The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-20

dren, some In an agony or fright
others shrieking in the pain Of
wounds, others lying with broker
bodies in a quiet that would nevel
be interrupted. In the heart breaking
confusion OF the night two organiza-
tions were working with swift. sure
method-ths fire department Of Paris
and the ambuIapces Of the American
Red Cross. They generally arrive
on the scene almost simultaneously
and their work is. always waiting;
though II hadn't waited long. The
fire department must stop any in
cipieEit confiaRration Before it has
had time TO light up the sky. The
Red Cross must 60 into the choked
debris and locate those whose groans
and cries are making the darkness
more horrible than anything you've
ever dreamed could exist. Nobody
had asked the American Red Cross
TO do il, but with that quick imagin-
alton which has become instructive
in the organization here the oppor-
tunity created the service. Now wher
the warning comes that the boche
planes are on the way the tranBpor-
tation department. Of the Red Cross
gets ready the motor car ambu-
lances. The Red Cross nurses and
attendants In the hospitals prepare
the bandages, and by the time the
Germans have arrived to kill the
ambulances are speeding in the di-
rection OF the firing.
Red Cross invaluable.
The American Red Cross Ambu-
lance Service has now become a part
of the Paris police system to care for
emergencies. All night a force waits
at the garage OF the Red Cross trans
portation department; this garage is
in touch with the project Of police in
every district in Paris. When the
bombing begins, the police districts
telephone the American Red Cross
ambulance headquarters telling them
where the strikers are and whether
TO bring gas masks.
The other night while Major Cs-
born, who is in charge of the service,
was out with his ambulance in one
Of the districts. a bomb struck his
house.
The work rendered on the very first
night by the American ambulances,
which had gone out voluntarily, was
so valuable that 1t attracted instant
attention. While one OF the ambu-
lances was rescuing I'VE injured and
the bodies Of six dead at one Of the
shattered buildings, President Poin-
care and the great Clemenceau ar
rived to express the appreciation of
the French government.
Rescued Raid Victims.
The next day the American Red
Cross Ambulance Service was a part
OF the machinery for helping to meet
the raids. They have rendered all
sorts OF service. The other night at
one of the scenes Of destruction a
grief maddened French woman broke
through the police lines TO look for
her husband who had persisted in the
house. The ruins were still very
dangerous. debris was moldering tim
bers tottering and in some places
there was no light except the electric
pocket torches. There was nothing
to guide them but the moaning
OF the distracted woman as
she led the way to the part Of the
ruins where her husband had been
last seen. He had been torn into
pieces, but they gathered up remains
Of him to be taken to a. decent burial.
On their way through narrow street
the drivers Of one ambulance heard
cries directly ahead. The ambulance
discovered THAI a taxicab with a
passenger inside had driven into a
shell hole in the very center OF the
street. il was so narrow down. there
that the passenger could not open
the door TO get out-and the driver
had disappeared. Neither the pas
senger nor the machine was injured
The engine was stiII running. The
American enlarged the shell hole. got
the man out and he disappeared on
the run. During the second raid or
this week, the American Red Cross
cared for over a hundred Of the in
1ured and killed. Our anlbulances
brought from one overcrowded abri
at the entrance Of a metro under
ground station the bodies of forty
two women and children who had
died Of snffocation in moment when
q panic created by the falling OF q
bomb nearby had sent a crowd rush
ing an from the outside
Hears Children Scream.
You can never can guess what a
bomb Is going 70 do. You hear ii in
its descent and are fairly benunabed
by theecrash that comes: Won hear
the Jingle Of falling glass, the impact
Of metal hitting stone, the heavy
clatter Of falling masonry: then YOU
hear the screams Of women. the shrifl
crying Of a child, the grooming of q
stricken man. The street aIla with
g thousand people looking like Rnomes
In the darkness as they hurry from
the buildings. The Red. Cross men
get busy with their work among the
injured. their pocket torches flicker
into the dark. revealing things you
cannot write about. In an incredibly
short time the ambuIances are filed
and 80 away into the darkness while
the IRE department ropes or The
ruins and continues the search care
fully. The next day you 60 back and
the shell holes are already filled. the
street has been repaired. while
crowd passes and repaEses the peck
marked building. standing with IT'S
windows shattered. It's root broken
ana g woman aobblng in the doorway
over her ruined household treasures
The sron 81 It Is ID your soul and you
realize That new strength 90 hatred
has been born. new determination has
been added 70 the relentless ooncIua-
ion that the war cannot cease until
the source of cruelty Thich has nn-
louGsH this mndnnaa npen the world
has been wiped Ga tha esHth