The age-herald., 1898-10-14
WHEELER WAS ID
 TAKE COMMAND Of Santiago Operations f Shatsf
 Was Disabled. ALGER LET THIS POINT OUT Conflict of Authority Between
 Miles and Shafter BEFORE THE ARMY LEFT TAMPA | Z :
 u a.s v ant. Colonel Hoff Before Board $-s of Investigation. IS $ : 3DIOAL SUPPLIES LACKING eAs And Sick Man Spent Night in the Open Air at Ohickamauga-Did Not Hurt Him Because Weather Was Mild.

Washington, October 13.-After devoting the forenoon to hearing the testimony of Dr. Hoff, of the army corps, stationed at Camp Thomas, the war investigating com misison gave the remainder of the day to the reading of papers submitted by Secre- tary Alger, with his statement concerning the conduct of the war.
 The documents reveal the fact that Gen. eral Miles recommended the occupation of the Isle of Pines about the time of the bat tie of Santiago, and that Secretary Alger disapproved the suggestion. It also appears that General Miles recommended that some point between Santiago and Porto Rico be taken previous to the beginning of either campaign. The correspondence also devei- oped the fact that there was an apparent conflict of authority between General Miles and General Shafter at Tampa before the Santiago campaign was inaugurated. It also shows that orders were issued by the secretary of war that in the event that General Shafter should be disabled by sick ness or other causes, the command of the troops at Santiago should devolve upon General Wheeler, and upon the next in command in case of the disability of both S4after and Wheeler
 Lieutenant Colonel J. Hoff was before the war investigation committee at it's forenoon session today. He is a regular army officer, and was chief surgeon in the Third army corps at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga park. He sad he did not consider the camp to have been in the best sanitary condition, but expressed the opinion that it was the best it could be under the circumstances.
 The men were encamped somewhat closer naal, have been and 1t had been impossible with out blasting to make the sinks as deep as good sanitation required, owing to a layer of limestone which was two or three feet below the surface. Furthermore it was impossible to compel the men to use the sinks, and he thought it probable that this difficulty had led to injurious results. Every effort had been made to have the sinks properly covered and dislnfected and to have the men use them.
 Not Enough Medical Supplies
 Dr. Hoff said that in the beginning tho camp was deficient in medical supplies. There were also many cases of dysentery, and it was not possible to meet all demands for remedies. The shortage was due to the fact that it had been expected that troops would come to camp supplied with medi- cines, but some of them failed in this re- spect, making a greater demand than ssy been counted upon.
 As rule the nurses were without train ing and this fact occasioned some difficulty in dealing with typhoid cases Yet he knew of no specific cases of suffering on this account He specified the case of a man afflicted with an infectious disease, who had been compelled to lie in the open air night of la clx of The captain was sure that no injury re- suited as the weather was pleasant
 MT. Hoff said the shortage in medical SUD- plies had continued for sevral weeks, but there was generally sufficient to meet the immediate demands.
 Was there any deprivation on account of the shortage of tents?" asked Governor Woodbury.
 Tt was so reported.' responded Dr. Hoff.
 Whose fault was it?" was asked.
 Not mine," replied he. q did all could do"
 The troops of the third corps were more closely crowded than they should have been.
 Dr. Connor stated that the governor of Arkansas had complained of the neglect of the troops from that state. The witness replied that the Arkansas troops received the same medical care and attention that had been given to other soldiers under like conditions. He knew of no case in which men in the hospitals had been compelled to lie on the ground. He was asked if it was true that at night there was an ay- craze of only one nurse to each forty pa- tients in the hospital of the Second divis- ion of the Third corps, and he said this could not be true.
 pr. Connor read an extract from the let ter from the Arkansas governor saving that he had made a personal investigation of the conditions in the hospital, and that he had found "the conditions deplorable-- simply disgraceful."
 He charged that the doctors in the in- stitution were all northern men, unfamiliar with diseases incidental to the south; that there were cases of fever in which the fever patients had gone without attention from surgeon or without receiving a dose of medicine for week.
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