WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2654, 28 December 1915, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD

{Continued from Pago 3.) . The Marquette Nurses. A resident of Dunedin has (says tho , "Otag;o Daily Times") received a letter referring in tho following terms to tho return to Alexandria of the New Zea-' land nurses who escaped death in the destruction of the Maquetto, on which was tho New' Zealand No. 1 Stationary Hospital. "While at dinner we lieard tho survivors of tho" wreck had returned, so I jumped! into a-gharri and drove down to seo them.. I knew so many of tho girls, and had had absolutely no news. I was so afraid Sister Georges would have gone down, knowing she was such a bad sailor. It was an awful feeling going into tlie hotel wondering whom of them all you would find there. There were 13 Christchurch sisters on board, all of whom 1 knew well. I feel very sad about Sister Lorna .Rattray; it lvill cause quite a stir in Duncdin I expect. One of the girls told mo she wns most horribly upset, all being in the water for about eight lours, and Miss Rattray got terribly, exhausted, and died of heart failure. Thoy. liad helped-to hold her up for some time; it seems awful after battling for such a time. "Sister Hildyard was in charge at Akaroa. do you remember ? The other Christcnurcli sister was Sister Bogcrs. She left"hospital some time ago and was district, nursing. All the girls had most pathotic tales to. tell. Sister Hildyard sang 'It's a Long. Way to Tipperary," and saying "Are we down-heart-odp' in the hope of cheering the others up, but she was tipped out of her boat so many times that she got exhausted, arid died of heart failure. Three _ destroyers —two French slid one British — picked thorn up, and put them to bed, dried their clothes, and gave them hot. drinks and hot bricks,, and were awfully good to them.. I imagine their feelings when in the water to see six or seven transports pass them and not pick them up, but they are not allowed to stop for , anything. , ... "The wireless operator only bad time to givo tho S.O.S signal; the ship was ■ione in 10 minutes, and although they all got lifebelts without any panic, tho boats seem to have been: difficult to manage. They'all either. tipped up or got swamped. . Sister' Hodge's boat was •tipped up while being lowered, and fell ever so many feet. She was on the starboard side,'arid the ship was sinking, nose first, with a great bst.to port. If it had been dark I don't suppose any of them would liftve been saved. They saw the periscope, of* the submarine in tho water for soma hours after.

"Dr. Acland even lost his clqthes in the drying prosess, and landed in Salonika, in a patient's royal blue serge : suit. He was most, wonderfully good, to the girls. , They were going to stay in Salonika, but decided there were not enough of tliem well enough' to carry oil a hospital, and the matron (Miss Cameron) is . very ill; she was injured in the chest. •'

"I gave them a little monetary assistance,, and was glad to be . able to' do it, as they hadn't a rag except what tliey stood in. Over £100 was collected among.the sisters, and the New Zealand Bank gave them £5 each, and I expect Now Zealand will >lo something, for •them. Thoy were all in borrowed 1 shoes of various ' shapes and sizes, and no hats. I had the Christchurch survivors to tea yesterday, and thoy did seem: to enjoy it so much.' Thoyliave the most tragic tales to tell, and it, must have been ft most awful, experience. Thoy were only two hours and a' half from Salonika." ■

: Mr. Hooker, of Ha vera, received; a cablegram last 'week from liis sister, Nurse Hooker, who was in. the Marquette tragedy and has been ill in hospital, sinco then, stating that she :s progressing favourably, and will be returning to New Zealand shortly.

, Mr. and Mrs. Percy Prichard (Dannevirke)'are visiting Dr. Leatham, Now Plymouth.

■Mr., Mrs.,, and the Misses Cotterill,' of Christchurch, are staying at the Mountain House, Egmont.