Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-11-25
WAR DEPARTMENT. INQUIRY.


chief surgeon in the field on General
Miless staff, said Camp Alger was
good for small body of men, but the
water supply was poor and the region
highly malarious. There was in
efficiency in the medical corps. He
could not place the blame for the bad
conditions at Siboney. He took mat
4ters in his own hands and unloaded in
thirty-six hours supplies that had laid
in transports for two weeks. DR..
Donaldson, with Roose velt's regiment,
said medical supplies were not served
out to his regiment. He got what he
hustled for and nothing else.
New YORK, Nov. 21.--Mrs. A1lis, who
went to Camp Wikoff to help care for
the sick, said the food was poor and
badly cooked; that the sanitary condi-
lions were bad and that as conse-
quence the sick and the well suffered
from plague of flies. There were
not enough attendants in the hospital
and no care was taken to separate the
dying, the delirious and the con-
valescent patients. Captain Plummer,
brigade quartermaster near Santiago.
did not believe more wagons could
have been used. He had heard of no
serious distress among the men in the
trenches on account of their inability
to get supplies. Miss Gerard, volun-
teer worker at Camp Wikoff, found
considerable fault with treatment of
convalescents, and said there was
neglect of the sick. Lieut.. Edwards,
of the Seventy first New York. said
convalescents ate when they ought not
to, and in every instance this caused
death.
NEW YORK, Nov. 22.-Dr. Stinson
said he visited Camp Wiloff. Said
many patients were permitted toleave
the hospital before cured. Seventy
four cases were picked up IN New
York city and treated in the hospitals
there which should not have been
allowed to leave Montaul1. DR..
Thompson said sanitary arrangements
at Montaul1 were bad and myriads of
flies disseminated fecal matter exposed
in the sinks. Samuel Parrich, lawyer
of New York, said the president was
permitted to make only a parade in
spection OF Camp Wikoff. He declared
that there were hundreds of men who
would be glad togive testimony before
the commission. but were afraid of the
results. He declined to give testimony
which he said would show up bad
condition of affairs because it was not
protected.
New YORK, Nov. 23.-Nrs. Powell
testified that she was refused permits
sion to act as nurse because she would
not agree to maintain secrecy as to
any deriliction of duty which might
come under her notice. Miss Lowell
said the condition of affairs in the
general hospital was shocking, and
named several doctors who had neg
lected their duties. Rev. Bryan, of
the Garden City cathedral, said he
knew personally of twenty bodies that
were buried nearly naked. At the
morguc the attendants, sat on the cof-
fins with the bodies in them and
smoked and told stories. An autopsy
was held on the body of one man and
the organs removed were. left lying
OOOuL uAGll Vic tClCAu<IACo LlCG CACAA
mp in towel and threw them away.
Col. Roosevelt, Of the Rough Riders,
said great confusion existed at Tampa,
and he finally took the law in his own
hands and bought food for his men;
and horses. He was not reimbursed
it The food was good except the
canned roast beef, which was very
bad The ammunition supply at Sam
tiago was excellent, but the food was
insufficient. He supposed it was be.
cause of lack of transportation facil.
tiles. There was also = scarcity OF
medical supplies and a lack of sur
geons and stewards. There was great
confusion the first few days at Camp
W1koff. He did not think the men
were treated as we'll as they should
have been so near home. He thought
the trouble was due to the system
more than to any individual instance
of inexperience. The lack Of adequate
transportation was the greatest
trouble.