Evening star., 1898-08-11

could not retain after drinking. The food
received at noon consisted of glass of
milk.
| DR.. Holmes of the medical staff was ex-
| amining the patients and prescribing for
| them during the visit of the World report
er Some OF the patients said that the med
| icine he gave them was the first they had
| received since their arrival here. There
was not drop of milk at the hospital at
the time and those in charge said that they
had expected some from Amagansett which
had not, however, arrived.
Scarcity of Food.
I'm all right, think" sad one poor
chap feebly. IF only 1 could get some
food to brace me up. have not any
strength left in me-"
There was some excus. for our suffering
down in Tampa said another patient. 1T
seems TO me that it ought not to be so
nere. We are only 115 miles from New
iork, ana there are plenty of towns BE-
tween mere and there where medicines and
milk and food in abundance ara to be
bought.
had glass of milk ct noon yesterday,
ana slnce tEen no food at all, except a
glass OF milk last night, which was sour
ana which could not keep on my stomach.
we've been here two days and have had
10 medicine, and it's a hundred-to-one
ctance many Of us will never get we'll We
don Know what's the matter with u.s. It's
a fever that we got from the heat and the
rains in the south"
Nobody here blames the officers in charge
OF tt e camp for the condition of affairs
They have not only been Handicapped bv
red tape and Instructions from Washing
ton, but the people with whom they have
been Obliged to deal have failed them in
several instances, and orders for impla-
ments and stores which they have sent out
nave rot been promptly or properly at
tended to.
They were required to perform in Il few
Gays task that they should have had at
least two weeks to accomplish
Ihe prospects for the sick folks are nnu>h
prlghter this evening. They will sleep in
, sehts with board floors tonight. and the
hospital people think they have things run
mir in such shape that tn, scarcity OF food
will not occur again.
Their Pitinble Condition,
The New York Sun: The officials in
charSe CT the convalescent camp here are
beginning to realize that they have job
Oh tremendous proportions on their hands
Despite the fact that they have small
army of men at work things are moving
alcng very slowly and the confusion is
general.
mounted. but there are even greater ones
to come, and unless things can be done at
a faster rate than they are being done
now, there is going to be serious trouble
II the transports get here on schedule time
which is on Saturday next
No better evidence of the absolute neces-
sity of completing the hospital is needed
than the plight of the sick men of the 9th
Cavalry. Ten more were added to the list
yesterday, making forty altogether. AL
most all of the men have fever of one kind
or another and their condition is pitiable
The best of them are weak that they
can't stand alone. There have been all
sorts of runners flying around here as to
the condition of these men, and today
trooper of the 9th Cavalry approached a
Sun reporter and asked him TO go up and
see them. The reporter visited the tents
where the men are confined. There are
four tents, ten men in each one. There are
no board floors in them, but strips of cam
vas are spread on the ground and the men
lie on them. with their own uniforms for
pillows and army blankets for covering.
The men are all pale and wasted. In one
tent two of the men burst out crying when
the reporter asked them if they were get
ting all they wanted to eat. Then a beard
ell soldier, who was lying in corner OF
the tent, spoke up.
Some Soldiers Cried.
1--WE haven't had a single thing but water
since noon yesterday" he SAID. They say
we have fever and can't have anything but
milk. but they haven't given US any milk
since yesterday, and 1 cont think some Of
the boys Il live If they don't get something
sccn. Last night We were crazy with JOY
when they brought in q pail of milk. We
only got a glass apiece at noon and were
pretty hungry But the milk was all sour
and sCme of the boys just lay down and
cried from disappointment. Some of u.s.
among the rest, just forced the sour milk
down, but, of course, we couldnt t hold it.
The retching made some of US SO weak
that we tainted away.
I'm all right said a boyish-looking SOL
der who seemed all skin and bones. I'm
just weak, but the feyers all gone, and il
they'd give me something to eat I'd get
strong soon. We never kicked at all in
Tampa or Fernardina, because there
weren't many ways of getting things to
Us. but good God, why should it be this
way 10 miles from New York;
In every tent the same story told,
and the reporter questioned the surgeons
On the matter. They said that the men
couldn't have food under any circuIn-
stances; that milk was the only thing they
could touch. Every effort, they said, mad
been made to get sufficient milk but it had
rot arrived. 1t had been ordered from
Amagansett and Easthampton by every
train, but had failed to arrive. In pure !
desperation, they said. it had finally been
ordered from New York, and from tomor-
row on there would be no lack of it.
Mrs. Walworth, The director general of
the Women's National War Relief Assoeia-
ton, came here today, and went at once
to the quarters of the sick men. She found
things about the same as already described.