The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-16
NEED FOR NURSES
is EMPHASIZED
AT GRADUATION
Mrs. Maud Metcalf Tells of
Conditions in Servian
Hospital.
PATRIOTIC FOOD
EXHIBIT THURSDAY
DR.. Day of United Church
Engaged in War
Work.


their diplomas last evening as grad
uate nurses from the Bridgeport
Hospital Training. School at the ex-
ercises in the High School auditorium.
They had the pleasure of hearing an
address by Mrs. Maud MetcaIf, head of
the Park Hospital in New York city
who was a member of the first Red
cross unit sent to Russia, a pleasure
that was shared by very large au-
dlence. 1t was the largest class ever
graduated from the school, and each
ono was urged to enlist for Red Cross
service at once as the demand is far
greater than the supply. DIR. C. c,
Godfrey, president of the Bridgeport
Hospital Association, presided and
introduced the speaker.
Service, sacrifice, unity, should be
the watchword of every woman in
America, for our unity will make all
: things possible for our men who are
| hShtlng and for our country" was the
message that Mrs. Maud MetcaIf
brought to the young women last
evening". Your help is needed. You
VINO are graduating come into the
service. Make the Stars and Stripes
| and the Red Cross mean the same
thing. Don't dwell on the hard
ships but think of the necessity. The
need is very great, greater than I can
tell you Think of it, you mothers
who are holding daughters back from
going into training"
At the outbreak of the war, Mrs.
| MGtn1 If to
| first Red Cross unit to go out from
TINS country. She remained there a
year and had been back in this coun-
| try but two days when she was asked
| to go to Servia. Fifteen days later
she sailed, going by the Mediterran-
can route and three weeks later was
| IN Nish where she was to be at the
head of a baby hospital. Nish is a
very small place and it was crowded
With $4,000 refugees, $1,000 Austrian
prisoners and the people who had or
Iginally occupied the place. The
living conditions were appalling, six,
eight and 10 people living in two
rooms.
There were two military hospitals
and the soldiers were cared for before
the population had any attention 1t
was impossible at first to find a house
for the hospital and so tents were
erected. The nurses worked all day
| in the dispensary caring for sick ba-
bies and many of the people walked
all night in order to reach the hos
pital, coming from their homes in
the outlying sections of the city. This
was in September and about the first
of October a house was secured.
The unit was in this place 10 days
when word came that there was fight
ing going on in the northern part of
Servia, and that the wounded SOL
diers were dying by hundreds by the
roadsides. The services of the
American unit were offered to the
government and thankfully accepted.
They started at once and arrived at
their destination at o'clock one
evening in the pouring rain. Wound
ed soldiers were lying alongside the
station building drenched with rain
No shelter was available except an
cid ramshackle building across from
the station. The unit cleared out
the dirt and refuse of seemingly ages
and lanterns begged, borrowed or
stolen, and a dressing station estab.
lished.
This work continued for 10 days.
The unit would receive it's orders each
night for its operations next day In
some manner the car containing all
surgical supplies was lost or stolen.
and the unit had to go back to Nish.
Nish, they found, was about to be-
evacuated. In the hospital one ward
contained $50 beds, while in a large
compound were several barracks con-
tanning 40 beds. When the town was
evacuated there was only two doctors,
four trained nurses and IL untrain-
ed women to care for 900 men.
This situation continued for three
days, during which time the men
died like flies for want of care that
it was not possible to give them. FL
rally the Bulgarian commander came
to the relief of the hospital and pro-
vided cooks and supplies. Mrs. Met
calf and the other members of the
unit made an American flag which
they hung in front of the hospital
and she displayed it to the audience.
After the diplomas were awarded
DR.. Godfrey reviewed the history of
the hospital briefly stating that at the
present time there were 275 beds,
and nearly 400 people in the hospital
all the time. He characterized the
institution as one of the largest and
finest in the country. DR.. Cowell
awarded the diplomas and the Nurses
insignia was pinned on each one by
Miss Elizabeth Oliver superintendent
of nurses. Mrs Elmer Beardsley
opened the program, playing the
"Marseillaise, as the class marched
down the aisle headed by a detach-
ment of Home Guards who acted as
ushers. Lieutenant Douglas Roberts
sang two solos in a, delightful manner
accompanied by Mrs. Beardsley.
Those who received diplomas were
Georgia Burke, Lillian Wigglesworth,
Marion Johnson, Gertrude Hedberg,
Beatrice Stevenson, Madeline Roth,
Marie Todd, Agnes Swanson, Edith
Hermenze, Anna Groccia, Wilhelmina
Linn, Ethel Hassett, Helen st. John,
Helen Krause, Claire Ten Brock,
Helen Sheehan, Marie Rousseau, Ag-
mes Tanning, Anne Richter, Rose
QHearn, Gladys Baldwin, Sarah Mac
kinnon, Laura French, Elizabeth Me