The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-20

as TO prevent their giving close attention
TO professional matters unless especially
called upon. He considered this system
wrong and expressed the opinion thai there
should be more supervision in serious cases
10 the hospital on the part Of experienced
men.
In reply to a request from Gen. Dodge.
Maj. Fry gave his opinion as to the origin
OF the popular excitement concerning con-
diiions a Montauk Point while the troops
We're stationed there. He said that from 80
10 20 per cent. were sick when they landed
there, and that insufficient provision had
been made for them. AS a consequence
many We're compelled to lie upon the bare
ground, and they naturally suffered from
exposure. He also asserted that The report
ers of many of the newspapers had been
sent to the camp under instructions to find
all that was bad and nothing that was
good.
DO you know this OF your own per-
sonal knowledge" ne was asked
He replied: No, but l was told it by
men who talked with the reporters"
Col Dows of the Forty-ninth Iowa Reg
iment followed DR.. Fry, and he was in
turn followed by various members of his
regiment. Col. BOWS said there had been
no deficiency in the commissary supplies
The men have the regular army rations,"
he said, land if they have not had enough
the fault is theirs. He had had some
compiaintsragainst the meat and in all
cases the undesirable article was exchang-
ed upon application, and without going
through the form of condemnation.
Speaking of the medical supplies, Col.
Dows said that a physician whom Gov.
Shaw had sent to the camp had spoken
with surprise of the variety and quality
OF the medicines and medical appliances
on hand.
Gen. E. B. Williston, in command of
the First Brigade of the Second Division
OF the Seventh Corps was questioned
about various points, having been sta
toned at Camp Thomas, Montauk Point,
Admission and other points before coming
to Jacksonville. He said the principal OBJ
sJect1on he had TO Camp Thomas, in Chick
amauga Park, was the fact that it was
impossible on account of the formation
or the ground, to have sinks more than
two or three feet in depth There had
also been an insufficiency of water in the
beginning of the history of the camp. The
water was taken from wells and while
he did not believe the wells were 'con-
taminated from the surface, he thought
it had too much magneSia in it to be
wholesome. He had found difficulty in
getting sufficient water for stock at that
period, but Gen. Boynton had afterwards
constructed two wells in the vicinity of
his camp, thus removing this objection.
Speaking of the conditions at Jackson
vile he said he did not see that any fault
could be found with either the adminstra-
tive officers or the service performed by
them in either the medical cOmmissary
or quartermaster departments. Most of
his staff officers were volunteers, but he
had found them very efficient He had
also found the troops in his command
splendidly equipped and had found the
regimental officers especially Jealous to
maintain the best sanitary conditions
possible.
Gen. Williston had been al Montauk
from Aug. 10 to Sept. 13, and had super
intended the debarkation of the troops
and the location of the infantry regiments
in camp. Never" he said, was a pref
tier camp pitched in the United States
than was that camp al Montauk." He
said there were tents erected for 10000
men before any men arrived, and all
they had to do was to walk into them, so
that so far as the men who were not sick
were concerned, they We're well provided
for. He said the soil. was splendidly
adapted 10 camp service and that the
camp was abundanty supplied with stores
of all kinds.