Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-16
STORY OF GERMAN ATTACK
ON AMERICAN HOSPITAL
neport Reaches This Country From
mayor Murphy, Head Of Red Cross
Commission in France.
SURGEONS SHOW GREAT PLUCK
work for Twenty-Four Hours in
operating Room on Victims Of En-
envy Raid, One Relieving Another
When He Falls From Exhaustion.
tBy Associated Press.J

tBy Associated PressJ
ASHINGTON, September 15.-The
complete detailed account OF the
'''an air attack on American base
"o'phl No. in France on the night
u usday. September 4. has reached
"'' entry in report from Major
"SsohP. Murphy. head Of the Red
N'oSs Commission in France.
1t wat fl this attack that Lieutenant
william T. Fitzslmmons, of Kansas
"'S' the hrs, American officer to give
MS lie n the,war was killed. three
other offers. six privates. a woman
nurse any twenty-five patients from
tho Britia lines we're wounded. An
american Red Cross Inspector return.
ing 10 Pals from the scene. told the
story as felows.
Inc airrane attack occurred at II
O'Clock at light. Just at that time
iortunateiy'to convoy of wounded was
oeihs receiYd. or The list Of casualties
"oulo nav been far greater. as one
OF the oohbs fell into the center Of
inc large eception tent to which the
wounded re first borne for examina-
lion Te seconds sufiiced for the
dropping II bombs from the fast-fiying
plane an within loss than minute
afterwardthe surgeons of the hospital
were at tie task Of collecting and at
tending hose who had been struck
down. And for twcnty-four hours
they wte at work in the operating
room. me surgeon relieving another
when tc latter from simple exhaus-
ton cout work no longer. And the
very next day. just as II nothing had
happened. e>,se same surgeons were
called upon toreceive and care for 200
wounded sent n from the trenches Of
the British evolutionary forces"
BUILDING UNMSTAKABLE
Al HOSPITAL IN USB
The hospital. which is on the French
coast. has 1890 beos under canvas in a
quadrangle 500 fet square, is in
district in which ts.re are many SINH
lar institutions, an. IL unmistakaLle as
a hospital. AT tie time the German
aviator new over Utmost Of the surgical
stan was engaged III making rounds OF
the wards. Licuenant fitzsimmons,
however, was staidinE at the door flap
OF his tent. There had been brief
warning OF thepresence of a bombing
airp!anc In IN. ieghborhood because "A
quarter OF ni.,ute before the sound
Of exploding bombs was heard from a
point perhaB 200 yards from the hos
pltal rms warning sufiiccd to cause
all lights !, the tents TO be cxtin-
gulshed Immediately. and those who
mad been unier fire before threw them
selves face down upon tho ground.
Then cam> fvo explosions In rapid
succession II the hospital itself. The
hrst two wer, directly in front Of Lieu
tent Fttzsinn.oLs's tent-he probably
never knewiwhat happened, as his body
was torn 10 shreds. The next two fell
100 feet beyond. in ne marquee
ward, in which there were many pa
ucnts. and >thc last struck the recep-
ton tent
Overhead Mere was no sound. The
German AWAIT, flew too high TO be
heard. but he lift his identity behind
him not only IN She bombs he dropped.
but In the derisiNt handful IF pfcnnings
he scattered upot the hospital AS he
whirled away. T. number OF these
we're found when light came. Licuten-
ant Mcguire. VINO was in a tent ad-
joining that OF Lieutenant Fitzsim-
mons. was struck by three bomb fraE-
menis but was nos oeriousiy wounded.
iis escape was narrow, there were
more than a hundred holes cut in his
tent. Lieutenant Smith was struck in
NC anu lleutenanC " nluOcn In
he chest while in their rents in the
Ulcers section Of the quadrangle. The
eiVate soldiers injured We're on duty
u orderlies III the reception tent, and
te bomb fell almost upon them SO
severely was Private Aubrey >. Mcleod
rured that 1T was necessary to am
pate both Nis legs that night"
"NI OF (1SJunED
tlthoYgh the exploding bombs cre-
ate horror In the hospital. there was
notthe slightest sign OF panic. and
theyoEk Of discovering the wounded
'noibllecting them was imme diately
oesH. This was made cruelty diff
cul ~ the darkness, but every one
pran. to 1t with Will. Many Of the
Njure, had been blown from their
cts some even outside their tents.
Were they were found tangled up in
TN tentNropes The American nurse. ala
thueh struck In the face by a frag-
ing: of steel from the bomb. refused
ITO he relieved. and remained at her
task courageously to the end. A hos
pital orderly. who worked untiringly,
was found later to have been struck
in the head by fragment and pain
fully injured. He had just tied up his
head and worked on. In the operat-
ing room. Captains Horace Binney and
Elliott with their assistants. worked
all night long. Several delicate opera
lions were performed. and their task
was made all the harder by the fact
that in innumcrable cases the patients
were In serious danger of infection
from the pieces of wood and nails and
dirt which had been blown into their
bodies. Lieutenant-ColonelR r. u. Pat
terson. u. S. a.. commanding officer
Of the unit, and Major Harvey Cushing,
head of the surgical force. the latter
being at the front at the time Of the
disaster. have expressed the highest
admiration for the manner in which
the emergency was met Latest reports
are that the condition Of the wounded
is progressing satisfactorily"