South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-23
.AME RICANS GIVE
LIVES IN FIGHTING
PLAGUE OF TYPHUs
Sir Thomas Upton, Back from
Serbia, Describes Sacrificing
HeroiSm of the Doctors and
Nurses Engaged in Work.

LONDON. March 23.-Sir Thomas
Upton, who has returned from Serbia
where he took a British red cross hos
pital mission on his yacht. Erin, told
of the heroic work done there by the
American doctors and nurses in COM
batting the terrible epidemic OF ty-phus
which is raging throughout Serbia.
To use Sir Thomas Liptons words:
1T is a plague such as the world sell
dom has known and all the benev0r
lence Of humanity is required 20 deal
with it."
incidentally Sir Thomas told Of the
death of DIR. James Francis DOnnelly
of New York which he thinks Wei
typifies the noble work being done BY
the Americans. He said:
ION our arrival at Ghevgheh wee
were met at the station by DR.. Dom
nelly. whom / had known in New
York. Having two hours 10 wait we
accepted Or. Donnelly's invitation 10
look over his hospital. on our way
10 the hospital we learned il had been
a tobacco factory which had been
hurriedly constructed into a shelter
for the sick. The staff consisted OF
six American doctors including DIS.
ronnelly, Hodge. Davidson and Gard
ner and Il American nurses.
1T was not a large building but
packed into it were 400 patients. the
majority of whom eTere suffering
from typhus.
No Beds Provided.
There were no beds and very few
mattresses The patients were hud-
died together on the floor, many Of
them dying and some dead with
scarcely any clothing TO cover them.
"DOnnelly, who was a fine speci-
men OF manhood. spoke OF the hard
work but said he was very happy in
being able TO do something TO allev-'
late their suffering. He spoke of tho
frightful conditions existing-cOndi-
tons which any visitor could judge
for himself.
I'VE then went TO another small
building adjoining in which the hos
pital staff lived. There we saw nine
Of the - American nurses lying des-
perately i'll with typhus. There also
two of the six American doctors were
down with the same disease.
Before leaving Donnelly told ma
he was afraid the hospital would be-
attacked 10y the enemy and asked me
if ] could give him American and Red
Cross flags TO fly over the building. 4
cold him ne could have the two largest
we had on board and / sent to SALON.
ika TO get them.
when we left Ghevgbeh two out OF
the three remaining nurses. accomp-
Snleu by DE. DonheliE came 10 AAA1
station TO see us off.
Doctor i Victim.
six days later on our return jour
ney we stopped at Ghevghen expect
ing 10 find DR.. Donnelly and the
nurses awaiting us. Instead we were
met by DIR. Hodge who broke the sad
news that Donnely had died the day
before from typhus and that two more
Of the nurses also were down with
the same disease.
81 arranged TO take Drs. Hodge
and Gardiner with me TO Salonika 10
get help. Arriving there we went on
board the Erin where DR. Hodge told
me that the day before Or. DOnnelly
died he wrote a letter to his wife and
also a number of post cards 10 friends
in New York. saying that II he died
the letters were 10 be handed TO me
with the request that / see they
reached their destination.
Poor Donnelly also asked that his
body be wrapped in the stars and
stripes. and the red cross flags which
I sent him from the Erin. Needless
TO say these requests were carried out
while Hodge was telling me this [
noticed that he appeared III so j Sent
for DIR. Gardiner who saw that his
friend was i'm q very bad way and
showed every symptom Of typhus.
wanted TO take him along with as,
tons could not be done SO he was
taken ashore by DIT Gardiner and the
alst ] heard was that his case WAS
pronounced typhus.
Poor Donnelly was buried where
he died with the two flags wrapped
around him."
Forwards Doctors Mail
Sir Thomas has forwarded Donnel-
Ly's letters and post cards 10 their
destinations and also has written q
most sympathetic letter TO Mrs. Dom
nelly describing her husbands noble
death Sir Thomas is full OF praise
for the great work being done by Or.
Edward W. Ryan OF the American
hospital at Belgrade whom he de-
scribes as "the most beloved man n
Serbia today" He has $500 patients
- mostly typhus cases - under his
care.
"Dr. Ryan told me-" said Sir
Thomas. that unless something was
done Immediately 10 stop the disease.
more than half the population Oc
Serbia would be wiped out What Is
urgently needed is tents. wooden huts.
sanitary materials. clothing. beds.
drugs and medical stores. but above
all. doctors and nurses
Sir Thomas is planning TO return
ediately 70 Serbia with further
large supplies and. he hopes "A good
complement Of American doctors and
nurses.