The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-09-07
HOSPITAL SHIP MAINE.
History of What 1t Has Done for the
Wounded.

WOunueu.
NEW YORK. Sept. 6--The idea Of
hospital ship originated with an Ameri-
can lady. the wife OF an American
long resident in South Africa.
This ship, generously loaned by the
Atlantic Transport Company, through
its president. Mr.. Bernard Baker. OF
Baltimore. equipped and maintained at
the cost of Americans. and in charge
Of American doctors. started on an er-
rand Of mercy in December last for
Cape Town. to give aid to the sick and
wounded in the South African war. As
a volunteer ship. supplementary to the
government relief ships, she was fitted
out with many comforts and luxuries
such as cannot be demanded in times
OF stress from an over-taxed war office.
In the harbors Of Cape Town and
Durham the Maine received both the
British and the Boer wounded, and re-
turned in April TO Southampton. Eng
land. with a full complement Of invalid
ed British soldiers. The number of pa
tients received on board was S54, includ-
ing those treated in port.
Re-eqUipped and revictualed in nine
days she sailed directly back to South
Africa to bring home another shipload
of disabled soldiers.
The ward capacity OF the Maine is
2l0 beds. The surgeons and physicians,
all Of them first-rank men from our
best American hospitals. the nurses
from the Mills training school and the
orderlies are a strong. sturdy band,
truly a staff" upon which to lean.
Despite the comparatively cramped
quarters. modern scientific treatment
has been carried out in the form Of tub
baths for the cases Of enteric fever. /
with gratifying results.
BY means OF an admirable Roentgen-
ray apparatus. sent out from New
York. valuable assistance has been OBJ
tained in the treatment of gunshot in
juries. and in well-equipped laborato-
~. diagnoses in doubtful cases are
made by meteorological examinations.
A strange and happy fact TO be recorded
was that during this three weeks
return voyage of the hospital ship not
a single death occurred.
The patients. below deck. as well as
above, were in excellent spirits. de-
spite their disabilities. and one and all
seemed grateful for what they termed
their good luck in having been con-
signed to the Yankee ship" At Ma
delra few newspapers had been OBJ
tained telling Of the outbreak Of trouble
in China, and all were eager for the
latest war news. "Soon We'll be fight
ing together out there" bright-faced
Irishman said. with evident impatience
to be himself in the fray.
As It approached Southampton the
Maine received hearty welcome from
the American training ship Lancaster.
whose yards were manned with lusty
lads. Across the end Of the southamp-
ton dock large sign was stretched,
kilograms sent free" and soon every
soldier on deck was scribbling home
message.
1t had been the intention of the Lon
don executive committee of the Maine
all of whom are women of American
birth. whose energy. efficiency and de-
votion are deserving Of home recog-
Y,ftfop grof,, 90 end hon baclr 20 South
Africa. But the crisis in China had
become so acute. the provision for many
sick and wounded OF the allied forces so
urgent. with no hospital-ship as yet
under way. that the committee decided
that the need for their ship was now
greater in the far East than in the far
South. A proposal TO this effect met
with cordial approval at the British war
Office, and on July II the Maine set sail |
for Chinese waters. She was reported
on August % as having arrived at
Hong Kong. on her way to her northern
station to receive the wounded.
Directly after the departure of the |
Maine the committee notified the United |
States government at Washington Of |
her intended destination, and offered |
a welcome and all possible aid to our
sick and wounded countrymen.
The American ambassadors at the |
courts of the allied powers were also
informed Of the departure Of the Maine |
for China. and asked to notify the gov
ernments to which they are accredited !
that their wounded would receive
cordial welcome on the American ship. !
Prompt and appreciative acknowledge |
ment has been received from Germany, !
Italy, Austria-Hungary. and the other |
powers. A check for e1OOO-a most |
timely and welcome gift-was also re-
ceived from Mrs. Corning Clark, soon |
after the departure Of the Maine Mrs. |
Clark asked that the sum be used II |
possible to aid the men of the Ninth |
United States infantry-the first Ameri- |
can regiment TO suffer in the field. ..
This is the history so far. Of the |
American hospital-ship Maine.