Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-17

ments behind at Tampa, and Colonel Jacobs
responded that it was his impression that
such was the case He had personal knowl-
edge that General Shafter had given such
an order concerning the ambulances.
ut was expected there would be an en-
gagement was It not?" asked the doctor.
Certainly" responded the colonel. We
went down there TO fight"
Then should there not have been some
provision for taking care Of the wounded?"
II should say that these things should
have been taken along"
"Then,' continued DR.. Conner, "the med
ical department was left in the air, and the
quartermasters' department is responsible?"
THE quartermasters' department could
not have been responsible. We were acting
under orders. | will swear that General
Shafter told me not to take the ambulance,
although do not recall any distinct orders
in regard to hospital equipments"
Railroad Facilities Deficient.
Colonel Jacobs expressed the opinion that
the congestion at Tampa was due to the
fact that the Increased business was beyond
the capacity Of the railroads running into
Tampa.
Captain J. N. Patton, who, as assistant
quartermaster general, had made the con-
tracts for the construction Of the quarter
masters commissary buildings for Camp
Wikoff at Montauk Point, gave the partic-
ulars Of this transaction and other occur
rences at that camp. The buildings were
completed within eight days. but not before
supplies began to arrive. He also said the
camp was not entirely ready for the troops
w Ho ha m
being suficient. Exclusive OF the store
houses 100000 feet OF lumber had been
used in the camp.
Captain Patton was also depot quarter
master and he said all requisitons, except
possibly in trivial matters, were promptly
filled. ~ do not remember single solitary
thing that was not furnished as soon as 1t
was asked, even without requiring a receipt
for it," he said.
Witness said there had been a great deal
Of injustice in the criticisms in the news
papers concerning the delay OF sick men at
the depots going off on furlough. "There
was no neglect in this matter" he said,
"and no more discomfort than is necessary
in removing sick men. The men were pro-
vided with seats and cots while they
waited"
Captain Patton said that while there had
been some delays on the one railroad going
into camp they had not been material and
he thought the road had done we'll for a
| single-track line. Transportation papers had
been furnished promptly by his office. and IL
men had to stand in line for hours in order
to get these documents he had no knowledge
Of the fact.
There Was Plenty of Lumber.
DR.. Conner read letter from DR.. Forward
to the surgeon general complaining of the
delay in getting lumber for the HOSPITALS.
but the witness said he knew nothing Of
| such a condition Of affairs. There was an
abundance of lumber on hand. and there
should have been no complaint.
| In reply to a question from General Nc
Cook Captain Patton said there had been no
effort on the part of his superior officers to
dictate to him in the matter OF letting con-
tracts.
In the afternoon session Captain NJ. w.
Ireland, who was associated with DR.. La
Garde as a surgeon and executive officer in
the Siboney hospital. was the first witness.
He said he had gone to Cuba on the Sara
toga. but had not been able to land for six
! days; why, he did not know.
| The hospital at Siboney had been
sufficiently wen supplied for Sabout
200 patients, except in the matter
Of cots, OF which there were not
| to exceed fifty. Patients in excess of
! this number were compelled to lie on their
| blankets on the ground for the first week
| Of the hospitals history.
| About 1 200 wounded men came to be
| treated within three or four days after the
institution Of the hospital. The surgeons
were all competent, and Notwithstanding
the shortage OF supplies, the men had as
good attention there as they could have
had at any other hospital.
| There was a sufficiency Of supplies with
| the exception of delicacies and conveniences
| There was a scarcity Of ice and milk, for
instance, for the transports carrying con-
| valescents north. These transports were
provided with all the articles that were on
| hand.
Speaking OF the Concha. concerning which
| there has been considerable criticism, he
said he had supervised the provisioning OF
that vessel and he was sure that it had
received all the supplies necessary--at least
there had been no complaint before leav-
ing, and he had taken It for granted tina,
1t had alf that was required.
He did not know Of any ships coming
north without medical Officers and attend
ants. yet the convalescents were expected
10 iOOk hlteT themselves on tHe Trip.
Surgeon Looks for = Gun.
DR.. ireland said that on one occasion q
surgeon on the Seneca had come ashore
In search OF a revolver, because, he said
the crew was insolent. He said he had mo-
been able to get revolver. but did ge
rifle. but DR.. Ireland had never heart
that he had been called upon to use it
He was no. sure whether this was DR.. Birt
or DIR. Hicks.
DR.. Edward e. Munson who for a tim,
was on duty at Tampa and in Cuba, being
for time on the Olivette and also adjutan
to General Pope, chief surgeon Of the Fiftl
corps, said he had understood that requis
tions we're promptly approved and that al
the dificulty there was in getting medicine,
and supplies was due to the lack Of trans
portation. Each regiment had been expecte,
to take the supplies necessary. There wer
no orders to leave medical supplies, eXcep
the ambulance, at Tampa.
He had understood that medical supple
in Cuba were short. They were taken o,
the transports, but it was impossible to ge
them landed. DR.. Pope had made an appli