Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-05-03


the advanced first-aid post. Here he Is
attended by doctor, perhaps assist
ed by two Il. A. NJ. c. men. Then he Is
put into a motor ambulance, manned
by n crew of two or three. At the field
hospital, where he generally goes UNI
der an anesthctic, either to have his
wounds cleaned or to be operated on,
he requires the services of about three
to five persons. From this point an
other ambulance ride impresses more
men in his service, and then at the am
bulance train, another corps Of doc
tors r. A. NJ. c. men. Red Cross nurses
and the trains crew. From the train
he enters the base hospital or casualty
clearing station, where gOol-sized
corps of doctors, nurses, ETC., are kept
busy. Another ambulance journey Is
next in order-this time to the hospital
ship. He crosses the channel, arrives
in Blighty-more ambulances and per-
haps ride for five hours on an Eng
fish Red Cross train with its crew OF
Red Cross workers, and at last he
reaches the hospital. Generally he
stays from two to six months, or long,
er, in this hospital. From here he is
sent to a convalescent home for six
weeks.
If by wounds he is untitled for fur
Their service, he is discharged, given
pension, or committed to soldiers
home for the rest of his life-and still
the expense piles up. When you real
lie that all the ambulances, trains and
ships, not to mention the man power,
used in transporting a wounded man,
could be used for supplies, ammunitionI
and re-enforcements for the troops at
the front, it will not appear strange
that from a strictly military stand-'
point, a dead man is sometimes better
than a live one 0f wounded).
Not long after the first digging party,
our general decided, after a careful
tour of inspection of the communion
ton trenches, upon IAN ideal spot" as
he termed it, for a machine-gun en-
placement; took his map, made a dot
on it, and as he was wont, wrote dig
here" and the next night we dug.
There were twenty in the party, my
self included. Armed with picks,
shovels and empty sandbags we ar
rived at the ideal spot" and started
digging. The moon was very bright.
but we did not care as we were we'll
out of sight Of the German lines. la
We had gotten about three feet
down, when the fellow next to me, aft
er mighty stroke with his pick let go
of the handle, and pinched his nose
with his thumb and forefinger, at the
same time letting out the explosion.
Scott strafe me pink, I'm bloody we'll
gassed, not 'alf amt" I quickly
turned in his direction with an inquir-
ing look, at the same instant reaching
for my gas bag. soon found out what
was ailing him. One Whit was enough
and lost no time in also pinching my
nose. The stencil was awful. The rest
of the digging party dropped their
picks and shovels and beat it for the
weather side Of that solitary pick. The
officer came over and inquired why the
work had suddenly ceased, holding our
noses, we simply pointed in the direc-
ton of the smell. He went over to the
pick, Immediately clapped his hand
over his nose, made an "abOut turn
and came back. Just then our cap
tain came along and investigated, but
after about minute said we had bet
ter carry on with the digging, that he
did not see why we should have
stopped as the odor was very faint,
but if necessary he would allow us our
gas helmets while digging. He would
stay and see the thing through, but he
had to report back to brigade head
quarters Immediately. We wished that
we were captains and also had date
at brigade headquarters. With our gas
helmets on we again attacked that hole
and uncovered the decomposed body of
a German; the pick was sticking in his
chest. One Of the men tainted. I was
that one. Upon this our lieutenant
halted proceedings and sent word back
to headquarters and word came back
that after we filled in the hole we could
knock off for the night. This was well
come tidings to us, because
Next day the general changed the
dot on his map and another emplace-
ment was completed. the following
night.
The odor from the dug-up, decOm-
posed human body has an effect which
is hard to describe. 1t first produces
a nauseating feeling, which, especially
after eating. causes vomiting. This re-
lieves you temporarily. but soon a
weakening sensation follows, which
leaves you limp as dishrag. Your
spirits are at their lowest ebb and you
feel sort of hopelessness and mad
desire to escape it all, to get to the
open fields and the perfume of the flow
ers in eighty. There is sharp,
prickling sensation in the nostrils.
which reminds one of breathing coal
gas through radiator in the floor, and
you want to sneeze, but cannot. This
was the effect on me, surmounted by a
vague horror Of the awfulness Of the
thing and an overcoming reflection