The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1919-01-03
|WRENCE COUNTY
nurse IN BELGIUM
Somewhere in Dalsium
Noyerpher "a, 1918.

y
Mrs. sarah 8. sAggs.
TsfEyyills Ky.
Dear Mamma:
! ~ win now write yoy letter which
have wanted -, for some time
j Our base Il I'd hospital. sit
uated in a bel valley OF France
about g5 miles from the firing line
The bsilding so "a OF sSveral one
story wooded bS Iacks OF fifty beds
each. and q few Cents The personnel
consists Of about 4s doctors 100 nur-
sea and 400 enlisted men. though the
personnel has been Increased.
At times, when we were not ruah0d
with work, we were permitted to &c
ner the front for awhile. l was at an
evacuation hospital for two weeks. We
+ were told that It was within five miles
OF the firing line. I know we were We
ry close, for at times when the boys
would make an attack. the doors and
windows of the two-story buildings
would rattle as If an earthquake were
present, also tho light from ths guns
could be plainly seen.
/ also spent three weeks at another
hospital near the front. We had sew
eral air raids. have stood and watch
ed them fight In the air. could see
! the shells bursting. One night shrap-
noll fell around the quarters where we
were sleeping About two months
ago a mobile unit was formed from
our base. oh how GLAD / was when
I heard | was going with the unit. for
wanted TO be at the 'front.' all the
time.
We first went to Paris Cor our
equipment. We spent IS days in this
city. We went on duty for a few days
In a 5000 bed hospital the remainder
OF the time was spent In getting our
equipment: and in tho meantime We
Visited several places of interest We
visited the tomb OF Napoleon. also
saw tho rocks which lay over his grave
at St Helena. We also vent to the
City of Versailles and visited the pal
ace OF tho kings of Franco The beau
~ OF this place is great
Ono Sunday night al D, M, We
got on the train and started on our
Journey to Belgium. We were a hap
~ crowd. knowing that we hnd the
opportunity to follow our boys to the
front, We were four nights and three
days reaching our destination as the
transportation Ii very poor in this
country at present We passed thru
the place called mo Mans Land"
This sight 10 one that win never be
forgotten. -
There lay the guns q AMMUNITION,
helmets. and gas masLs IN ths bat
tiefields Wa could nov and then see
Jew wooden srosses, which marked
the graves OF some OF the fallen SOL
diers. Iron bars OF the railroad tracks
were broken. saw trains which had
been Destroyed. Telephone wires were
torn down. Ths ground full Of shell
holes, some OF them as large as
house.
OH Ys weeping Belgians, the Lord
only knows what you have suffered.
Saddest sight OF all were the ruined
homes Large towns with not good
building standing. the roof and part OF
the walls blewn away by shell. Fine
churches were in ruin. Even trees
were destroyed. limbs and the tops OF
them blown off War 10 a terrible thing
and you cannot imagine half of itun-
I'll you see the destruction.
We pitched our tents on the Belgian
front. lately evacuated by the Germans
We are the first American hospital to
enter this part OF Belgium. We have
some fine operating and rray rooms
on wheels. Our wards are fonts.
We only keep patients few hours
after the operation unless they are
seriously wounded. We evacuate them
towards the base, SO we can care for
others who are coming. We get them
. hn al 10
tho first treatment patient receives
after entering our hospital Is an xray
examination 10 locate the foreign body
Then the operation Is performed, fol-
lowed by the general care OF surgical
cases, Carroll DalSins solution Is used
very much with great success.
Tho death rate OF our boys after
they reach the hospital is small
Though their suffering in the trenches
is terrible Will tell you about one
OF our fine boys we lost few days
ago.
He was brought 70 the hospital a.
bout four O'clock in the morning II
lay wounded for three days with
heavy firing over me. so no help could
como. The only thing that kept me
alive was oanteen OF wtaer. which ]
had with me-
The doctors performed an operation
though after four more days OF severe
suffering, he passed away This Is the
story OF the suffering OF one boy, while
thousands have suffered and died on
the battle field alone
We have evacuated our patients
and are waiting further orders. / do
not know where we will go from here
When our wounded soldiers are all
sent back to America, want to return
also.
/ have been In the army fifteen
months. almost eight months abroad.
have one service stripe. which wear
on my left sleeve of my street uniform
We are given q stripe for each six
months service abroad.
May a happy ChristmRs come TO all.
with peace on earth. good will to men
Ia my prayer.
Your Daughter
vESTA SKAGGS A. N. c.
Mobile Hospital unitNo 9 Amer. EFF,