The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-08-16
old COUNTRY SEAT"
BECOMES HOSPITAL
American Wounded Near South
anton win Enjoy Beauti-
ful Surroundings


wounded mon who are brought 20 Eng.
Ind from the Western Front will soon
find waiting for them near Southhamp
I, n n military hospital which, built un.
der the supervision Of the Red Cross
authorities of their own land, is situat.
ed on one Of England = most magnih-
cent country estates, known as Saris-
bury Court, comprising 1856 acres.
Woodland, pasture land and ample
gardens, with q half mile frontage on
Southampton waters which afford good
fishing and splendid boating, comprise
the site of this American institution.
Southwark, the convalescing soldiers
will look across the water TO the busy
harbor Of Southampton, with the shores
! Of the Isles Of Wight In the distance.
OF the hospital jettys they will see
, anchored an ancient British .frigate,
now used as a training ship, her decks
swarming with young midshipmen at
their first lessons in seacraft.
Conferred in these surroundings Is an
old manor house which, erected as a
private residence thirty-fve years ago
| by wealthy British landowner, will
serve as the central hospital building.
From the tower of this structure one
may have an unobstructed view for
! twenty miles. The central corridor OF
the hospital will be 1000 feet long, and
wards on either side will accommodate
from 80 to 100 patients each. Here,
| and in neighboring hutments which will
| cover nearly ten acres, will be room for
! 5000 wounded to be cared for comfort
ably. There will be separate buildings
for the medical and nursing stats and
other employees, and for kitchens and
operating rooms. At some distance
from the main buildings will be large
isolation hospital, with its own kitchens
and equipment.
This estate, located at some distance
| from the main roads SO that the am
bulance traffic will not be interfered
with by the regular business of the
central highways, was purchased by
the Red Cross. Capt. F. Harper Sib.
ley of the Red Cross, formerly presi-
dent of the Chamber of Commerce Of
Rochester, New York, is supervising
| the construction work. Captain Sibley
has been in charge Of the American
Red Cross work at Southampton since
| his arrival in England last April
/ Nearly Ready Now
BY mid August the hospital should
| be opened to the extent that there
will be accommodation for about 400
beds. Some of these will be located
temporarily in tents of the BOssoneau
| type, with windows set in the walls
to make them light and airy and a
double roof with air-chamber between
| to insulate them from the heat of the
! sun. ..
During the pleasant English summer,
these tent wards will ibeyy@YS com. 4
Portable and agreeable, and long be- ,
| fore the first chilly weather Of autumn
comes, the frame but wards, steam.
heated, will be ready. 1t is possible
that some of the tents will be re-
| tanned for the use of convalescents or
for overflow purposes in the event of
a big offensive on the northern part
of the western front.
The hospital will have its own elec.
tric-lighting plant and water supply.
There probably will be a double sys-
TEN of water supply, water from the
river being used for ordinary purposes
while special distilled or spring water
will be used for drinking purposes and
: in the Kitchens and operating rooms.
Is Called Modern =.
l
handsome building of what Englishmen
call modern construction, inasmuch as
it dates back only thrtyfve years.
1t is in the Tudor style, standing on
n level plateau on the highest point
Cf the estate 1t is built of brick
with Portland stone dressings and has
a slated roof with artistic red ridged
/ tiles, while the chimneys of brick and
| 10
tcctural feature. The most notable
parts of the exterior are the magni
fccnt carved stone main entrance and
! the stone balustrade.
| An American housewife would be
perhaps the most impressed by the
kitchen, a room large enough to be
used as ballroom, white tiled and
with a ceiling thirty feet high. 1t is
said that the builder of the house
planned to use it as home for poor
boys, where they could be trained to
make themselves useful in the world,
and the kitchen would undoubtedly be
able to provide adequately for a large
number of youthful appetites, stimu-
lated by the fresh country air and the
invigOrating work of an English farm
stead.
The AmbulancPs which will bring the
American wounded from the piers at
southampton will approach the hospi
tai by a long carriage drive through
picturesque woodland and well-kept
lawns. At the entrance to the estate
they will pass gabled stone lodge
in the finest type of English country
architecture, which probably win be
used as the residence of the superin
tendent and chief medical officer Of the
hospital. The wounded man, If his cot
faces southwark, will look out over the
river towards Southampton, with an
occasional view of warshiPs and trans,
ports. If his bed faces north he will
still get river view, this time across
the estate 5 tennis court and cricket
field, to where the narrowing river
disappears amid the, grey shadows of
the hills.
The convalescent soldier will find
several miles of sunny or shaded wall
without going outside the hospital
grounds. Strolling southwark, he will
cross broad meadow and little patch
of wood to the hospital piggery and
chicken farm, and just below this he