Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-29
Tells Interesting History Of
Fighters Who Care Al They
Had TO Thumt Huns Mad
Onrush
Joseph, an officer Of the Bel
gim Royal Horse Guards.
Lired Through Tro Critical
Operations
"AT THE BACK OF THE FRONT

tCopWf0hi. totS, by rpbHc Ledger ComroHyj
\ WAR NURSES DINRN-No. ~

lIoOgeStadt
OUR new hospital was at lloogc
~ stadL It as situated about seven
or eight miles south or Furncs on the
Nprcs road. THIS ro' ran parallel to
the firing line abou. thrce or four
miles north cr Nprcs Tho little ham
let Of HooEcstadt struggled along the
main road a mic to the north while
south Of us. the River User crossed
the road, and just near there, in those
early days. the British lines began. We
had strict buundariCr. We were not
allowed to 80 further than a certain
village 10y tho User to the south, nor
were we allowed to go cast OF our
hospital, the main road forming the
boundary line. We might go as far as
we liked into France. The almshousc
wE,Ch we now occupied had given ny
it's residents our car removed nearly
all the old hcdridden men and women
into France. one small corner still
held few old men and women
with some nuns to take care Of them.
IL was long twO-Sto-y building with
ground i'm front. Behind were farm
buildings and ii Ids, Sluping down To "a
brook. Opposite was a farm, in the
grounds of which was a large convoy
Of Belgian ambulance ears under .hc
charge of a young American.
\ spiral Staircase
The kitchen became our dining
room: our bedroom was up under the
roof i'm long attic which ran from
one end Of the great building to the
other. with no partitions between. 1t
was approached 10y a spiral staircase
Of ffty stairs. Hero we all slept
about twenty-SiN nurses, thirty order.
lies and kitchen staff and six or seven
, Flemish laundry maids. We tied ban
dages from the rafters. piunlnG sheets
To these, and so forming little rooms.
Two nurses were allowed one tiny sky.
light between them. Here we lived
for ten months. \ sugar case formed
dressing table. Later on We added
the luxury Of "A zinc wash tub. but cir
b CumstanCes were not conducive to per
SOnal cleanliness, hot water was pre-
ciouS and there were titt,' stairs &c
carry il all up and down again. | don't
remember that the place was ever
J swept or washed.
The chief feature outside was MI u
and a long straight road with trees ON
either side. Our front gateway was a
Slough of DeSpOnd, likewise the farm
, yard behind. our sanitary arrange
mCnts would not have passed tho
health boards at home. The farmyarc
= was an interesting study in things
ancient and modern -- a mixture ol
peace and war. Cows rOamed arouno
among motor amhuanCcs and car:
painted war-gray with huge rec
. crosses upon them. Soldiers carried
, in stretChers Of wounded or carried
~ out the dead, nuns sat milking COWS
II inRrm old almshOuse women in large
!, mob caps pottered about, while army
u nurses flew past on divers crrands
= Mechanics mended car machinery anl
rough plowmen beat the corn with old
q, fashioned fails i'm The same barn
[ Around all was mud, mud, mud' :
n great CCsspoOl ran under large par
r.. Of the farmyard quite close to the wei
Y where the pumphandle squeaket
n day and uiEht--flom which we so
T. all the drinking water.
Il lust about this time We had neN
: chef. Maurice had to return to tn
trenches. This new man had suCh
interesting career that he is wort
mentioning, lie. too, was anothe
genial. sunny soul, with ready smll
and soft spot in his heart 70
nurses. lie had been a prisoner unde
the Germans and his skill as coo
cave him a place with a great genera
at the front. one night the Huns ha
j taken new city, so there was
dinner party. Our chef seasoned a