NEW HOSPITAL READY
LARGEST ARMY HOSPITAL NOW
COMPLETED,
The U. S. Base Hospital at Fox
Hills, Staten Island, N. Y., witn ac
commodations for 2,200 patients is
finished. This, is reputed to be the
largest army hospital in the country
at the present time and was construct
ed at unexcelled speed. The work
was started last February and ninety
acres covered with buildings erected
in 120 days.
The structures, are two dnd one
story frame. They are fitted with
every modern appliance and equip
ment. Every detail for the comfort
and care of the wounded soldiers and
sailors from overseas that science and
skill and money could provide has
been looked after. The men will he
examined and classified here and thej»
distributed to other hoe,pitals provided
for the various cTassifications. Phy
sicians, surgeons, nurses and order
lies are ready for the coming of their
patients.
Majm- E. A. Simmons, U. S. Con
structing Quartermaster, supervised
and built the hospital.
In 120 days he built a small town
with roads, water mains, sewers, light
and power, hospital buildings, bar
racks, officers’ quarters, offices, rail
way siding and station, post office,
post exchange, garage and other struc
tures.
Work was begun in the severest
winter weather ever experienced in
the district. The frost in the clay
hills to be levelled was at a depth of
four feet, which necessitated the use
of tons of dynamite, because construc
tion work could not be delayed. The
Major's enthusiaG,m could not be
checked. He gave the men an exam
ple of ceaseless activity which was an
mspiration to the workers, for Major
Simmons was always on the job—
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
were all the same to him.
Three thousand men and 100 teams
were employed on the job, which cost
over, $2,500,000. The layout complete
consists of: 15 2-story frame build-
mgs, 22 1-story frame buildings, 1 of
ficers mess kitchen, 1 nurses’ quar
ters, 5 2-story barracks, 1 administra
tion building, library, 1 cleaning build
ing, operating building, post exchange,
post office, 3 storehouses, 1 commis
sary storehouse, 1 shop, 1 laundry
linen storage building, 1 receiving
building, fire station, guard house, dry
cleaning building, mortuary chapel,
garage and steam heating plant for
steam and hot water for buildings. 3
medical storehouse^ and Red Cross
auditorium, recreation quarters for
nurses and hostess house.
Purnping station operated by two
gasoline ’pump;
111,000 feet of water mains, 17,000 feet
ot sewer mains, 8,800 feet of macad
am and tapvia roadway, and 6,500 feet
Of covered corridors connecting all
buildings, excepting the medical
btore houses, which are isolated from
the other buildings.
Chemical fire stations are installed
throughout the corridors, and can be
put in service in a few minutes.
A railroad spur 6,500 feet long was
line, of the Staten
island Railway.
THE CADUCEUS.
HAD DISTINGUISHED
VISITOR
SUNSHINE LETTER
Lieutenant-Colonel Seigle of the
-surgecn-general’s office, paid an offi
cial visit to the hospital this week.
He was here on his tour of inspec
tion both Sunday and Monday.
Lt.-Col. Seilige, of the Surgeon Gen
eral's office, has been making an in-
.spcction of the surgical service of
Camp Greene Base Hospital. Personal
imcn'icw.s with each ,'ffieer on that
service was held by the Colonel. Mon
day afternoon an animated diagrama-
tic lecture on femorol hernia was given
by^ Colonel Seilige at the Y. M. C. A.
building. This type of teaching is orig
inal with him, and judging from the
favorable expres.i'ions made by the
officers seeing the demonstration it is
destined to be extensively used.
ALL SOLDIERS TO VOTE.
That Americans in military service,
both abroad and at home, from States
which have enacted laws for absentee
voting of those in the Service may
cast their ballots in the elections next
fall, was announced on June 25. The
voting will be permitted where it does
not interfere, with military operations
or training. The decision reverses a
ruling previously made by the War
Department, which would have pre
vented men in service overseas from
voting. Strong objection to voting by
soldiers overseas is said to have come
from the General Staff of the Army, al
though President Wilson recently
stated that he was most anxious that
as many soldiers and sailors as possi
ble be permitted to exercise their
franchise.
SAD BUT TRUE.
Admitting that the Kaiser is a great
fighter, we must not forget that also
was .Jack Johnson.
When you can hear a man eating
soup you can bet he has a. loud taste.
Houses are not women. A coat of
paint will make an old house look
like new.
The Skye terrier is not an aviation
canine.
It is all right to be in love with a
peach, hut not of the free-stone va
riety.
The man who wants the earth should
have dust throwm in his eyes. This
is what we are doing to the Kaiser.
A black eye requires more explana
tion than any other color-scheme we
know of.
The only honorable way to commit
suicide is to work yourself to death.
If we should speak well of the dead,
why blame our faults on our ancOs-.
tors.
A little lie goes a long way, but the
truth can also he stretched.
One-half of the world doesn’t knofv
how the other half lives, and what is
more, doesn’t care. Some people feel
that way about the army.
We note that the Kaiser has given
up the idea of and Gott” and
now attests that “Gott” has placed a
hoAvy burden on his shoulders.
The burden is getting heavier—-
200,000 troops sailed In two weeks.
(Editor’s Note. — The following is
taken from the “Agra Sentinel,” of
Agra, Kansas, of a recent date.)
To My Agra Friends;
I wish to thank my numerous
friends for their interest in me, as was
shown by the beautiful post card
shower I received from there a few
days ago.
Such cheerful, friendly greetings are
worth more than medicine to a fellow
who is' sick, and 1,500 miles from
home, but I can not say that I am
away from friends down here, who -
spare neither time nor effort to re
store us to our former health.
My doctors have been of the best
and cleanest type.
My nurses understand their work
and use every precaution to prevent
a relapse and to make ii.s comfortable.
I am able to walk a little every day
and I think that I will be on my feet
all O. _K. before long. Thanking you
ail again, I remain.
Yours very truly,
CH.^RLBS WALTiACE POATH,
Base Hosnital. Ward C-5,
Camp Greene, Charlotte, N". G.
45 MEN IiEAVE
Last Saturday morning saw the de-
nartiire of fortv-flve of our hoys for a
Port of Emb.arkation. somewheres
along the Atlantic Coast. This group
w’as made im of bovs from every “out
fit” that had .arrived for duty at the
Gamp Greene Base Hospital, there
were men from Ethan Allen lads from
Harrison, soldiers from Oglethorpe
and others from Devens.
Those who were forced to remain
expressed their re.gret at being sep
arated from their comrades of so many
busy months but in anolhcT sense they
were glad to part with them, knowin.g
as they did their friends’ desire for
fm-eigu service.
BELLEAU WOOD.
“Armies they can never raise,”
Said the German overlord,
“Crude, undisciplined their ways;
Bred to plough and not to sword.”
Sighed the wind in serene mood j
Through the trees of Belleau wood.
“They shall never cross the sea,”
Said the German overlord,
“So must our U-boats decree.
Much though it may be deplored,”
Rushed the wind, a roaring flood.
Through the pines of Belleau wood.
“They are cowards, will not fight,”
Said the German overlora.
“Use them then in their despite
Till the tally deep is scored.
Slay ye now the baffled brood—
Yours to hold us Belleau wood.”
Field gray forms with sightless eyes.
Ghosts 0 haunt their overlord,
Tell their stories to the skies—
Yea, the forest paths are floored!
Starry field and stripes of blood
Wave also o’er Belleau wood.