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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 29, 21 September 1914, Page 6

Weather Forecast—Northerly strong winds to gale. Increasing haze and cloudiness for an unfavorable change in the weather. Barometer falling.

A labourer on Swan Island, in tho Gulf of Mexico, recently had his foot crushed in a tramcar accident. A surgical operation was necessary, but there was no surgeon. But if it had not a surgeon the island had a wireless telegraph station in charge of an operator gifted with sufficient resource to cope with such an emergency. He sent out an appeal far and wide, which was answered by the Ward liner Esporanza, over 400 miles away. He explained his case. “Could the ship’s doctor help?” The captain and the doctor held a consultation. It would be a pity for the ship to turn from her course, yet the loss of life must be averted if possible. Then it was that a happy inspiration occurred to the doctor. He volunteered to deal with the case by wireless. “Sparks” on board was quickly at work asking the shore station for details of the case. Then, message by message, the doctor directed the way to deaden the pain, the amputation of the foot; each stroke of the knife, the binding of the arteries to prevent loss of blood, the washing of the wound with antiseptics, etc. When the operation was over he kept in touch, by wireless relay from ship to ship, with his patient until there was no longer any fear of blood poisoning setting in.