Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-10-07
CAMP WIK0FF CHARGES
What General Wheeler Has to Say on
Life at MOntauk Point.
no LACK OF FOOD THERE.
Admits That Soldiers In the Hospi-
tails Were Mt One Time without
Cots-His Charge Against
Eagan Explained.

Washington, Oct. 6.-General Wheeler
esumed his testimony before the war
investigating commission. Examlna-
lion on the line of the New York Wor.d
charges regarding Camp Wikoff was
taken up. He said that If there were
ny camp horrors" on the 9th of Au-
.ust, as charged, the commander of the
lamp was responsible, for he had full
lower to furnish relief. There probably
we're individual cases of suffering, but
Is rule he knew the soldiers were
veil cared for. There was certainly no
Jack of food. The surgeons were au-
horized to expend 60 cents per day on
each invalid soldier. In addition to
this supply there were his own pur-
chases and the contributions of the
good ladies by whom the tents were
alled with edibles. Furthermore, many
individuals forwarded sums of money
to him. AS many as 80 checks were
sent him, the largest being for $4,000
He had in each case returned the
checks, because the money was not
needed and because he did not think 1t
proper that he should undertake the
distribution of the food.
General Wheeler admitted that in
many instances there were men i'll in
their camp quarters. Often men not
very i'll preferred not to go to hospita 8,
and the hospitals were too crowded to
make room for them. He also said
there were times when it was neces-
sary to put four men in a tent, saying
that this arrangement did not necessi-
tate unnecessary crowding or render
the men uncomfortable.
Some time was spent on the charge
that General Wheeler had said that
| General Eagan, chief commissary OF
subsistence, had countermanded an CT
der of his for supplies. This occurred,
he said. but it was due to a miscon-
struction of general orders No. 16 re-
garding the go cent daily rations for tic
sick. The trouble was soon remedied,
not continuing more than two days.
The Death of Ferret.
General Wheeler also explained the
circumstances concerning the death Of
Private Hugh Perret He said Major
Beach had Investigated the occurrence
| and had made a report. "My inquiry"
said he, developed the fact that DR..
Taber was little gruff to the men, but
1t also developed the fact that he had
proved so efficient in the field that they
were devoted to him and had petltioned
tor his retention in the army"
Continuing, he said that the charge
was that the man was not sent to the
hospital when he had complained, just
before his death. This. he thought, was
one Of those individual cases of neg
lect, and he thought it was to be ex-
planned by the fact that DR.. Taber was
probably Ill himself. He found this to
be true in other cases and had remon-
strated with physicians for being irri-
table to patients saying to them he
presumed it was because they were not
we'll themselves, when they had admit
ted this to be the case.
General Wheeler said it was true that
many soldiers would fall on the streets
He thought that all of them had been
weakened by their experiences in Cuba
and most of them had the germs of fe-
yer in them. Many had had no exer-
else, and the climatic conditions were
against them. Even before they left
Cuba they were greatly weakened. 1t
was not strange, therefore, if some OF
them had fallen to the ground at Wi
koff.
DR.. Senn's Charges.
The general took up a statement at
tributed to DR.. Sem concerning the
sinks. He said the sinks were covered
every hour with earth or lime. He had
examined the ground and found that
the soil was not porous. He also found
that other physicians did not agree with
Sam a RI O 10 ho;
The wells were long distance from the
sinks. and the soil was very compact,
effectually avoiding the danger of con-
termination. There was no outbreak of
fever such as DR.. Sem had predicted
hence it was false prophecy.
He admitted also in reply to charge
attributed to Dr. Cyrus Edison that a
small percentage of the men in hospi-
tails were without cots and were lying
on the floor on Aug. 80. They were
however, supplied with beds, and in no
case was there complaint on this &C.
count. THE fact Isl he said, that the
surgeons and the other officers and men
conducted themselves most heroically,
and it is painful to me to see the effort
to make it appear that they were COM
planning when they were not. DR.. Ed
son had also predicted an increase of
typhoid, but the predictions had not
been verified"
There was some typhoid, but nothing
like an epidemic, and the disease was in
smaller proportion than he had expect
ed.
Major Dimmick was quoted as having
charged the contract surgeons with in
difference. He admitted that there were
Instances in which officers had found it
necessary to hunt up physicians to take
them to the sick men. N'In such case"
he said. "a captain can perform no
higher duty than to bring physician
to an ailing member of his command"
DIR. Newton's Charges.
Replying to criticisms by DR.. New
ton, referring especially to the failure
to have the camp at Montauk Point
provided previous to the beginning of
the war, General Wheeler said he could
not account for them unless it was true
that DR.. Newton was not used to the
conditions which generally prevail at a
military hospital. He thought also that
such criticisms might grow out of the
condition of the public mind. 1t was
impossible to foresee that the troops
would return at so early date. and
General Miles had predicted that they
would of necessity remain in Cuba for
q year or two. 1t would not therefore
have been expedient to build hospital
In advance, as DIR. Newton had said |
should have been done