The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-05

was to properly control the removal of
sick soldiers by their relatives in cases
where sympathy and affection often acted
instead of discretion. He had, he said. no
medical director, but gave his orders to
various physicians who seemed to be
equally in charge.
General Wheeler considered the hospital
facilities ample after the erection of the
division hospitals. There We're times
when they were crowded for day or two,
but on tho other hand, there were many
times when the buildings were net hlled.
General Wheeler said that the want Of
railroad facilities had been felt most
especially in transporting troops and in
securing supplies, out on this latter point
there was no very serious trouble. The
railroad officials had used every effort to
meet the demands upon the road when
complaint was made to the management.
Replying to DR.. Jenkins, as quoted in
the New York Worlds specifications,
General Wheeler said that If the soldiers
had not been landed at some isolated
place such as Montauk Point the fear of
yellow fever would have caused a general
cutlery. The experts had differed in
opinion as to whether there had been any
yellow fever at Wykotf. Even at Santiago
he had found that the experts were unable
to determine whether patient had yell
low fever. He thought it would have been
cruel to send the men home within five
days after their landing, as DR.. Jenkins
had suggested. AS matter of fact, mary
of them were sick men and needed atten-
ton in the hospitals. They would have
fallen sick on trains and attracted general
attention to the situation. The distress
was due to the condition of the men and
not to the Typographical or climatic con-
ditions. Ninety per cent had the fever In
them and the officers suffered as much as
ha nh he
was necessary for quarantine purposes to
prevent the spread of fear, If for no other
purpose. Replying to other allegations
made by the World, General Wheeler gave
"details of the arrival of troops from
Cuba. He did not think the hospitals
We're crowded. If the sick men were
without blankets or adequate shelter, he
had not known the fact and if he had
known such want he would have sup
piled it. No effort was made to furnish
cots to the soldiers. but as soon as possible
floors were put in the tents and they were
all given straw beds, but in the begin
ming there were many tents without
fault must have been either that OF the i
men or their commanding officers. In
such cases as this last named there was
no red tape; the men were supplied I'm
mediately. He mentioned one case In
which he had telegraphed to New York
for four carloads of medicine and 1T had
arrived on the evening of the next day.
II there had been any complaints about
blankets, the wants could have been al.
most Immediately supplied.
He had read to the regular soldiers the
assertion that they had been in an almost
starving condition and they laughed at
the report. The men asserted that the
only trouble was that they had too much.
and as q matter of fact, no soldiers had
iod
General Wheeler asserted that it was
true some of the employees had used
articles intended for the SICK, and he ha d
been told by some ladies' that physicians
had used some of the articles, including
appolinaris water provided for the
hospital He had issued an order for the
arrest of those engaged in such practice.
He had himself seen boy distributing
oranges among his fellows. There
were," he said, undoubtedly individual
cases of suffering and of neglect, but they
were the exception.
He had investigated the charge that the
hospitals were overcrowded and he was
satisfied that such was not the case lie
made almost daily visits to the hosplta Is
ana had he found them overorowded, the
deficiency would have been made good
Immediately.
eve had no red tape about this or any
other matter" said the General, but wa
ordered thing done and it was done
Our aim at Wykoff was to supply the
necessities of the men and we attempted
to do so without resorting to the formall-
ties necessary in times Of peace.
At. four O'Clock the commission adj
journed till tomorrow.
General Wheeler will resume his testi-
lnony at TO- 80 tomorrow and will probably
be followed by General Il, V. Boynton.
General Eitzhugh Lee has notified the
hot xxyi11 mi IA ahlA
appear before Thursday.