New Britain herald., 1916-02-10

charge. About that time Hurd, who was in Seattle, was offering his ser 1 vices to Russia. Through the Russian consul in Seattle his offer was ac- cepted and he sailed on November 2S for V1adivostok. He was at once sent to Grodno with contract to serve during the term of the war He believed he was giving his ser vices gratis. but several months later, when he had time to have his con-
 tract translated, he found that he was
 to receive 400 roubles monthly.
 First Taste of Battle.
 His first taste of battle was on the
 Grodno front. On the retreat of the Russian army last summer Hurd
 narrowly escaped an Involuntary transfer of his activities to the Ger man side. After twenty-hour stretch of hard work he was ordered to retire by night to Orani. At three o'clock in the morning he had reach ed an estate six miles from that point and there he decided to rest until daylight. When preparing to resume his journey the following morning he found the stable yard full of Russian cavalry horses, some of them wound ed. Russian soldier informed him that Orani had been captured by the Germans early in the morning and that they were approaching less than two miles away. He made a hurried exit southWard through sand dunes where Napoleon lost his transports on the retreat from Moscow. Until four o'clock in the afternoon, when he reached new Russian positions he was between the hostile lines uncer- tain as to the location of either army.
 At another time the German caval-Z ry broke through the Russian lines before Hurd was aware of the fact and had cut his field telephone. They passed his operating base. evidently believing his capture assured on their return. But the American doctor harnessed, his horses and with his operating force made a break for the retiring Russian army. The Ger mans turned a battery on him and with shells bursting all around him
 he galloped his teams over the crest
 of a hill and eventually made his
 way to safety.
 Works Mile Behind Trenches Dr. Hurd works customarily about
 mile back of the trenches in line with the light artillery and in front
 of and under the heavy batteries. 1T believe the Russian soldier to l be the best in the world,' he said, 1 on a recent visit to Petrograd, his l third brief absence from the trenches in more than a year. The Russian is fatalist. is absolutely fearless, willing to attack under any conditions, and is an expert with the bayonet his faVor1te weapon. I am convinced that the Germans lost twenty men to our n fIn New Trench Bomb.
 "A new form of trench bomb, filled
 with an acid that acts like vitriol is
 the last element we have had to con- tend with. The effect is fatal if the fumes are inhaled and the least effect IS to produce total and permanent blindness These bombs are fired at close range and explode on contact. From one to seven men are affected where the explosion occurs among
 men unprotected by respirators. Often
 the men have not time to adjust their I respirators in time to escape. "A remarkable thing that I have observed is the number of cases of frozen feet among German prisoners
 while I have yet to treat the first Russian for that trouble. The reason l IS IHdL the NToTH1anS wear CIOSG nt- ] ting boots, while the Russian boot is large and in place of socks he winds 1 his feet in yards of woolen cloths. ] The boots are water-tight. One sell dom finds a Russian soldier with ] wet feet. Another thing: the Russian i trenches are deep enough and wide enough that the men may stand and move about. 'Trench-foot' due 10 cramped positions and impaired cir culation, is unknown among our sol diers.
 Rigid Discipline
 1T insist upon rigid discipline in my corps of assistants and through a system of packing and handling which I have devised, I can break ! camp and be on the move within twenty minutes, or I can unlimber and begin an operation within ten minutes
 upon arrival"
 The only other American surgeon