New-York tribune., 1914-11-29
NEW HOSPITAL TRAIN
IS GERMANYS FINEST
Kitchen Operating Room, Lounges, Sleeping Quarters
Dining Saloon and Beds for 300 Gift OF Duchy
Of Brunswick Red Cross Association

utmost emergency in transit. In each
case the train was stopped while the
operation was being performed.
Next comes the Office of the CHIEF
surgeon i'm charge of the train; then
a saloon car. luxuriously equipped
leather armchairs, little writing desks
and engraved portraits of the Kaiser,
Kaiserin, Crown Prince and Duchess
Victoria Louise. IL is theoretically
resting room. or lounge, for the sur
geons and sisters-"when they get time
to rest which isn't often" commented
the military guide.
Then come two saloon cars, each with
ten small staterooms. for wounded
officers. then two first and second
class coaches, sleeping quarters for
doctors and nurses; then thirty hos
pital cars for wounded soldiers They
were formerly fourth-class coaches, and
have been remodelled by tearing out
the hard wooden benches and partitions
and painting the interior white. Each
hospital car is a little ward of twelve
cots-three double decker" units along
+ each side Of the car-with a table and
chair for the nurse in charge and
small cupboard containing dishes and
table hardware for twelve, and also a
telephone, the surgeon IN charge being
in telephone communication with every
car Of the train.
To the side Of each cot a small.
round wooden tray is fixed on swivel.
while from the curtain hangs net
basket to hold the small personal be-
longings Of the future patient. A clean
shirt is laid out on every cot. EXter-
nally the hospital train is painted dark
green. In the centre of the side Of each
car is a large white rectangle bearing
the Red Cross symbol, and the letter,
number and name of the train, in this
case "Hilfazarettzug Z l, Hergogin
Niktoria Luise."
Dr.. Niehaus said to me:
"Our hospital trains now make the
run from the front in France-say
from Cambria to Berln-in forty-eight
hours" The same authority supplied
some other interesting information
about the sanitary service and care of
the wounded.
Cars Fitted with Beds.
In addition TO the forty-eight hos
pital trains, which are the gift Of in
dividuals and associations, there are
the regular military hospital trains
which have been engaged by the gov
eminent These are intended for the
trans pOTthLlOU Ol lnt severely wounded,
and differ from the volunteer hospital
trains. which are used for the transpor-
tation of the less severely wounded, in
that they are forty cars long instead of
thirty-eight. carry d staff of four sur
geons instead Of three and have more
elaborate hospital facilities The hos
pital car Of a regular hospital train
which | examined had eight beds not
cotsD ARRANGED in don ble e-decker s1Iites
one IN each corner of the car The
iron framework of the double-decker
beds is equipped with powerful shock
absorber springs TO counteract the Sc
we're jolting on the badly rebuilt
stretches Of track toward the front,
and each unit can be completely cur
tanned off. The equipment of these
regular hospital trains cost from $780,
600 TO $4,000. The hospital trains are
backed up as close to the fighting front
as the rails have been relaid Those
slightly wounded make the return jour
ney IN empty freight and troop trans
ports, while for those who are merely
sick trains of second and third class
coaches are provided, according TO the
degree Of sickness.
1t IS interesting to note that great
many cases of rheumatism are coming
back from the fighting zone of the
User Canal and the flooded district
~sHr Nieuport.