RED CROSS CRAFT IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2757, 28 April 1916, Page 3

RED CROSS CRAFT IN FRANCE

I came upon her by the banks of a lazy canal which bends around the fringe of a pretty little town set almost out of earshot of. the reverberant front, states a correspondent in an English newspaper, writing from British Headquarters in France on February 11. b'he lay in a mile-long line of bargesj deep laden with the munitions of war, and it was her lofty 'freeboard, towering above the rest of them, that first arrested my eye. I then noticed that Ghe was somehow different from the other great, grimy transport lighters— instead of long, battened hatches, she rose above decks in a roofed superstructure, and her point-work was bright and clean, the figures "110" standing out m gigantic onmson characters upon her bluff bow. The' languid breeze presently lifted a flag which drooped trom a short.jackstaff amidships, and I then saw the Red Gross. I bad hoard bo much about the barges of the ambulance flotilla that this opportunity to inspect one was not to be lost. The vessel had just finished evacuating a freight of sick and wounded brought down from behind the firing line," and the medical officer in charge stood upon the afterdeck writing in a notebook. My request for permission to step aboard was met with a cheery acquiescence. "Not exactly a liner," said the medical officer, with a smile, "but quite the best method of conveying wounded between the dressing stations and tho base that we • have yet devised. There is a, complete absence-of that vibration and jolting which is so painful and otten dangorous in the case of bad wounds. , lii fact, when you are below you really cannot tell whether you are moving, or not, for however hard it blows the amount of 'sea' raised in a canal does not put a tremor into a hull of this size."

I inquired ■ how • many such craft there were in the ambulance sorvice, and was told twelve at the present time, with others in course of completion. 'Each has accommodation for thirty" cot cases. They are all- French transport barges, specially chosen and reconstructed internally for their work They are towed from station to station to avoid the slinking which would he caused by machinery. "We are really quite a good littlo self-contained hospital," said the medical officer. ''Come below." He led the way down a short flight of com-panion-steps into a very light and airy ward, beneath the beams of which there was at least nine feet of headroom. The beds" were ranged along either broadside, with a wide passage down the middle. i\V sick-bay of a latest Dreadnought could be more roomy or complete. Amidships was a stretcher lift, by means of which tho sufferers were brought below and sent up again for carrying ashore. "This is my cabin," said he, opening a door. "Quite acosy little crib for a war billet 1 Come in and write your nam© in our visitors' book, will you? As you may see, you will not be in undistinguished company, including some of the ' most illustrious people in France. Look at the first autograph." I opened the slender volume.he passed me 'at the first page, and in the centre of it found written in a firm, clear hand, "George, R.I. The day of my accident." Router's Special Service. .

On Wednesday, in St. Hilda's Church, Island Bay, Miss .-Victoria Bezar, youngest daughter of Mr. Edwin Bezar, of Rinteul Street, was married to Mr. John Thomas Watson, architect, of Masterton, who recently enlisted in tho Engineers. Miss Gladys Wells, niece of the bride, was the bridesmaid, and Mr. Arthur Wells was best man.

The ladies of.tho Returned Soldiers' Hostel Committee will be in charge of tho table arrangements in connection with the supper which the Patriotic. Society'is giving to the returned soldiers' delegates on Saturday evening, Mrs. Oscar Johnston doing the catering. Contributions of flowers for decorating the tables will be greatly appreciated by the committee, and donors are asked to leave their contributions at the Town Hall on Saturday morning.