The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-12-02
WOUNDED REACH
PARIS IN MANY
RAILWAY TRAINS

RAILWAY TRAINS,
FORTY-ONE THOUSAND IN FOUR
DAYS - ARMY OF CLERKS
KEEP ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF
MEN.
Paris, Nov. 30.-Long trains of
wounded keep rolling into the La
Chapitra station of the Care du Nord,
trainafter train, even after the f~iercest
fighting of Champagne had occurred,
for the ebb and flow of the struggle
keeps going on with its steady yield of
manned and stricken soldiers. The
government gave the correspondent
facilities the other day to see this pro-
cession of incoming trains and the
methods employed for promptly hand
ling this enormous daily thrush of hu-
man freight requiring the most i'm
mediate and delicate attention.
La Chapitre is the station in the
most northwestern section of Paris,
nearest the fighting line, 60 miles
away, and is the natural point for
these trains from the front to empty
into Paris. Here the trains of wound
ed averaged 26 a day, with 200 to 300
wounded on each train, even after the
lull in the fighting, or from $500 to
$500 to be cared for daily. When the
fighting was fercest these figures
were far exceeded and n of the Of
fcers stated 41,000 wounded had been
received in four days, and added the
remarkable fact that only two out of
the 41,00O had died in ira: sit.
Platforms Fully Organized.
The platforms to which these trains
of wounded roll up are all thoroughly
organized for fast and systematic
work. Near at hand is a huge kitch-
en-, which an furnish 1000 meals on
short notice SO that the wounded may
Immediately receive hot tea and sus-
tenance. There are many cooks and
scores of nurses ready to carry doz-
ems of meals packed in wicker bas-
kets. Twelve surgeons are on duty
to give first aid in a pressing case.
though this station is not for treat
ment of the wounded; it is merely to
receive and distribute them to the hos.
pitfalls in Paris or in central or south
ern France.
A train of wounded from the front
had just come in as the inspecting par
ty arrived under government escort
Some fifty amualances were drawn up
on the platform ready to receive the
wounded men and already the ambu-
lances were filled and moving off tc
the various hospitals. Each ambulance
received six, two tiers of three, the
@litters sliding on groves into theil
places in the ambulances. Only a roll
of yellow blanket appeared on the
stretchers, with here and there a face
but usually the heads were covered
seeking complete quiet. There were
no complaints, no groans. Every
thing moved along swiftly and with
absolute percision, and not long after
the men came from the trains they
were On their way to the hospitals.
Occasionally some case needed spec.
ial attention. One red-bearded peas
ant soldier, well along in years, was
ashen pale as he was rolled by in ar
invalid chair to receive the care Of
surgeons. Another young soldier was
laughing as his chair rolled by to as
sure the visitors that his wound was
slight. Most of the men, the doctors
said, yer only slightly wounded ane
there we're not the narrowing scenes
as when trains bearing the desperate
ly wounded empty into La Chapellc.
The Checking Process.
While the men were being carried
from the train and placed in tn am
bulance, a constant checking process
was going on among the army anc
military clerks, keeping an accurate
register of each man, his wound
which hospital was best suited to kis
needs, whether his condition permit
ted further travel to the hospitals If
the interior Of France, as there is
need to avoid congestion in these Par
is hospitals. The registers were made
up with the exactness of a bank.
eve find that two hours suffices tt
dispose Of the most difficult trainloat