Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-06-20


Boston, June 16-"This concern
has the back fire escape beat a mile,
as place for a sick child of a hot
night said a grateful mother as she
received her afflicted little one in inn
proved health from the Boston float
ing hospital the white ship of mercy,
as it has been POLITICALLY called.
The same sentiment has been vari-
Ously expressed great many times ii
the last few years. No charity any
where, it is probable, is more highly
appreciated than this unique Boston
enterprise which has attracted the at
tention Of practical sOciOlOgist5
throughout the world. No sight, fur-
thermore, along the waterfront of the
New England capital not even the
historical Old IrOnsides herself, a5
she lies off Uncle Sans navyyard
proves more interesting to the hun
dreds of thousands of visitors during
the summer months than that of the
tWin-sCreW steamer whose landing
place is at the north end recreation
pier Equipped for taking three hun
dred sick children, day Or night, out
where the sea breeZes blow unC0n-
taminated with the citys dust, sno
typifies a form of philanthropy that >
most certain, sooner or later, to be
followed in every large city which
has access to the sea or to a naVigable
lake or river.
The present season will be n0ta-
bic one in the history of this char
| ity, because it will be the first IN
which the new and specially designed
ship OF the floating hospital Will have
been i'll use throughout the hot
weather equipped with refrigerating
apparatus for keeping the temperature
of some Of its wards at about Y de
grees whatever the tOrridity outside.
The old boat with which many thcus-
ands Of Americans are familiar, craft
remodeLed and furnished as we'll as
could be for hospital purposes but not
originally designed for such service,
has now become a memory.
Take the sick child out to sea and
you greatly increase the chances of
his recovering. So directly and eVi-
IDENTIFY useful is this charity that il
has not only become we'll organized
in Boston, but inquiries show that the
system is being considered in many
other cities. Already great interest in
the plan has been aroused in England.
Already the New York floating hospital
and its allied seaside hospital are
carrying on a similar beneicent work,
although the metropolitan steamship
receives thus far day patients only.
Explaining how the details Of the hos
pital that goes to sea are arranged the
18th annual report of the institution
has lately been published, in connec-
ton with the advent of the new sea
son and at the same time to other pc
sons VINO may be interested in a
briefer statement an illustrated folder
has been sent out from the floating
hospital headquarters at "a Devon
shire street.
One of the earliest floating hospitals
is said to have been developed in ,l"e
nearby city OF Lowell Mass, where
DR.. Thomas F. Harrington, local
physician who has given considerable
attention to the study Of infant NOR
tally among the poor, and who also
originated the plan of getting the fire
department to food the streets in the
tenement districts on very hot days,
about 1897 devised a plan Of sending
sick children in charge of nurse Up
the Merrimack in a steamboat, to e.
cape the terrific heats of the city.
The work in Boston began about 1894
when five experimental day trips were
made on a hired barge with only vol
unteer service. The next year under |
the same system thirteen day trips |
were undertaken while in 1896 daily |
trips, except Sunday, were inaugural |
ed, and the work was given into the
hands of a board Of managers medl-
cal staff and two paid nurses. In
1897 the barge Clifford was bought
and equipped TO care for $50 sick in
fants and children. In 1898 two
wards were established for perma
nent patients and night service was