The Twin City star., 1918-06-01


magical. Although more than five million persons,
oil OF whom. with the possible exception of few
OK the most militant pacfsts cherish patriotic
interest In all such institutions are residing just
to the south Of it, 1t attained completion without
the general public being aware of its existence
and was taking care of men who had been across
and been wounded in battle while most Of the
residents of New York continued to regard it as
merely in course of construction.
Every afternoon from two o'clock until four
the high tide Of sympathy sets in from the out
side world toward the hospital It was at this
time that armed with letter from the war de-
partment approached the entrance. 1t was nec-
essary to fall in with long procession Of women,
most Of them burdened with bumpy packages
which contained oranges, apples, bananas, home
made chocolate cakes apple pies, cream puffs and
other articles Of food suitable to the dietary of
an invalid and calculated to relieve the tedium
of hospital life
The wooden city which constitutes the hospital
is set upon a hill. Fresh winds sweep over 1t and
It Is flooded with sunshine. Spotless cleanliness
and perfect order prevail from end to end of
the plant and the most 'meticulous housekeeper
at the end Of prying visit might very well sigh
and admit that men even keep house better than
women do.
It was due to the initiative of Columbia univer-
sity that this large hospital was so soon estab-
lished. The university idea was to organize and
thoroughly equip hospital for the use of Amer
lean troops, which hospital, construction and all
should be put up in New York and afterward
carried across the ocean. The hospital was to
be oficered by physicians from the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons. the medical school Of
Columbia university
Ground for the hospital was broken May 49,
little more than month after the declaration Of
war. The first building was finished in June.
But when the hospital was offered to the govern
ment in July it was decided that the project Of
transporting the plant, buildings and all to France
was impractical and that the hospital would
serve very useful purpose if it remained on
Columbia Oval
Thirty-nne buildings were included in the orig
inal plan as presented by the university. The
government has since increased the number to
60, but the type Of buildings has remained the
same. Each building Is a long, low rectangle, one
story high and with the sides made up so largely
of glass that all the wards resemble sun parlors.
The executive building Is two stories high but
It, like the Others Is Of the simplest possible con-
struction, unpainted without and upholstered with
in. The buildings are lined with heavy paper
with the object of making them warmer. Other
wise they are as simple the wooden sheds
which served as headquarters for the first off,
GERS training camps.
The entire group Of buildings is somewhat In
the form of the letter H. the executive building
serving as the cross piece Of the II.
u On the second floor Of this building are the
executive Offices Of the hospital. as simple as the
jutant Dean F. Winn fitted out mostly with un-
painted furniture constructed by the enlisted men,
Is at one side and next are the offices Of Col.