New-York tribune., 1914-11-01
Large Hotels and Casinos
Accommodate More
than 5000 Beds.
$4,000 WOUNDED IN
CORNER OF BRITTANY
American Red Gross Nurse Tells
of Overwhelming Task
Queen Sends Thanks.
FROM The Tribune puresu.l

AAt'Ah AFN AAAbAAF bAiFdAsl
Washington, Oct. 31.-The terrible
cost at which the conflict is being car
ried on between the Germans and the
Allies in Northern France is indicated
in letter received by Miss Mabel
Boardman from correspondent at Val
Fleuri, Dinard, which was made public
at Red Cross headquarters to-day. The
letter, which reveals the nature of the
stupendous task confronting those who
care for the wounded, is an urgent ap-
peal for hospital supplies and pictures
viyidly the distressing conditions in
some Of the improyised hospitals. The
correspondent writes:
I'VE have $4,000 wounded in this lit
tie corner Of Brittany alone. Even il
we had money it would be impossible
to buy the things we most need over
here. Wools are very scarce and anti
tetanus serum is very hard 20 get. Cot
ton is disappearing.
I'VE have now within the radius OF
five miles over 5000 wounded. In
Dlnard We have turned all Of the large
hotels and casinos into hospitals--ten
in all, with about 5000 beds. At St
Lunaire, a suburb, there are four hos
pitfalls, with $50 beds. At st. Malo and
Parame are five other hospitals, with
between 200 and 1900 beds. Our only
means of procuring supplies for our
little neighborhood have long been eX-
hausted. We have to try to get them
from London by boat and from Paris
by rail, and these are very uncertain
All the able-bodied women are nurses
no matter how ignorant.
"One morning last week, before &
pfnlnaly 10n IL 4 L ;
in here without warning. We all went
at once, but there were so few doctors
that some OF the men did not get their
wounds dressed until the following day
and had been travelling four days.
Some died.
ITO give you an idea of the chaos
existing: One Of the nurses, q little
society girl of twenty-five, rushed up
% me and asked II | would give A
'piQure de morphine as she had "a
give II TO a man and had never seen
It done. When / asked her for the
doctors order, che replied: oh. have
not orders, but he has not slept for
five nights and says he must have it,.
She seemed 10 think me very unkind
when | refused to give the morphine.
Another friend sent word to me that
SHc Ndu 0lNlOeu NTthslNEs 10 90 dl once
and not one bandage. All the old linen
and many new sheets have been given
and now we have no gauze for com
presses. no anti-tetanus serum, a small
quantity of iodine and almost no al
cohol.
II have founded little sewing class
to make muftlers, chest protectors
wristlets and socks to give to those
who are in danger of pneumonia ol
rheumatism. have already many cases
Of pneumonia and bronchitis, but,
thank God, no cholera. dysentery o
typhoid. OF course. it is impossible e
give to all the 5000 wounded coming
and going. What we want especially
is good wool, either TO knit into socks
and wristlets, or 70 make up by the
yard for mutrlers and chest protectors.
Announcement was also made at Rec
Cross headquarters to-day that tn,
Queen of England, through her priva.,
secretary, +. W. Wellington, had COIN
municated 10 Mrs. Lewis Harcourt, on,
of the honorary secretaries of tnc
American Women's War Relief Fund.
in London, her majesty's appreciation
Of the sending of the Red Cross relief
ship.