The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-02-21

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go on at any cost. The sick bay
became oyercrowded and it became
necessary to yaecuate the greater POI,
ton OF Il deck and turn that into sick
quarters. Doc ors and nurses were
stricken. Every avail able doctor and
nurse was utilized to the limit of en-
durance. The official report Of the
medical officer to the commanding
officer made October II, 1918, on Gle
with the war department, is correct
and interesting account Of the condi-
tlons. 1t follows In part.
There are no means of knowing
the actual number of sick at any one
time, but Il is estimated that fully
ZOO cases had developed by night OF
September 80. They were brought
to the sick bay from all parts OF the
ship. in continuous stream, on to
be turned away because all beds were
occupied. Most of them lay down on
the decks, inside and out, and made
no effort to reach the compartment
where they belonged. In fact, prac-
tica " no one had the slightest idea,
where he did belong, and he left his
blankets, clio hing. kit. and all his
possessions to be sa.yaged at the end
OF the voyage.
Late in the evening of this day
the f deck ward was opened ON the
starboard side, and was filed before
morning
The conditions during this night
cannot be visualized by anyone who
has not &C ual'y seen them. Pools OF
blood from the severe nasal hemor-
rhages of many patients, were scat.
tered throughout the compartment,
and the attendants were powerless 20
escape tracking through this mess
because of the narrow passages be.
tween hunks Everyone called for
water and lemons and oranges. A
plentiful supply enabled their
desire TO be gratified, But wi h
in few minutes of the first dis
gtribution of fruit, the skins and pulp
were added TO the blood and vomitus
upon the deck. The decks became
wet and slippery; the filth chung TO
the clothing of the atendants;
groans and cries OF the terrified sick
added TO the confusion OF the app'i-
Giants clamoring for treatment, and
altogether a true inferno reigned su-
ipreme.
LAS noted above, the sick bay
was filled few hours after leaving
, Hoboken. Until the fifth day OF the
voyage few PATIENTS could be sent to
duty because of great weakness fo.-
lowing the drop in tempera ure as
they grew better. The f deck ward
was more than full all the time. and
there were many Ill men in various
troop spaces in other parts of the
shir.
Morning of the I'd October,
brough, no relief Things seemed to
grow worse instead of better.
The first death from pneumonia
occurred on this day. and the body
was promptly embalmed and enoased
in q navy standard easket.
October 8. deaths; 900 cases.
October 4, deaths. The sea was
rough and the ship rolled heavily.
Hundreds were miserable, from sea
sickness and o hers from terror of
the strange surroundings and the
ravages of the epidemic.
Each succeeding day OF the voy-
age was like those preceding a night.
mare of WEAKNESS and anxiety on the
part OF the nurses, doctors and hos
/ pital corpsman. No one thought Of
bed for himself and al hands worked
4 day and nigh On the 9Th there
were ten deaths, on the 9th there
were "a, and on the 7tp, the day of
arrival at our destination (Brest)
the toll was 81. The army ambulance
boat was promptly alongside, and de-
barkation of the sick began about
noon. The sick bay was cleared first.
and we at once thereafter began to
clean up Ia preparation for the
/ wounded TO be carried westbound
f deck was then evacuated. bui all
the sick could not be handled before
night, about 800 remaining on board
On the sth these were taken off
! by the army, but not before IA more
deaths had occurred The nurses
remained until the last sick man was
taken off.
1t is my opinion that there were
fully 1000 influenza cases on board
during the voyage Pneumonia cases
must have numbered at east 100, but
in the unavoidable confusion due to
the rapid spread of the influenza Il is
4 impossible TO be exact
Cases of pneumonia were found
dying in various parts of the ship,
and many died in the T. deck ward a
few minutes after admission. Owing
to the public character Of that ward,
men passing would see a vacant bunk
and lie down in II without applying
for medical officer at all. Records
weer impossible, and even identiflca-
ton of patients was extremely diff
cult because hundreds Of men had
blank tags tied about their necks.
Many were either delirious or too IL
to know their own names; 966 pa
tents, were removed by the army hos
jpital authorities in France.
eaths-Ninety one deaths occur
red among the army personnel, of
whom one was an officer, as follows:
October 3D. deaths
October Sd, 3 deaths
zoe 'ober 4th, z deaths
+ October 9Th 10 deaths
October 9th "a deaths
Is October 7th, 81 deaths
"0ptohar 9th IA dolfhu