Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-14
CRUISE OF THE GOOD SHIP FRED CROSS
Incidents in Foreign PorDodgg Mines in the North
the Borders of War-Hosptality of the Netherlands
BY ARMISTEAD RUST
Captain U. s. NAVY. Retlred Late Master s. S. Red Cross

~ A'N--~
NN August 5, 1914 the International and
" War Relief Boards of the American Red
Cross Society Society issued an appeal to
the people of this country for funds to send
a ship to the unfortunate nations involved in
this war and to carry the work of the
society in Europe This plan was approved
by President Wilson who made a second APP
peal on August 13. In response to the needs of
the society Congress passed a joint resolu-
tion on August 20 authorizing the American
Red Cross Society to charter a ship of for
eign register for the purpose of sending
prompt assistance and the steamer Ham
burg of the Hamburg American Line, was
selected to transport the surgeons nurses
and medical supplies to the ports of Fal-
mouth, Bordeaux and Rotterdam The ship
was given an American register, her name
changed to the Red Cross, and on September
the United States ensign and Red Cross flag
were hoisted and the ship placed in commits
sion. The Red Cross personnel came on board
on September s. 80 surgeons under Major r.
u Patterson, Medical Corps, United States
Army, and 1875 nurses under the direction of
Miss Helen S. Hay. The loading of about 800
tons of medical supplies was completed on
September H.
The Red Cross sailed for Falmouth the
next day. Great interest manifested in
the departure of the ship as she proceeded
down North River the day before, as she was
saluted on all sides by the shipping at the
docks and passing steamers ferryboats and
tugs. on her return to New York, travel
stained and worn, with the white paint wash
ed off in great patches, there was not one tug
boat so lowly as to do her reverence-not a
'bloomin' 'orn to give toot." AS fine feath-
ers make fine birds, so fine paint makes
fine ship.
The Light of the Gross
In order to enable foreign men-o'-war to
readily distinguish the ship at night a large
cross made Of red electric lights carried
on the mainmast, which could be turned on
in a moment. The first night out from New
York large cruiser approached and turned
on her searchlights, but sped away in the
. darkness when this cross was displayed.
The ship arrived at Falmouth about mid
night September 23, and was boarded and
inspected under the searchlights of the forts
on shore, and given the necessary private
signals to enable her to enter the harbor.
The Mayors OF Falmouth and Penzance and
other officials visited the ship, and at the
request of the Mayor of Falmouth the ship
was opened to visitors for day, when 1t
was estimated between 1900 and 20O0 persons
came on board. Prior to charterng the Red
Cross the society had requested Rear Ad-
miral Aaron Ward, u. s. N, retired who
was in Europe when the war broke out, to
make preliminary arrangements for the
transportation of the personnel and supplies
TO their various destinations upon the ar
rival of the ship. Admiral Ward came on
board at Falmouth and returned TO New
York in this ship.
During the passage from Falmouth to
capital of France, the ship was frequently
spoken by British and French cruisers and
torpedoboats. On one occasion while sig
mailing to French cruiser il was observed
that her guns were trained on the harmless
old Red Cross OF course this was not any
thing but very proper precaution, as a
good rule TO observe in time of wer is not to
trust anything that you see until you know
all about it. However, negro waiter seeing
this threw up his hands and exclaimed,
Come an git us, but Lord, don't shoot!"
Cotton Bales Bayonetted
As the stores were being discharged at
Paullac one of the soldiers on the dock, not
having an X-ray machine handy ran his
bayonet through bale of cotton, presumably
for purposes of inspection, to the intense
disgust OF one of our Red Cross surgeons,
who was very indignant that any one should
take such a liberty with an American bale
OF cotton and perhaps introduce some foreign
mierobe. He could hardly have been more
indignant had the bayonet been stuck in him.
or perhaps he was indignant that the soldier
should have put his bayonet to such an ig-
noble use as to stick it in bale Of cotton
when it was intended to be put to the noble
use OF sticking mani
These soldiers seemed to be FOND OF bayonet
practice. judging from the experience OF a
eolorea gentleman who left the dock to ex-
plore the town but soon returned very much
out OF breath, saying, Dat ain't no place for
me one o dem sojers jus chased me back
% de ship with one o dem meat siewersiH
Son aLtar I.aaln. ~. Ynrl- 49, 80.