Evening journal., 1915-07-31

Continued from First Page)
hear the calls Of officers to seek safe
" in a tent.
Part or the bolt Of lightning that
snuffed out the life Of Private Wagner
seemed to leap over to where Walls
was treading along the sentry's path.
Walls was knocked fat, and the force
of the fiery bali that felled him was SO
great as to tear the bayonet out of the
scabbard that he carried at his hip
and toss II several feet away.
Walls recovered from the momen-
tary stunning that the shock caused.
and in a bewildered sort of way pull
ed himself together picked up his
hayonet and resumed marching along
the post as If nothing had happened.
This incident, praised on all sides as a
wonderful demonstration OF soldierly
devotion to duty, was witnessed by
many men in camp as they were peer
ing from their tents during the storm.
Walls was relieved from duty a min
ute or two later.
Had Initiated Dead Man.
Little did Mr.. Wagner. newspaper
man and soldier. realize yesterday
role of being stricken and being car
ried to the camp hospital by the am
huiance corps IN a hrst-aid demon
stration realize that before the day
was over he was 10 be carried life
less on the same litter into the hos
pital. Private Wagner was not with
out military training. He was 81
years old. and in his earlier years he
served two enlistments in the navy
and had gone around the world. He
had an honorable discharge. with
meritorious mention. from the navy.
When Major Meredith l. Samuel and
the hospital corps arranged for a
! irst-aid demonstration In the field
yesterday morning. for the instruc-
ton Of the members OF the First In
fantry Band and surrounding milf
tiamen, Private Wagner volunteered
TO represent the soldier who had
been stricken. He toppled over. as a
soldier would who had fallen appar-
entity dead. and was picked up by the
ambulance corps. carefully placed on
the litter or stretcher used In war.
fare and was carried 10 the hospi-
tai. where the hospital corps went
/ iHlNUEH tli tue UiOlAOUt lnhl WUuil
be required In actual service
When it waseall over. Private Wag.
ner arose with his usual smile. made
a jocular remark. and then started in
gathering news items for his paper
His death is all the more pathetic be-
cause he is survived by a wife who
is in poor health and by two small
.children Private Wagner had en-
listed only recently, as he was par
ticularly anxious 10 combine the ex
perience Of soldiery in camp with hil
newspaper work. He was named fol
the late General Louis +. Wagner. o
Philadelphia a distant relative.
Storm Was Terrific.
Wilmingtonians who escaped tn
storm Of last evening that dealt deatl
at Camp Miller cannot appreciate how
furious the storm was there. II be
gan 10 break about 500 o'clock, Jus
as the first call for the last dress pa
rade of camp had been sounded. Wag
ner and his companions were as ioll,
as anybody could be, and talked abou
some pranks they expected 70 pla,
during the last night in the tentel
field. AS the rain began 10 fall. tn,
order for the militiamen TO fall ou
OF line and seek their tents was given
Wagner sought Captain James Aus
tin Ellison, Of his company, an,
talked over with him his plans fol
J going TO Wilmington later in the even
ing with his copy. He had only beer
IN his tent few minutes after leavin,
Captain Ellison. when the storm wa,
at its height The high wind switche,
around from the east to the south
west, and rain fell In such torrent,
r that It was impossible TO see very far
e The storm apparently was more ter
! rife on the regimental side of caml
: than IL was in the north field. wher,
Governor Miller and stan have thei
Y headquarters.
The wind blew down several mes
tents and partly collapsed others Of
the regimentsl side. and the tents o
all persons in camp were flooded
Several sharp blasts OF lightning cam
from the sky. and then shortly afte
$50 O'Clock. came the bolt that mad
target Of the tent containing Pri
Yates Wagner Travis, Donovan an