Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-22
No COMPLAINT THERE
AZ COMMISSIONS INVESTIGATION
AT FORT MCPHERSON.
qospITsL IN GOOD CONDITION.
,,.,, of the Patients Convaiessing--
same DIGculty About Getting Re-
onisitlons Filled Early In History
Of thc Camp.

CT NV
atlanta. GA. october a.-The War
,.,...eatnC Commission arrived here
OBJ. Southern railroad al 10 o'clock to-
.. and after calling upon General PEN
-....s4 .n command OF the department.
......led TO Fort Mcpherson. The only
.e t. Doe done here Is IN connection
.pp The hospital at the fort The mem
I... separated into parties Of two each
..- Glib. purpose OF visiting the various
....s ~ the institution. They found
...+ tne barracks at the post had been
.....t.rmcd into hospital wards. and not
,.r.arl.ng the day was wet, the wards
,.. au found 10 be comfortable and
,.-n. made so in each case by a large
...,. .a the centre OF the room. There are
..a patients in the institution, and
,..v ~ them are convalescent
-. witnesses were surgeons. nurses,
... patients. There was no complaint
...r The sick men, and the nurses stated
Gill. the work was constantly growing
.... and less irksome. owing 10 the de-
... iu the number Of patients. They
- visited the mess-han Of the conva-
.....ts while they were al dinner, and
Oh. .rt-kitchen. while dinner was being
,-.rrred They found the men in the
-.-.-room abundanuy supplied with food,
... .u partaking of 10 with a relish
.-.1n only TO men who have just re-
covered from typhoid-tever.
SURGEON TAYLOR TEsTIFIEs.
-.. commissioners examined only two
witnesses here They were Major Blair
-.ur surgeon In charge OF the general
ary hospital and Rev. Orville j..
N... chaplain Of that institution. Both
....4red at the afternoon session Of the
omission. Major Taylor related the
history OF the hospital from its incep-
+.r He said that recently he had had
-. dIWculty I'm securing supplies, as he
bad been given carte blanche TO pur-
chase them. This authority had not,
however been given until the LIST OF
a.e.-t whereas. Il had been asked Tor
us carly as the 18th Of June. lie mad, IN
the beginning OF the camps history, had
considerable difficulty in getting requlsi-
tons filed. although he had no dllncul'y
|r Getting them approved by the authoH-
has al Washington. one requisition'
made on the 10th of May, and another
made on the 2lth of June, had not been
entirely filled until very recently. Ihese
....fsitions had been made upon the
Now York supply depot. while all mat
r..r. made on the st. Louis depot mao
f..u promptly filled. one hundred ano
sixteen cots ordered I'm the beginning cI
the season. had only arrived day or I'VE
since. and they were not now needed. Ut
TAYLOR had, on account of the delay II
filling these acquisitions. been compelled
-. can upon the SurgeOn-General Tor q
rrrtion Of his special fund, and had thus
prevented any suffering among patients
Among the articles in which there was
delay was bed linen. DR.. Taylor sald n
had found the 60-cents-a-day commula
ton fund more than sufficient TO furnlsl
food for the sick men. and ne eNpIesse
the opinion that 80 cents day Would %
ufHcient for the purpose Of supplyinl
food.
ATLANTA'S ADVANTAGES.
DR.. TAYLOR stated in reply TO a question
that ne considered Atlanta an eXcellen
Mace for winter hospital. because O
ths convenience in reaching the pidc
from the seapOrts of the Southwest; De
cause the climate was mild, and yet col
enough 20 prevent Infection, ana also
because Of the excellent water supply
He said that a large proportion OF II
PATIENTS had been received from Tampa
iut that some had come from Jackson
VILE. Chickamauga and other points II
also said that many had been sent hef
who were not in condition 10 be moved
as many Of them were typhOld-IeN@
rauents. and in such cases repose was
rrIme necessity. Many patients had ole
soon after arrival.
REV. Orvine j. Nave. post chaplain
Fort Mcpherson, said he had Vlslied ever
r.tfart who had been in the hosplta
and that he had never heard sllis.
COMPLAINT from a man who was possesse
at his reason. whereas, on the contrar!
he had heard many expressions OF graf
rrde and commentator for the exec
lent conduct OF the hospital.
PLUMBER OF SICK MEN.
Mr. Nave expressed the opinion that
In. conduct Of military hospitals gen
rauv there was too little care OF u
clothes and other property OF patient
Tta custom as 90 put a SICK man cloti
ipr uuder his pillow when he enters u
h6srital and Mr.. Nave said the ma
often never again sees either MS clolAlI
or articles that may be leit IN MS po0i
49, He had known of many instance
in which men were brought here WI
no clothes except their night-smrts' al
he himself had secured through priVa
helm mo- fewer than a hundred SUITS i
eYcb men as had lost their clothes.
II word" he said. the thieving WINK
mad been going on and the petty pecul
lion which had been practiced upon s.
diers. oftentimes By their comrades, n,
been one Of the saddest features Of u
war"
While the bodies Of patients were car
fully guarded their property was Nc
Yet these articles were often, the cha
lain said very sacred 10 the patier
In case OF his recovery. and to his frien
and relatives i'm case of his death" Il
plying 10 a question from General W
son. Chaplain Nave said he had Sc
some Of the surgeons at the hospital u
der the influence Of liquor. but not TO
sufficient extent TO interfere with 1
nroper performance of their duties.
Commission OFF FOR ANNIsTON
me commission left at IL o'clock
AVrfefou