Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-10-20
THE COAST DEFENSES
General Wilson'S Statement
to the Commission.
WHAT THE ENGINEERS SPENT
Surgeon Uoif's Testimony "A to the
Conditions Prevailing ut
Camp Thomas.

Washington, Oct. l1.-Ihe state
ment made by General John VI. Will
son, the chief of engineers, to the COM
mission investigating the conduct Of
the war. was made public today. Dur
ing the progress OF the war, the follow
ing additions were made to the coun-
try armament:
Armament was placed in POSITION
for six l2-inch guns, 20 l0-inch, So ~
inch mortars, and 35 rapid-tr guns
and additional platforms were made
ready for still larger number, and adj
ditional emplaccments are under con-
struction for still more According tie
this report, when all the works begun
are completed, the armament will con-
sist OF so l2-inch mortars, and 10 rapid
fires. The elnplacements were under
construction at % different harbors
August 81. and there we're double shifts
working at each place.
The total expenditures on account of
gun and mortar batteries during the
period of the war amounted to 81 S21,-
500.
Among the purchases for harbor de-
Tense were 400 miles of cable. 100 tons
of high explosives, 1850 new torpedo
cases, A searchlights, etc. Twenty.
eight harbors Were mined, 535 mines
being planted. The expenditures on
harbor defense tor the period were j.
66l, 900. Intrenching tools were pur.
chased and stored at Willet's point
sufficient for an army Of 30, 900 men.
Hospitals in Chickamauga.
Washington, Oct. Is. -Lieutenant.
Colonel l.. J. Hotf was before the war
investigating commission at the fore
noon session. He is a regular army
officer, and was chief surgeon in the
Third army corps at Chickamauga.
Hoff did not consider the camp to have
been III the best sanitary condition, but
expressed the opinion that it could not
be better, under the circumstances. In
the beginning, the camp was short of
medical supplies, due to the expecta-
ton that arriving troops would bring
supplies Of medicines.
Continuing, DR.. Hoif said the capa-
city Of the division hospitals was often
doubled and trebled. 1t sometimes oc-
Cured that there were eight men in
tents which were intended to accommo-
date six, because OF delay in securing
tentage to care for the increase of dis
ease, which was UNEXPECTEDLY rapid.
On one or two occasions patients We're
necessarily placed in beds made upon
the floors, because of a temporary de-
fceincy in cots AS rule the nurses
were without training, and this fact
occasoned some difficulty in dealing
! with typhoid cases. Yet he knew of
no specific cases OF suffering on this ac-
count. He specified the case Of man
afflicted with an infectious disease, who
had been compelled to lie in the open
air one night on account Of lack OF tent
age. The doctor was sure that no in.
jury resulted, as the weather was pleas.
ant. DR.. Hoff said that the shortage
in medical supplies had continued for
several weeks, but there was generally
sufficient to meet the immediate de-
mands. He also said that some requisi-
tons had been returned by the Wash
ington authorities because improperly
filled, and he was under the impression
that there had been complaints of some
suffering on this account. There was
considerable delay in securing flooring
for the tents.