Evening star., 1898-08-06
FEVER UNDER CONTROL.
Conditions at Camp Alger Believed
to BE Improving.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CAMP ALGER, Va, August g. 1898.
Much speculation was heard today about
corps and 1st Division headquarters to
the likelihood of any change of quarters for
the 1st Division. Gen. Buffers visit to
Manassas will, of course, conclude all dis
cussion of the subject, as the War Depart
ment is almost certain to do as the general
suggests. The new camp at Dunn Loring
is, however, proving so acceptable and sat
isfactory that no one will be much sur
prised if the 1st Division does not join Gen.
Davis's command for u full month
The regimental surgeons still On duty
here report typhoid fever pretty well
under control. Todays record of new cases
includes only sixteen names, as follows:
Privates n. b. Bertrand, Company X, 4th
Missouri; W. S. Kelly, I'd Tennessee; j. S.
Tawlamb, 9th Pennsylvania; George Lea
mach. Company d. 1st Rhode Islanu: Jchn
Wilson and Philip Herman, Company l.,
I'D Kansas; John Jes5up, Company NJ, 34th
Michigan; Henry Goldman, Company M,
33d Michigan; Corporals Thomas II. Davis,
Company K, and A. E. Kelly, Company II,
and Privates E. C. Weyand, Company A;
Albert Huck, Company F; Frederick v.
Hack. Company II J. Z. Hurley, Company
d; II. M. Armour, Company K, ana John
n. Harrington, Company l., Goth New
York.
1t is well that this lull in the discovery of
Few cases has come just at this time, as
word has been received that For. Myer has
now all the patients it can .are for. An
order has been issued directing that here
after more than eight patients be sent
there from Camp Alger.
The paymaster made the hearts of over
1900 men happy today by visiting the 1st
Connecticut and Sd Virginia. Tomorrow he
is to go to the camp of the 13tn Pennsyl-
vaGia.
Cen. Davis division is now encampe1 on
the r1ng ridge of hills where the confed-
crate Gen. Early rested with his army and
threw up intrencnments before the first
battle of Bull Run. The creek of that name
flows through the valley at the bottom of
the hills. which afforded the men an op-
portunity 10 indulge in bath at the close
of the days work. The eight regiments of
the division will finally locate at Chapel
Spring about ten miles from their present
location
.Weeding Out" Process Needed
A Daily Observer writes to The Star as
follows:
The article in last nights Star In refer
ence to Camp Alger was read by me with a
great deal Of interest, my business has
required me to live at the camp for the
past two months, and 1 have observed a
great many things not apparent to the eye
of the casual visitor
In the first place, 1t was a mistake, or
worse. to establish the camp at this place
remote from running water and the
gentlemen responsible for it should now
rise and explain" but after once estab-
lished it was the duty of the military Off
cials having such matters in charge to see
that all the modern appliances known to
sanitation were put in use to preserve the
health of the men who so nobly left their
peaceful occupations to volunteer for the
country.
IL doesn't seem to occur to the "scien-
tific'' n all ha
the water that there are from one thou
sand to fifteen hundred civilians and about
as many line and staff officers using this
water every day, and still there has not
been one case of fever among them. This
should dispose of the water question.
A little sanitary precaution would render
the sinks less dangerous. l have travelled
all over this camp during the past two
months and only in one instance have l seen
such a thing as slaked lime used. thou
sand barrels of slaked lime per week would
render these sinks almost harmless. pro-
vded. of course, they were properly To-
Gated, instead of which the officers in
charge of this camp require the soldiers
and traders to properly police" that por-
| tion of the camp open to the public eye
and let other matters run themselves If
\ the commissary and medical officers could
| find the time to look into the food ques-
| ton possibly they might find some cause
| for disease. Fresh meat direct from cold
| storage. exposed to the heat of an almost
/ tropical sun. and covered by millions of
| flies, becomes in a very short time unfit
| for food. Unclean cooking utensils put
| away with the grease hardened In them
| only to be melted by the heat on the next
| use, and such rotten and putrid grease
mixed with the new food, is liable to cause
| disease, and still this side of the question
| doesn't seem to strike the fancy of the
| powers that be- Soldiers within sight
| of the nations capital and guarding head
| quarters have been entirely without food of
any character whatever for twenty
| hours at time, and still obliged to see
| officers, supposed to be paid to look out
| for their interests, mess from the choic-
| est cuts of commissary beef. These mat
| ters have become fragrant that the
| whole camp is In a state bordering on mu-
| tiny.
If the officers who are paid large salaries
| to perform certain duties would do them as
| well and cheerfully as the common soldier
/ there would be less sickness and more con !.
| tent in camp. The same condition of af-
/ fairs allowed to exist in any camp would
| produce the same results as now exist at