The Florida star., 1905-03-17

formed On conscious men buF 0f
counze the percenfase ef deaths was
terrific. foe without sntiseptics such
wounds are hard TO heal What Z
often wonder NJ In that 20 many brave
fellows recovered and went hack 70
ne trenehes 20 fght the enemy.
when we exhausted our supply %
banda sez we took old ones and washed
them for use again This was not diff
acult no long as we had soap. We
made our own soap out OF fat and
potash but the time came when there
was no more potash, 50 we could make
no more soap Al we could do % re-
new the bandasrs then was 10 steam
thefs This only partially cleaned
them. and the absence of any anti
septIcs rendered their use peFilous.
But they were all we had. and we
made the best use we could Of them
MANY q man was wounded three or
four times and each time was cured In
Ghe hospital and returned to the trench
e.. I know one officer who WAS In the
hospital eight times. badly wounded oa
each occasion. but as soon as he could
walk about he was back at the front
with his men The spirit and the
heroic self sacrifice Of some Of these
men were simply superb
The paucity and poor quality Of the
food started an epidemic Of scurvy.
The proper treatment for this disease
h fresh fruit. lemon or lime juice. You
may imagine how mnch fresh fruit we
hnd- Therefore the death rate grew
higher as the days passed Even after
the surrender and with the treatment
there were thirty odd deaths q day In
che hospital At Dainy. TO which the
prisoaers were taken"
How did you protect yourselves
from the rain Of shellsr'
We had bombproofs made Of steel
rails. and these were some protection
against the six inch shells. but when
the eleven inch shells began 20 pour
down upon us our bombproofs might
just a. well have been made Of card
board for all the good they did Under
ground burrows might have been q pro-
tection, but there was no opportunity
10 use them, for every available man
was needed 10 repei the attacks OF the
enemy. The japanese soon got the
range and sent their shells with deadly
precision wherever they would reach
the most men, They had long before
wrecked the town with their lombard
ment. and In the latter months they
aimed at the men We grew csilous
The incessant shrieking Of shells over
and about one has its terrors at first
hktf
and We ceased TO pay attention TO
them.
Port Arthur is the first city In the
history OF the world that vas ever
bOmharied by eleven inch guns. When
the nrSt Of these giant shells fell among
Us We thought IL had been thrown from
a warship. but when they followed one
after another with perfect precision
ami aim we knew that no ship had fred
them. for such accuracy OF aim Is i'm
possible from u floating battery. These
shells wrought carnage In our ranks
The number Of them the Japanese
threw was stupendous. l know that
On one day 500 fell. which Is an aver
age Of more than one every two min
uIes-
The noise OF such constant cannOuAd-
lng day and night Hnd the necessity 0f
being ever on the alert and OF taking
your turn on the erins line or the al
vanced posts had a fearful effect upon
our nerves. and IL II a wonder We were
not ali msRiacs before the cAp.tuIatIon
We became 81 accustomed. how ever
70 having the din of battle In our ears
- -
when the Japanese rirel M shells At
us Ne Rere daLsSi lay the silence We
kept putting our hands 20 our ears a.
II Ne were deaf You know hos after
ions Journey by rail. with the rattle
u the Whe~lS constantly Ia your ear.
- hen yOu r-ach your destination ynU
continue To hear the rattle 90 The
wheels You kRoW bow you feel the
motion % a ship after you step ashorr
Well. II Was a sensation not unlike
that The ruaT WAS In our ears. though
muf1ed even after the bonlhSrdment
hzi ,ra>--i
And ,h~a there was the noise %
your own guns remarked the ~
P5sJrT
-pur o~a guns replied captain
saXe They did not count for We
hal Ro ammunition To nre e1ce.t
ShAt the japanese seat u and dsi
not rXPInsir The nghuRg Was rsvCe.
cut ~ our siis u Sas Sl 40 close
r@aSe The rI.rEEy were - rlo~. -
u that sc cOUI bear thea cough
AuL -n-rE. IL as 10 us@ a. TIRE
Tiass zJ thsD they we're too nrar.
our Ulru Tn7v~ hand ETSRAd~s AMI
6st oG h~sR-
lie nav Ne-l EuIBk ~ D. - 81 II cheap
she. sft-f tAVIrE osairsct-d c.nsiii 'Ais"u
- Iu,iIsv-tlou. q. siili Afie e. p-Tis~f.N
y.-sysr.- NJ u-AIth Nothing AL 81 Has
fyt pT hIngs Nrs iLtr r.l- 4 qu..E.