The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-19

III the men who stay at home saw
these boys, they would be ashamed
not to make every sacrifice" writes
Miss Clara Kennepohl, a nurse at an
army hospital at Newport News. Va.
In letter to her parents. Mr.. and Mrs
B. A. Kennepohl.
Miss Kennepohl tells of seeing the
arrival OF the transport carrying 200
wounded American soldiers, among
whom was Archie Roosevelt.
The letter follows:
Newport News, Va.
Dear folks: know you are all anx-
ious to hear from me and perhaps
think should have written before
this. II IL not that have been work
ed to death for we work seven hours
a day usually, but in camp quarters
one cannot get off alone and write;
you have to do as the majority does
often.
We go on duty at seven; one day we
are off from nine to two then off the
rest OF the day, so you see though we
work hard that will not kill US. We
are on our feet every minute of the
time we are on duty. The ward am
on has fifty-four patients; some have
as high as hundred. ] cannot tell
you exactly how many patients can
be cared for here; close to 1000. I
am sure. We have 10 wards. from l
to 10, then have ward A and Il and
then the surgery. So you may imagine
II Is very interesting place. They
are built like the hospital buildings
we saw at Fort Thomas; In fact all
camp hospitals are alike. We start
from our quarters on a board walk
and never leave the walk no matter
what ward we go to. The buildings
are built with high foundation at
least four feet from the ground. There
and II is planted In gardens in most
with cosmos and zenias. There IL an
army OF men at work building.
Red Cross Guest House.
The Red Cross have almost finished
the Guest House; it is a most attrac-
tive house: has rooms to be used by
visitors who are compelled to stay
over night. then cafeteria and the
I recreation hall with a small stage. It
: Is almost three times as large as the
Guest House at Louisville. There are
two club houses being built by the
war department, one for nurses and
one for officers. 1t will surely be fine
when they are all finished. The man
agement of all this must be a stupen
dous responsibility. I am sure there
are not less than twelve hospital build
ings almost completed beside all those
| told you Of. These new buildings
are two stories They are built Of
hollow tile and have porches all
around same. These buildings are all
screened This is to be permanent
post, SO all buildings from now on
will be built OF tile There are but
two hospitals of this type in this
country the other at Hoboken, New
York.
We receive all oversee patients IN
these two hospitals and from here
they are sent to the various hospitals
where their special cases can best be
treated; general sanitariums, insane
hospitals or whatever it is to be, but
Of course it has to 60 through a lot
OF red tape before these transfers are
made and too many of the boys are
not able to be moved farther for some
time.
Soldiers Come Home.
Night before last transport came
in with 200 patients. I tell you it
( made one feel that we are at war.
Just felt sick all over-for fear Of
! know not what. just feeling how ter
rible II would be to have loved ones
come home like some Of these chaps.
Surely the men who do not 60 to war
should make every sacrifice at home
il they saw some OF these boys they
would be ashamed not to. One ward
has every bed full and not man who
has not lost an arm or leg. and in
some cases more than one OF. They
led six boys totally blind in the ward
next to us. You may imagine how We
all felt. There were fifty-eight officers
on the transport, Archie Roosevelt
was one. He was shot through the
arm: 1t is paralyzed. OF course they
are all on high tension as far as the
nervous system is concerned. One
handsome chap Of this ward said to
me. Il could go forth boldly and be
killed. but God to come back like that,
it makes me sick to see these boys
come back" and great tears stood in
his eyes. cannot say that I blame
him much, though Of course l told
him his folks would welcome him no
matter what the injury and be happy
to care for him. Yes. that is 1t, they
would make too much OF fuss over
me- | could not stand that"
The boys tell thrilling stores; you
should see the boys cluster about
them to get all the news. They are
in splendid spirits; one lad told ME
yesterday there would be a lot more
coming over soon: lot Of our boys
were moved down on that big drive
on the Gath, but believe me they now
ed down the Germans"
Work 10 Wonderful.
The hospitals are full over there
but they will be brought over here as
soon as possible" And comes the
word that a transport will dock to-
morrow bringing 700, think Of It! No
one got offduty hours today; they
we're Off the ward but had to make
surgical dressings to be ready for the
rush that is sure to be tomorrow. I
surely am ashamed that did not get