.
Her white sides and her Red Cross nag
will mark her to friend and foe. Her mis-
sion will be one Of mercy-to build up that
which has been partly destroyed-to care
for the wounded. to comfort the dying.
She Is stanch and fast and 800 or moro
wounded sailors can be accommodated on
board this floating hospital.
While the battle raEeaL the Solace win
occupy . position similar to that Of the
hospital tents ashors. and after the battle
her boats will Be sent to the ships and the
wounded will be removed. Then, a. soon
as possible. she VIII carry her patients TO
the hospitals at some port of safety.
At Newport NeWo and at ether ports ut
which the 6olace has touched the work Of
fitting her out has been completed. and now
she In every way resembles the modern
hospitals. She u divided into wards, with
hunks. narrow. but each separated from
the other by paasaGeVays. The operating
room II finely equipped with surgical M
strumente. and there - . tiled bathroom
with an appliance for heating O. cosling
the water; q complete paraphernalia for
treating wounds and . convaleacents' room.
Dunlap. . pleasant. hearty. genial naval Of
hcef.s The surgeon b DR.. Thomas II.
6trsets. and Dr. c. =. Stokes. passed assist-
ant surgeon Of the United States navy, In
chief assistant. The other surgeons on
board the Solace are Df. q. =. Saith and
DR.. r. 9. Bogsee There are eight nurses
from the Bellevue school On board. and
three apothecaries have been provided
There h . ghastiy department to the
AaA Call
cofans in . section Of the boat, set aside
for tha care Of the dead. No one. known
or unknown. need be buried at sea or BE-
placed away In . desolats corner On the
Cuban coast. Arrangements have been
made for the emhalmiug Of hodissL after
which they may be deposited in metal lined
boxes. Q number Of which are stored away
on the 6olace.
The onacers Of the Solaee believe she viii
Of the modern WarshiN with her vast tur-
rets and great guns. her closed compart-
ments and everything cleared away for
battle, has 70 changed the conditions which
formerly prevailed that there II no room
for the working Of guns and the caring
for the wounded at one and the same
time. Those who fan In . naval battle Of
to-day are only to Be trodden under foot
or sufocated In the grimy fighting boxes
until tho ambulance boat can gather mp the
wounded and care for them.
Those who have been taught 'the first
aid to the injured'' on board the solace
have been led . step further In the last
few weeks. They have been taught how
best to carry the wounded BY hand or
hammocks through the narrow passage Of
the hospital ship. where . stretchsr would
fail to pass.
The solacs has . displacement Of sss