The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-09-05
Describes Hospital
Conditions in France


DIR. T. T. Carriel, an old friend of
ID. E. Gibson. who went to the same
college and. later. was at Minnequa
hospital in Pueblo at the same time
with Mr.. r. E. Holmes, and then with
she c. F. & company as its doctor at
Redstone, Colorado, and from there to
Marquette. Michigan, where he was a
famous surgeon at the time of the out
break of the war with Germany, has
written Mr.. Gibson some of his OBJ
servations on the fighting front in
Europe. After his enlistment in the
military service. DIR. Carried was sent
to Kelly field in Texas, and from
there ordered to France. The letter.
which bears date of August 5th, only
81 days from the front in France to
Canon City, follows;
II do not give myself. in spite of
your words of praise, any particular
credit for coming into the army. In
the first place l love adventure and
then ] could not keep out of it after
reading day after day of the Huns
making war on non-combatants, wo-
men and children; their particular
brand of hell on earth. i am glad
came to France for l have operated
and dressed the wounds of so many
who were willing to give their all for
the flag.
81 left the United States for France,
March 4th. We took a Zig-zag course
across the Atlantic. First ! was squad
ron surgeon with the 477th Aero con-
struction squadron; then post, or chief
surgeon for the biggest and best camp
in the air service zone of advance;
The First Air depot; Then was recon-
mended by the Clinical division for an
assignment on the surgical staff of a
base hospital and landed here, about
Two months ago.
This is regular army hospital of
more than a thousand beds. We do
much general work, such as operations
for appendicitis, hernia, etc, as well
as care for the badly wounded. They
have to be in pretty bad snaps when
they do not leave here in compar-
atlvely short time almost as good as
ever
Il have been to the front trenches
twice and up in a airplane once.
promised my wife that | would go up
only once. altho while was at the
First Air depot could have gone up
any day for the mere asking.
During the German offensive of
July 18th, l was sent to Evacuation
hospital No. for temporary duty to
help care for our boys wounded by
high explosive shells in the opening
barrage of the enemy. Our boys lately
have demonstrated their splendid
fighting ability. They have won the
wondering admiration of the French
for their individual qualities and their
fighting spirit. These soldiers, made
overnight, with comparatively little
military training have humbled and
whipped to a standstill. Germany's Is
proud, invicible. "shock troops" who
are used only T vital points and crit
icai times, and who ask no quarter
and give none. With these troops nc
prisoners are taken, except uncon
scious ones. Everywhere the Germans
have come out second best. The only
way can account for it is the CLOSE
up work." as a partial result of their
training in football and baseball
which stood them well. and the deadly
accuracy of the fire of these raw
American troops many of whom be
gan life with slipgshot. then discard
er 1t for an air rifle and the % cali
bre taget gun and SO on up, which
gave the flower of the German army
the surprise of their lives; this deadly
accuracy was enough to shill theiI
blood. We have q great many wound