The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-15
ARMY NURSE IN CUBA.
Texas Woman with the Seventh Army
Corps.
SAYS JACKSONVILLE WAS A DEATH TRAP
Nourisbment and Linen We're Lsci<
irs-Is Deiishted with the city
Of Havana.

A letter from Miss McRac at Havana Il
friends In Houston Is printed herewith
I She is q graduate from the John SealJ
l training school for nurses at Galveston and
is Il member OF San Jacinto chapter OF the
Daughters of the Republic OF Texas. Froir
sheer love Of her profession. Miss MrRas
1 left large family circle and many friends
! in Galveston, where she Is well known, ~
we'll as in Western Texas, her native homo,
II become an army nurse. Under ORDERS
( from General Stcrnberg, 10 whom she had
applied for admission TO the hospital corps
size Joined the Seventh army corps at Jack
sonvillc, from which point she tells her
own story:
AT Jacksonville" she writes. Il did not
have dine 10 think. 1t Mas a ycritabis
death trap. we losing over 1850 patients IN
the three division hospitals, nearly all OF
typhoid. Half of the time there Was mol
enough nourishment fer the patients oi
linen for their beds. I will never forget
that awful experience, But at Savannah,
after cur removal thither, We had neaiIy
everything needed and tho health OF the
men rapidly Improved.
The last few weeks OF our stay at saw
snnah were very enjoyable as We had leis
tire 10 visit all points OF interest near that
beautiful city. We were present at the
Mckinley tho day before our departure for
Cuba. The city was crowded with visitors
10 welcome the president and dcur old
General Wheeler must have been tired at
nisntfall, as he had bowed ana smiled all
any and shook hands with thousands.
Our hospital ship, the Missouri, is the
finest and best equipped in the American
army service, containing beds as good as
any ocean liner and electric stoves for
cooking, supplied by Helen Gould. With
over go corps men, Atty trained nurses snd
about twenty officers, under Major j. W :.
Brown, our ship left the docks at Savan-
NAH as the tide went out. at noon, Sunday.
December Is. We arrived at Havana har-
ber on the following Wednesday afternoon,
and came TO anchor as the sun went down
behind gloomy old MORO Castle, and quite
near the sad wreck of the Maine.
Next morning we saw the sun ri3e over
this quaint, Oriental like city, and the
sight will never be forgotten by the crowd
that stood on the deck OF the Missouri
The houses are Of every size, shape and
celor, mostly nli resembling old castles,
built Immediately on the street, having no
sidewalk. from behind the iron barred win
| dcws Of which peeped the Cuban senoritas,
! bowling and waving their hands to us.
1 The natives fiocked to see us much as
! " we had been circus of wild animals.
and we returned their gaze in much tie
! same spirit. Curious beings they are,
/ nnery imaginable, while others had only
j enough covering to conceal their tawn; :
skins. Many little children, entirely ma
| ked. held out their dirty hands TO us,
crying Pena, Dcna, as far as we coula
hear them.
I'VE next entered the queer little cabs
/ drawn by as queer little Spanish poni -,
and were driven to the station, reaching
our camps eight miles away, at dark.
Here, after some delay and wandering aim
! lessly about under the open sky, arrange
ments were made for us to sleep in one OF
the long wooden pavilions, which. by the
/ way, are now used as wards for he sisk.
That night we slept In our little canvas
4 cots, nifty Of us. side by side in that one
| building. Next day our tents were erected
! carpets ever since. although IL Ia runored
/ that We are to have real floors tomorrow.
"Our fare is plain. Yesterday W, hal
oysters stewed in condensed milk. What
a feast we made of that stew!, TO-DAY we
Will have canned turkey served with apple
! sauce-our New Years dinner. Fortu
nately we have had no patients to care
| for during these first few days OF hard
ship but the wards are being filled grad
ually. until today we have twenty sick.
! three of whom are officers. have not
heard OF case of yellow fever, though a
few cases Of smallpox are reported We
are all to be vaoclnated tomorrow, N only
two of us have had that dread disease The
climate at this season is loyeN. the air
balmy and sweet with the breath - Mow-
ers--wild, tropical flowers, gorgeous be-
yond description. There have been a few
warm days, on two occasions the tempe
allure standing 30 degrees in the shade
noon time but the nights are cool a~d
tho dews heavy like rain One day last
week we were driven to the seashore
whore we were delighted With the many
beautiful corals and shells and the mse-
nte ~t.xls .,f 3 V..llj s,o
all charmed with Cuba and will never re-
greet coming over"