El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-09
5000 CRIPPLES
TAUGHT TRADES
Men Manned in War Given
Artificial Limbs and Put
to Work in Vienna.

Vienna, Austria, March Ito get an
idea of all the awful misery created by
the present world war one has to visit
the Cripple City" of Vienna Far out
in the tenth district away from the
noise and hustle of the heart of the
Austrian capital, small town Of
manned soldiers has sprung into exist
ence. Every one Of the 800 1nhabi-
tants. with the exception or the sur
geons, attendants and Instructors has
lost one or more limbs on the battle
field.
The Cripple City was originally
school for war invalids founded by DR..
Spitzy late in 1914. The institution soon
became too small, as cripples arrived
from all sides. When the founder found
himself unable to receive more unfOr-
Inmates he appealed to the Austro-H Hun
garian war department for aid and
military hospital with AZ other large
buildings was turned over to him. Dur
ing the last six months numerous
workshops and dormitories have been
erected and the colony now consists Of
/ about so buildings.
Are Given Artificial Limbs.
Many of the inhabitants of this
strange town have lost both legs and
are helpless when they arrive, but
within a comparatively short time, in
three or four months, they not only
walk about with artificial limbs, but
also do useful work which makes them
self supporting. After the legless in
Valids have been examined by Dr. Spttzy
and his assistants their training begins.
Short stills are fastened to the stumps
Of their amputated limbs and. hanging
on ropes guided by trolleys, they begin
TO hobble about. In week or two most
Of them are able to walk without the
supporting ropes. Then they receive
higher stills and these are heightened
from week to week. until they reach
normal height
After more practice. artificial legs
with joints take the place Of the wooden
stills and the crippleS are soon able to
throw away their crutches. They not
only walk with ease. but also run. jump
dance and are now ready for instruc-
ton in some trade.
In 80 workshops and p classrooms the
cripples work or study six to eight
hours every day. Each one Of them is
taught to make the best possible use Of
the limbs he still possesses and the arti-
fcial substitutes Of his amputated arms
or legs In most cases special tools
have to be constructed for the MANNED
men
Has Many workshops.
The Cripple City contains work
shops for machinists. tinsmiths, electri-
clans. opticians, watchmakers, painters,
compositors, masons, stOnecutters. ba-
kers, sign painters. butchers. BARRIERS
and shoemakers. and also schools for
stenographers and typewriters. tele-
graphers, boOkkeepers, chauffeurs and
photographers. Even a school of music
has been organized. and the colony has
an orchestra of so, all cripples. Farm
ers and laborers receive their training
and instruction on a large tract of land
which belongs to the army department
and has been transformed into a garden
Cripples who are not able to handle
any tools are taught to run automatic
machines. In one Of the factories Of
this unique town machines daily turn
out 10000 pairs of shoes for the sol
diers in the field, and in another shop
hundreds OF sewing machines produce
uniforms. while in one large building
dozens of machines make fine embrOid-
cry The machines represent a capital
of more than 100000 and have been
donated to the cripples by manufac-
turers.