The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-10-01
And Something Of the Great
Amount Of Work He Has
Accomplished.
Sanitary Conditions Were Some
thing Frightiul When Amer
leans Went In.
Death Rate Has Dropped to One.
Fourth What 1t WaS--Fur.
Their Reforms.

~
Alger has received a long letter from
General Leonard Wood, military GOV
ernor of Santiago. 1t is personal to q
great extent, but deals with many
questions Of interest to the public, and
Secretary Alger has allowed some ex.
tracts to be published. 1t may be
stated that the secretary feels that the
course of events at Santiago has dem.
onstrated the wisdom shown in the Sc.
lection Of General Wood for this pc.
culia1ly difficult post. Combining, as
he did, medical skill with the highest
type of soldierly qualities and execu.
tive ability, he vas able to meet and
overcome the problems presented at
Santiago. The letter, moreover, pre-.
sents wildly the frightful conditions
that confronted the American army of
occupation after the surrender Of San.
tiago.
Has Had a Difficult Position.
Il have had" writes General Wood,
"a very difficult position from a san.
itary POINT OF view, and not altogether
an easy one from a military and civil
standpoint. When we came into the
city the sanitary situation was N
thing trightful. There were a great
many unbur.ed dead in the houses, be.
tween 1900 and 5000 Spanish SICK and
wounded. aud a great horde of half.
famished and sick people, nearly 90, 900
in number, who had just returned
from E Clney, where they hal gone
during the siege. The water supply
OF the city had been cut Oft; there was
no water to be obtained except from
clsterns and a few wells and the streets
were full Of dead animals and all sorts
Of filthy materials. l had to start in
at the boteom and repair the water.
works. Then came the removal OF the
dead. Some of these were buraei, be.
cause the number was so great and de.
composition had advanced to such an
extent that they could not be buried,
Burning IS not uncommonly practiced
here during the epidemic season.
Yellow Fever All Around.
1--WE have yellow fever all around
us, ana about 20 cases IN the Spanish
military hospita. The civil hospital
was full OF dying people, and public
buildings We're being used as hospitals.
Ga tae Whole 1t was an extremely off.
tcult task, requiring a great deal of
Eard work. have BEEN working sys.
tematlcal.y with every means at baud
TO improve the sanitary condition of
city. II is N this department that a
vast amount OF work has been done.
l have a force of about 10 men COR.
stantly employed and l many times
have had nearly double this force
working day and night to remove the
vast accommodations Of understandable
fifth which has accumulated In the
outnouses and yards, as We'll as the
streets Of the city, which is reputed to
be one Of the most unhealthy and
dirty in the world. The death rate
has dropped steadily since we came in,
and Is Low about one. o1rth of what it
was in July. The water system has
been put IN order, and a great many
repairs made to 1t, and the supply, al.
though insufficient, Is utilized to the
greatest advantage.
Re-established the Medical Department
Il have had to hire doctors for the
hospitals, purchase medicine and sup.
ply them with bedding and food, IN
fact re.establish the entire charge OF
them. l have also established a strict
system Of house inspection and inspec.
ton Of the streets, and have a disin.
tecting department as we'll as a c.ean.
ing department. The city has been
divided into five districts, in each of
which is a relief station where food ia
dis r4buted and a physician in attend.
ance who prescribes for those who pre-.
sent themselves sick, and visits the sick
in the houses. The police department.,
al doctors and the officials in each
ward have received instructions to
furnish these physicians with a lis,
Of sick requiring attention, and also
OF the worthy poor, in order tina,
we may be somewhat protected
in the distribution Of medicines and
r.tions. am issuing at present about
10, ZOO rations per day. TIE physicians
are probably prescribing for about GOO
or 700 people, and sometimes many
more. These physicians are native
Cubans, educated in the United States
and employed by our government as
contract surgeons.
Ditching and Draining.
"The garbage and material which /
collect in the streets / have dumped
outside Of town and burnt. l have
also had the lower and most unhealthy
portion of the city ditched and drained,
and the bitches running into the har-
Dor cleaned out, also the water front
system Of sewerage. which was com.
pletely obstructed, and in a frightful
condition. It has long been the Gus.
tom in this town to depend upon heavy
rains and the rushing foods through
the streets to sweep away the acoumu.
lated filth Of the dry season. All this