The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-07-18

shaken up. We were beginning also
TO realize we were by no means out
Of the woods surgically. Our wounds
had merely been dressed. Each of US
faced an extensive and serious opera
ton. We arrived AT Contay silent and
pretty badly depressed. For twenty
four hours In the Contay casualty
clearing station they did little except
feed us and take our temperatures
hourly. Then We were put into q hos
pital train for Rouen.
Germans Bomb Hospital Train.
Right here / would like to tell lit
tie story about hospital train leav-
ing Contay for Rouen-not the one we
were on, but one which had left a few
days before. The train. when IL was
just ready to depart with full quota
OF wounded men, was attacked by
German aeroplanes from which bombs
were dropped upon II. There is moth
ing apparently that makes the Ger
mans so fearless and ferocious as the
Red Cross emblem. On the top Of each
of the cars In this train there was a
Red Cross big enough to be seen from
miles In the air. The German aviators
accepted them merely as excellent tar
gets. Their bombs quickly Knocked
three or four cars from the rails and
killed several of the helplessly wound
ed men. The rest of the patients, weak
and nervous from recent shock and In
jury, some OF them half delirious and
nearly all of them absolutely helpless
and In pain, were thrown into near
panic.
Two OF the nursing sisters in charge
OF the train were the coolest individ-
uals present. They walked calmly up
and down Its length, urging the pa
tients 10 remain quiet, directing the
male attendants how to remove the
wounded men safely from the wrecked
cars and paying no attention whatever
TO the bombs which were still explod-
ing near the train. | did not have the
privilege of witnessing this scene my
self. but | know that ! have accurately
described II, for the details were told
In an official report when the king
decorated the two sisters with the Roy
al Red Cross for valor in the face OF
| the enemy.
The trip from Contay to Rouen was
a nightmare-twenty-s hours travel
ing $50 miles on train which was
forever stopping and starting. Its Jerky
and uncertain progress meaning TO us
| Just hours and hours Of suffering.
do not know whether this part of the
system for the removal of wounded
has been improved now. Then, its in
conveniences and imperfections mus
have been inevitable. for I'm every way
afterward the most thoughtful anc
tender care was shown us. In the Iona
rows Of huts which compose the Brit
ish general hospital at Rouen We
found ourselves in what seemed like
paradise.
In the hut which constituted thu
special ward for leg wounds | wa
lifted from the stretcher ON which
had Travelled all the way from Poziere'
into comfortable bed with fresh
clean sheets, and instantly found my
self surrounded with quiet, trained
efficient care. forgot the pain of m!
wounds and the dread of the comini
operation when tray of delicious foo'
was placed beside my bed and nurs'
prepared me for the enjoyment OF l
by bathing my face and hands witt
scented water.
ON the following morning my LEI
was X-rayed and photographed. toll
the surgeon l thought the business o
operating could very well be put of
until l had had about three NOR
square meals, but he couldn't see
that way. In the afternoon l got N.
first sickening dose of ether, and the,
took the first lot Of iron out OF me.
suppose these were just the surfae
deposits, for they only got five or ST.
pieces. However, they continued sys
tematically. ! had five more opera
lions, and every time l came out o
the ether the row Of bullets and shel
scraps at the foot OF my bed was