The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 29, 1899, Page 26

THE SUNDAY CALL. Night With the UWatehers in the Presidio Hospital. Jhe Long Fours of Darkness Bring Pathetic Incidents in the {ards of the Brave Boys é&dho Returned Jick and Ppying. A little moon- in f the Point and SN erng r the Presidio ts were n wards. ows of beds They hed wita splick whera ind be- wher medi- 2 upon orfes, and operating nd white, and fixed and ting eteel of stertlized ants. with the zation. Tt is the ¢ place I ever saw. The surgical ward 18 especta hard I of the constant dressing of wou " the nu 1d nd as I progressed I found every one ol hard. The nurses are a quiet set of women, too b to find time for c laint. But whoever thinks army € life let him try, or even atch a night of it. as at 12 o'clock that all the night ft their wards in the charge of ind betook themselves to tchen of the nurses’ bullding for 1. It is an informal little nieal, where ten drop in and drop out as quickly can do so. A tall woman, good rt and clever of cookery, served nd potatoes and mushrooms from ck e, and every luncher had r own cup for coffee. The but it was swallowed in il time, in order to be back with 18 good of yours dying?’ one of aid. replied her neighbor, “two last through the night, of the r thin man?” same. He is one who can’t om know that Miller was very in objecting to a change of il the boys are like that. They al- s like their first nurse best.” This was another phase. “It takes tact to get along with them, doesn't it?’ I asked. sick man fr “Tact? 1 should think so usually is work was on his k men w black as the coal he carries, and he looms up cheerfully in every ward from A to J. The door opened goftly soon after the doctor had left, and another nurse stole in. “TI'm afrald that boy of yours is dying,” she wispered nervously. My nurse and I followed her. She was a bit frightened, for she had been given charge of two isloated cases that were new her. We found them in a small room behind one of the wards The light was turned on brightly, al- though shaded from the two patients’ eyes. The light was necessary, for the work over thelr beds was con t, and day and night had merged in thelr un- knowingness. ““They are both typhold: the nurse. She who had directed their care before approached the one who had alarmed his new guardian. She laid a steady hand on his fumbling one. “He I8 no worse,” she reassured. “Last night they were both delirious,” she continued. “I had to hold one or the other in bed all the time. You see they are not so violent now. She returned to her ward and I was left. A small oilstove burned in the room, but y one sheet was spread over the fevered les of the two men. The one lay with eyes closed and moaned, moaned without g The other plucked with long, eager hands at the sheets, and followed me with eyes of glittering glass. The nurse attempted to feed the first one, but he could not swallow. He was half conscious of what she was doing. “Oh, I can't. O Lord! Nurse, don't—oh, nurse, nurse!” His volce d(ed away in Inarticulate groans. Bhe worked on patiently. Across the room the glittering eyes were flxed upon ) whispered “HE 1S NOWYORSE SHE REASSQRED 7 me and I could not escape them. The face that belonged to the eyes was white with the dull whiteness of death. The nostrils were wide and suggested a skeleton. A straggling growth of black beard made the face ghastiler. The eyes and I stared at each other. They fascinated and terrified. Could they see? Could they know? I moved back to the door and still they turned and were after me. They made me feel hunted— guilty. The plucking and clutching grew fever- ish, then violent. With a summoning of the paltry little strength left him, the man started to rise from the bed. The eyes were still upon me. The nurse drew up the knot in a sheet which was tied upon the bed to gently hold one prisoner. She crossed the room. “Lie down agaln, Mason,” she soothed. there something you want? Let me get it for you.” His little energy slackened and let go. He fell back. “Bring me my clothes,” he whined. *“There's money in 'em. I want it; I want to take care of it “Yes, you shall have 1t in the morning. ‘Walit until morning, Mason. I'll take good care ot it."” “But—you—I—it might be—stolen"— The words mumbled away into mere sounds that had no power to give them- selves shape. But the eyes, f ring and fearful, did not ccase their troubled vigil- ance. He was not satisfied “I think the sight of a strange face worrtes him,” I said. Shuadering, T went out to ward and walked the length of it. The eyes haunted me even to the door. 'Lhen 1 stepped out upon the great veranda and felt the cold, clear night air in my face as I walked, and the only eyes that met me were the clean little twinkling stars. Out of doors all was calm and healthy and sane. I forgot the fever and the madness within. Four o'clock came when I was In the crowded typhold ward at the end of the veranda. Here T found forty men in all stages of the disease, except violent de- lirium, with two nurses to attend them. It is the only ward that has more than the quiet one, although nearly 400 patients are within the walls. Three -lights were burning, for at- tendance was constant. lows but little sleep. i8 breaks repeatedly into soi waking. Throughout the room muttering and calling and whimpering could be heard “What is It u want, Plerce?” the nurse asked, her hand pushing back the tumbled hair a big, pale boy, who understanding. bring me some The disease al- What sleep there of looked without “Peanuts—oh, pea- nuts!”” he fretted. She laughed cozily. “When vou are better you shall have them. Rest now, she said, stroking the white forehead. “There 1s bathing and plunging to be done all the early part of the night in this fever ward,” the assistant told me. “The water Is made warm at first, then the temperature is gradually lowered, and finally ice is put in."” The nurse came to me. ‘There’s a con- valescent awake at the other end of the ward,” she sald; “No. 36. He wants to know If our visitor'won't come and see him. He can't sice A c was placed for me at the bed- side 1 Minnesota youngster, who s v-fighters mustered ou and away tc ir northern homes while he thrashed a fever out in the hospital prison house. “I'm in cell No. he told me with a gleam of white tecth, which showed where a_smile could found in his dark end of the roo; “Plucky,” I said. There are men who faced that was most terrible ih war, and faced it without flinching; but some of those very men lie sick and fret as feebly as babies, while others storm curses of Impatience that a six-handed nurse couldn’t quench. Still othe re meekly grateful. But the Minnesota youngster was none of these. He was just jolly, good-natured, mo more nor while discreet care tantalized his returning appetite with a milk diet that many a veteran would never take humor- won't let me even sit up yet,” after all weeks. 1 was ese sent up in the first place for two days, and here I am. lut m going to leave for home in three weeks. The nurses are all right, but a fellow wouldn’t mind seeing his mother when he's laid up like this.” And I'll wager that his mother wouldn't mind seeing a fellow when he's the kind that that one is. It's a ringing good cheer that he'll carry back to Minnesota, and here’s luck to the trip! “I can’t sleep in the morning,” he ex- plained. *“You hear how this noise keeps up all over the ward. That one calls and swears and the next jabbers all kinds of nonsense, and that one sings a lot of the time."” A queer, unearthly chant suddenly rose from one of the heapy beds. It was a weird nofse in the night. The boy talked on with the hurry that belongs to an Invalid. He rambled over Manila and he branched off to cam- palgns. He talked of waiting and of ac- tion and told of a night when twenty men and their lieutenant slept on a wet ©4+0404040404 04040404 04040+0%0404040404040404040404040404040404040404040404040+@ 0404040404040+ 0 GEN. CHARLES KING’S THRILLING STORY “Found Tn the Philippines ™’ WILL COMMENCE IN NEXT SUNDAY’S CALL. @+0404040404 04040404 04040404040404040404040404040404040404040404040 4040404040+ B040404040404 0404 “THE MM ITARTED TO misE FROM AN THE &HOSTLY LIGHT A DARK § TFIGURE WAS SITTING WRAPPED N AN " THE BEDY nillside with blankets for beds and a fog for roof. He laughed a feeble but sunshiny little laugh when he re- called how they had lain together lfke gpoons in a case for warmth and how they had been obliged to turn simultane- ously and “spoon the other way" when onc man had to relieve his cramped position By the time that 6 o'clock came the lights were turned out and a crafty glim- mer of gray morning stole in. I passed on to another ward, where I watched the day come. In the ghostly light a dark figure was sitting wrapped in an overcoat. “Why i man not in bed?” I asked. fleart disease,” replied the nurse. “He has not lain down all night. It hurts him. He always sits.” He leaned forward gloomily, half asleep, half suffering. Another nurse dropped in. “My boy's mother has not come yet,” she said, “and he surely can't last through the day. She was to arrive from Dakota,” she ex- plained to me, “but it will be no use for her to come now. He will never speak to her again.” There was a ripple and rustling of wak- ing through the ward. Men began to sit up and call for the nurse. They wanted €gg nogs and milk punches, and they had them. The diets are of three classes: regular, special and light. A pantry on wheels brought a 7 o'clock breakfast of ‘& full A JSunday Call Reporter Visiis the United States General frospital of Jan Francisco. X h and coffes frin . : tor the 1 the least fais were pro- in the w i universal stir at last Breakfast, ng and the mornix day. From papers st of the ward c e singing and twitter e Al ‘w mes Philippines ar : Ph s bed from Japa IR at night. You s tabl Dot ne down the room with An as eat He said Never didn’'t mean it can be done for fven K.-\ fretful voice at the front called for help. The in d to s p, and two men we prop of & “It doesn’t feel right. The chair is here, you've got it low ned y head aches. I s have a headache in the morning. t my hed.’ “Wait a few minut L can’'t walt. I tell too you I want my washed. Say, you, don’t you want sh my face?’ appealing to a con- escent who was sitting near, having made a shaky tollet by himself. “I guess I might try it,” was the doubt- ful reply. 1l right. He'll bring & basin and you my face. Here, hurry, bring a I don't like to wait.” from the fumes of carbolic and the peevish voices that whimpered, the little white tents had turned gray in the gray hour. The first car halted and a raft of soldiers left it. I entered. There were two soldiers toppled in a heap against one another, who did not leave the car hey were sleeping the deep sleep of Sunc morning. “Walt till I wakes up me lodgers,” said the conductor He shook blinked. “Why, we're here,” he shouted you know we're here, Dick? eproachfully, mauling his comrade. ‘What's the matter of you? Who ever heard of reachin’ the place to get off and not knowin' it In the loving embrace of drowsy fellow- ship they departed together. Then the sunniness of the day swept in and it was sleep time for night watchers. KATHRYN MARCH. them. One started and “Don’t he cried Facts and Figures of Dewey Dal. Five million souls united in a welcome to one. Three million persons saw the center of all human inter mil of boats escorted the Hudson River on Friday, September Seven miles of humanity. cheered him through the city on Saturday, the 30th. Caesar himself had never a n ore triumphal r ception in a more imposing setting. Meanwhile New York was aglow with patriotic color. It was rainbowed. It was a forest of flag-poles. A sea of flags, me- dallions and festoons of bunting. Five million Deweyites helped make it so. The 6,000,000 would have made & line 2000 miles long. Put one behind the other in lock- step, they would have reached from New York to Salt Lake City. Marshaled in 6000 regiments and marching company front, forty-two men abrea t, they would have required twenty-one days to pass in review before Dewey, marching day and night. This mighty army would have been 80 miles long and would have reached from New York to Fort Wayne, Ind. If all the flags used by this army on Dewey day could have been sewed together, the result_would have been a mastodoni¢ afe failr of stars and stripes that could ave been laid, like a blanket, over the whole of Central Park. What did it mean to have 2,500,000 vis itors in addition to a population of equal number? It meant that it took half an hour to walk from the Fifth Avenue Hotel, past the great white arch, to the Hoffman House, just one block. Broad- way was a river of people with a sluggish current flowing one mile in many hours, Fifth avenue was like the congested cor- ridor of a theater after the play. Battery Park was a lake of men and women, with- out fslands. Every tall building was an observatory. Even the nickel-in-slot ma- chines filled so rapidly that agents had to harvest the cash three times each night and ten times each day. Sixty thousand people, 4500 tons of humanity. taxed the strength of the Brooklyn bridge at one time. Manhattan Island was a mighty hive. The city became like an enorm- t. Seven the hero up ous sponge—it absorbed mililons of pec riday, and on Saturday was abl fons more. Seven thousan If of these h three d Eacb policem > work of ten. Great crowds attra ves, and for them the city became lecca.” A round-up of the Six hundred 4 tives were icious characters were and locked up the two g The same with t re departmer ev auxi ber wa very few clo eir eye tween Thursday and Sunday. And what ‘the cost in mon day? New York city itself appropriate and sp ). More than aalf of this went arch and for r tand ) for the arch and § 55,000 seats. The $31,000 spent for $20,000 for boats in for decorat $ works, - Then naval parade s, § ) for fieding v troops. $8500 for refreshments for gues: $6400 for badg f the comml twelve hundred, $5000 for $3500 for sundrics the largest sin seats. The price for a few of the to $500 for a window the average cost of se. cash _expenditure for ¢ therefore, amounted to 1 ount w 1,000,0( bunting, flags, Airew of buxting r boys ‘spent trapping ing the business, bought some 00,000 1 for refurby cent very new of uniform or kit; ths Twent York ordered jrand new co hats; bands fitted Jut anew fron foot; $8000 was speit just fo te cotton loves. Bankers estimate th at least 25,000,000 was pu in circula in New York by visitors during the week. This is based upon the c/nservative estimate that the average amcunt spent by each of the 2,500,000 visitors fas $10.—Gilson Willets, in Leslie's Weekly,