The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-06-04
by E. Il. Tostevin.A

plete. The only Ln1ng lacking ~ onl
drug store Is a soda water fountain,
candy booth and cigar stand" said
the pharmacist on ~. S. Hospital
Train No. - -s..,..
1 was privileged to ride for 36
hours on one Of the superb trains
which have been built for the United
States hospital service in shops of
the Great Western railway at Bir-
mingham, England. Some 300 men
were being taken from one hospital
to another. -.
This train is but one Of several, all
Identical, which are now in use in
France in moving wounded or SICK
men from one place to another. AND
incidentally it is a train ''de luxe"
such as France has never seen be-
fore.
From one end to the other it is
superbly finished, equipped and
cleverly arranged. There are sixteen
cars in all; connected in the regular
Pullman car manner but with wider
doors between cars. Entrance to
the cars is from the side as in all
continental trains, rather than at the
ends, as in America. l was pr1Vil-
eyed to explore this hospital on
you with me.
Car No. 1 is the storage car. At
the far end Is an ice box or refriger-
ator in which fresh meat, eggs, milk,
etc, are kept as perfect as in your
| icebox at home. Then there is
compartment for the supply sergeant
where extra uniforms are kept, and
where also are the extra stores OF
bandages, splints and all other need
| full articles. The train electrician
and engineer "Tin," a regular duck
1 sE.. u O. n a1n Io q n
Office and storeroom here.
Then comes the Personal car.
Here are the quarters Of the 80 men
who handle the train. This is differ
ent in but one particular from the
nine ward cars, in that 1t has sep
arate steam heating plant of its own.
| There is then the hospital kitchen
car. This at one end has a double
range, capable of cooking meals for
500 men it is possible to crowd on
the train. And the boys on the way
to some hospital or others from the
front delight in the hospital train
Chow" for it is good, very good. Pre-
pared by a Maryland negro cook, it is
served hot and while it IS "slum gull
| lion" it nevertheless tastes different
from trench fare. In the other end
Of this car is a mess hall for the en-
listed men on the train. 1t Is small
but splendidly arranged to secure the
maximum efficiency with a minimum
of space.
Then there are nine ward" cars.
These are capable Of handling SO 'ly~
ing" patients or 80 "sitters" as the
medical corps men designate the
wounded or sick. There is a broad
double door in the center of the side
Of each car and on either end or
rather on each quarter at the side
of the car are three tiers Of three
hunks each. These are so arranged
that the middle one may be folded
up to allow four men to be seated
on the lower The hunks themselves
are nothing else but we'll constructed
spring cots, with mattresses, hinged
to the wall.
Then there is an Isolation car
with four wards Of six hunks each
in which contagious disease cases
may be carried.
An officers car is divided into COM
partments after the style Of the first
class coaches of continental or Eng
| lish trains-an aisle way at one side,
with half a dozen little rooms where
four to six may be accommodated.
The office of the major in charge Of
| the train and the apartments Of the
| four lieutenant doctors on the train,
are in this car.
Another kitchen car serves the Of
ficers Of the train or officers being
moved to hospitals and in case Of
need can be pressed into service to
the aid of the other kitchen. The
first sergeant's office is in this car.
And it also has a bathroom with a
genuine tub and hot and cold running
water.
The car Of most interest perhaps is
the pharmacy car. Here is a COM
pletely stocked drug store, insofar
as drugs are concerned. And here
too may be found a completely equip
ped small operating room. OF course
space needs must make it small, but
the equipment is there for any kind
of an operation-performed only
when necessary to save lives.
Throughout the train the wood
work and in fact the interior Of all
cars are in white washable" enam- |
Ell. Fittings in the officers car, seats, |
ETC., are, however, in mahogany stain. |
Each car has broad low windows, |
electric lights are plentiful in all
coaches ana they are real lights, too, |
while each car is fitted with electric |
fans at each end and at two points !
in the ceiling.
Floors are of composition material |
ISSGlllplluS lluOlSu4lls- mere 1S 4AOL q |
surface but will Withstand scrub |
scrubbing, with soap and water The i
cars are not quite as long as the |
American Pullman, but 65 feet is as
much as the curving French railroad |
lines will stand. Without, the cars
are painted Brewster green, with
three-foot Red Crosses on white !
background on each end. In the 200 |
miles ride which consumed some 40 |
hours the train was the object of in |
tense curiosity at every station. The |
cars were the largest and finest and |
most brilliant the majority Of the |
French people had ever seen.
I'VE have reason to be proud of |
this train," said the major in charge, |
who halls from ST. Charles, Mo-, yet |
there are other trains, like it. l be- |
Iieve the United States now has |
enough such trains to remove all of |
the wounded, not &only OF our own |
army but of the allies, from the |
front. This train could also be used |
as an evacuation hospital could we
get close enough to the front. We !
are equipped to do all kinds of dress |
ings, and-Well we have done them. |
This is but our third. trip since the |
train was put in commission March !
12, so you. see there have really not |
been so very many casualties after |
all"
did you notice." he continued, |
that nearly all the cars are equipped !
with telephones. Yes, they are handy |
when a physician is needed in some
car in a hurry"
But it was not the train but the |
men in it who proved most interest |
ing. It's great to be an American. |
Here were 800 men averaging about |
o. yTaa nc NJ q mt hnve bIIT NAV,
who had put themselves to the test of |
M a lnlnnnA--facing daafn IN hattie