The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-09-07
HORRORS AT 4 MoNrAUk.
Mssssshusssss nsn Arrive Prom Cuba IL sritisa1e
ossiitisn-Dr. Sens Condemns Camp wiksE
Gen. Whsslsf 0fdsss IN 1uvsstisssisn.

hassashusstts Hen Arrive Prem Ouba IN rttIoAo
osniisisn-Dr Sens Condemns Camp wiksE
gss. wheeler ofdsrs On 1svsstisstiss.
The deaths among the soldiers Of the
United States at Camp WikoR are
silent evidences that the stories In re-
gard to starvation and neglect are
true. That these volunteers should
suffer when the nation has placed at
the disposal of the authorities for their
relief, millions Of dollars has aroused
the people to indignation and exacted
from the president a promise that the
matter will be Investigated.
Another horror ship arrived at Camp
Wikoff, Wednesday with the Ninth
Massachusetts, Volunteers on board.
What these men passed through IN
Cuba and on their way home Is mutely
told in the long list of deaths that oc-
Cured while the Allegheny was on the
voyage.
Fourteen of them succumbed to the
ravages Of disease, neglect and poor
food. and fully five times that number
are in such critical condition that they
will not survive long after reaching
their native soil.
The Allegheny carried, all told. $50
men and a large number OF horses.
Excuse for the large death rate Is
made by the officials because the Alle-
ghany carried las sick of the regiment:
but the men say they were poorly fed,
had poor accommodations and little
medical attention. The sick soldiers.
so far as food was CONCERNED, had little
better care than the others.
When 1t Is stated that majority OF
the sick men were sufferers from ty-
phoid and malarial fevers the big
death list on the ship can readily be
understood.
vestigated. General Wheeler has or
| dered General Albert Ames, chief OF
staff on General Kent's staff, to con-
| duct an investigation. He Is given al
most autocratic powers. Gen. Wheeler
| has ordered him to get at the bottom
OF all the things which have been COM
planned of. The subjects General Ames
is to investigate are:
why is the general condition OF the
| camp so poor? Why do the conditions
that prevail exist? Who is responsible?
Why troops were sent to the camp be-
fore 1t was ready to receive them .
| Why, since there was but one raifroad'
leading into the camp boats were not
used to carry men? Why needed medi-
| cines and provisions from New York
city were not ordered, or, II they were
| ordered, why they were not distribut-
| ed? Why the hospitals are crowded?
| Why transports were allowed to lie In
the harbor without supplies and RELIEF
being sent out to them?
Dr. Nicholas Sem, assistant surgeon
| general, Y. S. A., Is quoted as saying
at Camp wikoff
I'm justice to the camp I want to
say that almost none of the sickness
| among the soldiers up to the present
| time and none of the deaths have been
due to the conditions which now pre-
| vail here or have in the past. Sickness
| has been almost entirely limited to
fevers contracted in the South and the
death rate would have been much more
than now had the men remained In the
| South instead of being brought here.
80 far none of the fevers has been
indigenous to camp. But IL the men
remain they will certainly be attacked
with typhoid fever. This Will be due
to the germs which they will get In the
water For time this camp will be n
healthy one, but in few weeks the
typhoid fever germs from the sinks,
now scattered so thickly about. Will
permeate the earth and contaminate
the water supply.
DIR. Sem was asked II he had brought
his views to the attention Of the surg
con general at Washington. II have
not done so in regard to Camp Wikoff."
said he. MY protests in regard to
other camps have passed unheeded. In
regard to Camp Wikoff I have written
an article embodying all my views.
which will be printed In medical
journal.
| lHcH VIII NC dShtu anu wiz
emphasize my opinions. i want you to
reiterate that unless this camp is clear
ed out within six weeks 1t will be the
worst infected place in the United
States. 1t will be worse than II has
been at any time in Chickamauga.
in regard to that camp, / want to
say that I warned the Washington
authorities before the soldiers were
sent there OF the danger which would
result from massing body OF men
there. told them that the water sup
ply was insufficient. There was not
enough springs and the use of the river
water would result in typhoid fever.
My protests went sunheeded. The re-
suit was shown when / was In Porto
Rico with General Miles.
almost the first men sent him were
from Chickamauga. They were run
down and half sick when they arrived
They were In no condition to stand the
southern climate. Gen. Miles noted
their weakness and / told him Of the
cause of 1t. / asked him to notify the
Washington authorities and have the
Chickamauga camp broken up. He did
so at once, and the evacuation Of the
place followed.
want to say, that as bad as Chicka-
: mauga was, this place will soon be faI
, worse. Unless this camp Is broken ur
, within six weeks / predict that 1t will
be. instead Of @ recuperation camp q
horror camp worthy to rank with the
Infamous pest holes of the civil war;