The San Francisco call., 1899-10-29
a Might UGtb tbe Watebers 7 tbe Preside HosPita
The Gong 1Rours Of Darkness
Bring Pathetic 9ncidents in the
0)ards Of the Grave Boys Who
Returned Sick and Dying.

Y was eleven at night A little moon
1T mist slid in from the Point and
stole, shimmering, over the Preside
( hill. Beneath It the still tents were
sketched sharply in black and white
Eleven o'clock and alrs well-all
that might be seen. Soldiers slept in their
little slant-roofed houses. Other soldiers
came rolicking campward in a late car.
Eleven o'clock and all's well.
Past the gloom of the trees and across
the bare slope beyond l walked to the
hospital. 1t rose still and big and dim
and seemed to say in dignity, Here, too
all is we'll" In the rear of It, opening
from the square court, found ten wards.
Within them stood long rows Of beds
where men lay delirious and dying. They
are the part Of our army who cannot lie
quiet and dreamless under canvas, nor
make merry until merriment fades into
sleepy hours. Instead, they toss through
long nights Of feverish dreams and wake
10 dreary thoughts Of the other boys who
are up and off TO faraway homes.
The whole night through l watched witt
the watchers. The corps of night nurses
had gone on duty at 80, and l followed
the course Of their twelve-hour labor un-
I'll 1880 of the next day brought them to
bedtime. Twenty-four hours of hard
labor is divided between two sets of work
ers. What is that we used to hear
Eight hours to work.
Eight hours to play,
Eight hours to sleep
The powers that be at the United
States General Hospital of San Francisco
have probably forgotten the rhyme. It's
only an old jingle. anyway.
! began with the surgical ward. I read
entering: mo admittance without a
pass" and Don't slam the door" 1
drew out my potent slip that bears the
signature of Colonel Girard, and then en-
tered-a hush.
The glimmer from one screened light
and the cuddily-warm stove made ghosts
Of the white iron beds and paled adown
the length of the room until the ghosts
faded away into measureless dark. A
nurse crept, still Of foot and grave of
face, 10 meet me and drew me into the
warmth. These boys are mostly con-
valescent," she said, they are sleeping. "
The door was closed. There was only
one sound 20 be heard for the length Of
the ward. 1t was the sound of many
men sleeping the sleep Of pain.
The breath came wearily heavy from
one. short and struggling from another.
Rustling and turning were heard. Means
broke in now and then-moans that the
waking man would choke back scorn-
fully, that sleep warily wrings from
him, off his guard
The nurse gave me a seat by the
grooming fire, where her own chair
and table stood. A book or two and
magazine lay on the table. &
You have comfortable place Is
to rest and read, I whispered ~
She smiled soberly. we don't
have time to reach much" she 81
said. ~
A cough Of waking sounded n II
from the other end Of the 81 III
ward. She rose. with a firm 81 mn
hand stilling the chair, and ~ Nh,
pattered away. 81 W
Alone IN the drowsy HW
warmth, l stared at the E N
beds. and little by little HW
my eyes taught them
selves to see dim shapes. EX
When the nurse re- HV
turned it was to strike IN
match and select medi- M
cine from a case in the ~
center Of the room. I'VE ~
hardly ever wake a man ~
to dose him, but this ~
one has walked him ~
self, she explained. ~
The medicine was II
given and she
m to me
again. She was
ju st ted
when gr oans
sounded from
the front of
the ward.
"Tha Is
No. >. He ~
suffers q
gr a
d @ a ="
She was ~
a W a
m e.
W h e "A
sleep set W
tied again
she left the
room for d A
few minutes wszE
in charge Of q
the assistant,
and conducted me
through the surgery in
the rear 1t is a series
Of shiny white painted
rooms, clean and druggy
TO smell. There is spick
and span little room where
the water is sterilized, and be-
sides this are places wher medi-
cines and bandages range. shelf upon
shelf. and there are lavatories. ant
beyond them all is the operating
room It's walls are high and white. anC
the operating table waits, fixed anC
ghastly in the center. Unrelenting stee
things glitter on tables made of sterilizeC
glass; savage little instruments, with th'
savagery born at civilization. It is IN,
cleanest, cruelest place 1 ever saw
1.-THE surgical ward is especially hare
on account Of the constant dressing O
wounds the nurse said.