The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02
Scenes at Paris
Railroad Station as
Soldiers Crippled for
Life Are Received by
Their Loved Ones
By WILLIAM T. MARTIN.

r 7 IA an interesting gathering, the
crowd standing there In the cold,
rainy dawn Of the breaking Feb
ruary morning. anxiously peer
Ing through the great door of the Paris
railroad station. It is dark and hollow
inside except for the murky. yellow
rlsrs Of a few dirty electric bulbs
strung over the high ceiling.
On all the faces there Ia a look of
strained eagerncss. subdued to the
point Of pain. Something seems about
70 snap. II Is M assorted crowd. Al
most every human type is represented.
There are old and young of both sexes
ill clad. well clad. richly clad. Trac-
.cally all wear some token Of MOURN
ing and many are in deep black. \
few very old women and men, too old
n be lettering around alone. are de-
pending on others for support. Sew
eral have nobody to help them and are
doing as they car leaning on canes or
AGAINST the wall ~ the station. Here
ard there a child hugs the folds of It's
mothers dress or a woman stands with
q baby.
They are awaiting the arrival Of the
second "grands blesses' train Of the
war. French soldiers taken in attacks.
and held for months as prisoners Of
war. their Identities lost in the prison
camps Of Germany and finally given
up as hopelessly manned and forever
unfit for further military service. are
beng sent back. The train is now en-
pec,ed in a few minutes. IL IL a spe-
cial train from Switzerland.
The throng at the door represent
what might in n few minutes he the
s~weethearts. mothers. wives and the
otherwise loved ones Of the oncoming
cripples. Just now no one knows.
They have been notified by the au-
,horities. who have only names. and
mere names. some have learned before,
are deceptive. From the anxious faces
4, is evident that with the exception
Of a few the news Is that Of the resur-
rection OF the dead.
The train will pull in at the far end
~ the station and the huge room i'm
nediately inside is reserved for the
smhulances OF the various Red Cross
societies that now glide up over the
l'i'e incline before the door past the
crowd and n the station. Inside,
'he drivers line up in order. the backs
OF the cars open and facing each other.
orderlies busy themselves with
stretchers and lay them in order on
the floor rear the cars and stand
ready. Fresh ambulances continue tc
pull up the little incline. and as the
drivers and orderlies from their seats
look into the crowd there are some
who quickly turn their faces away
II the keenly sensitive II of the
french, that their emotions may no,
he seen.
Inside. as brancard.ers and drivers
stand and wait. II seems exceptionally
quiet for SO many persons. Occa-
s!onally the light rain can he heard
falling on the high roof. Suddenly
from a hall at the far end Of a long
narrow corridor leading from the
room where the ambulanccs are lined
NJ word that the train is pull
ne into the yards. Instantly tho
room fills with the swish of many fee,
IS the Red Cross people flock to tho
corridor and crowd through 10 the
o'her side. The crowd outside is no,
s'owed TO enter.
The train finally pulls ina long
string Of second class cars of the Swiss