Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-21
UNCLE SANS SHIPS.
The Solace Pretty Well Equipped for
Its Work.

The naval hospital ship Relief, which
under command of Surgeon G. f. Stokes.
now gurgeon-general of the United
states navy, served with the battleship
fleet during part of its cruise around the
world is now considered unseaworthy.
She is tied up at Olongapo, Philippine
Islands as a station hospital. She was
not intended TO encounter heavy weather,
but was originally built as passenger
boat for use on inland waters. and when
struck by a typhoon had very narrow
escape from total destruction; in all
probability she will do no more cruising.
This leaves the Solace as the only
available hospital ship in the United
States navy. There are very few in the
world. but it is believed, says writer
i'm the Medical Journal, that their value
both in peace and in war is now SO well
understood that before long we shall
have more of the class and they will be
specially designed and built for such SER
vice.
The Solace, like the Relief, was origi-
naIly built for the merchant service and
was the Creole of the Morgan line.
Since she was purchased by the navy de-
partment she has served as hospital ship,
as a transport running between SAN
Francisco and Manila, and again, since
November, 1909, as a hospital ship.
Having been built for other purposes,
there are lacking some important fea-
lures which such vessel should have.
Her size, displacement 500 tons. gross
tonnage 1901 tons length s6i feet, beam
A feet, draught % feet. does not seem
very great when compared with battle
tons. She is larger, however, than the
Chicago, the flagship of the squadron
of evolution of some 20 years ago and at
that time the largest completed vessel IN
the navy.
In the hospital department the capacity
for patients is stated as nine officers,
each having a separate stateroom. and
23i enlisted men, for whom there are in
place 166 fixed berths, the others being.
provided for in hammocks and cots.
There are three wards on the hurricane
deck. with L, 10 and S berths used as
isolation wards for tuberculosis and 4of
the diseases of childhood. which are
nearly always brought along by the
drafts of young recruits of our enlisted
force
The hospital facilities include labora-
tory with microscope, ultramlcroscopef
incubator, laboratory animals, ETC., d
special dark room equipped for nose
throat and ear work and for ophthalmo-
| logical examinations, light opthaifno-
logical room with 20-foot space for Nlsloa,
testing, dispensary general operating
room with two glass topped tables ana
with fully equipped sterilizing room ad-
| joining, an exceptionally we'll equipped
X-ray and acknowledgements room, We'll
equipped dental office, three strong rooms
| for insane and alcoholic patients, TWO
dressing rooms electrically equipped, dle'
kitchen, steam laundry; steam and for
malin disinfecting chamber and refrig-
Grating morgue.
| The disinfectng chamber is large ana
| serves for linen and the effects OF pa
! tients on board and also for material
| sent from other ships or shore camps
In the morgue the remains of any men
who may die in the fleet are received,
embalmed, placed in a metal lined cas-
ket and on request shipped at govern
ment expense to the next Of kin.
/ a dense air ice machine furnishes the
lice required, even in tropical waters,