The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-11
IN BAD WAY AT M0NTAUK,
SICK SOLDIERS SUFFER- FROM WANT
OF PROPER CARE AND room.

ton OF Hospital and Other Needed
Buildings - War Relief Association
Women Give Aid-More Troops Arrive.
MoNTAUK. N. Y. Aug. 1o.-The officials In
charge OF the convalescent camp here are be-
ginning to realize that they have a Job OF trO-
mendous proportions on their hands. Despite
the fact that they have q small army Of men az
work, things are moving along very slowly and
the confusion Is general. There are many rea-
sons why this should be, and to thoroughly
appreciate them one should spend n couple Of
days here and see the difficulties that are met
on every side. Many obstacles have already
been surmounted. but there are even greater
ones to come. and unless things can be done %
a faster rate than they are being done now.
there is going to.be serious trouble II the trans.
ports get here on schedule time, which is on
Saturday next.
In the first place. the edge OF the camp ia to be
fully three miles from the railroad station,
where everything In the shape Of supplies.
medical stores, and tents is now piled up. The
main part OF the camp. where the Santiago
troops are to be quarantined. Is to be located
hve miles from the railroad station. Under
ordinary circumstances the distances would
not hinder the work any. but ordinary circum-
stances do not prevail here. There are no
Odho VIZ hlViblohlhB anu Jig COuuITy 10
hilly. Hundreds Of mules and horses have
been at work all day. dragging largo loads OF
lumber and tents to the sites Of the various
camps, but a trip to any part Of the selected
ground consumes at least an hour. When the
lumber Is finally dumped on the ground and the
tents thrown down. there Ia nobody to do any
work and they are simply left where they fall.
To-day 1t has rained in torrents since early
morning, The narrow trails which are called
wanda = n foON InaN uritL ,,.l H-l ....-
wagons getting stuck on the side of a hill keep
everything at q staudstill. When an army mule
has tuRged n few times unsuccessfully you
cant induce him to make another try, no mat
ter what arguments you bring to bear upon
him. This alone has been responsible for some
heartbreaking delays.
Then. to cap the climax. this morning there
was another strike. This time it was the car
p~enters. and II these individuals had worked
around for weeks they couldn't have chosen q
more inopportune time. from the Quarter
masters point Of view. to make trouble. They
seemed to realize this, too. for sixty Of them
marched to Capt. Young's tent. caps in hand,
and with innumcrable bows and scrapes re-
lated their grievances. They were SO painfully
polite that Capt. Young longed to order his
squad Of soldiers to turn their Krag-J6rgensens
on them. The trouble was. they said. that they
we're working ten hours a day for $3.50. They
Nahtcu elBuJ IOuIS uuu S-.Ou u uuy, also
some guarantee that they wouldn't have
to work when it rained. They were very
sorry to make trouble. but unless they got
what they asked for they really couldn't
do any more work. II ever a Quarter
master found himself in n peck OF trouble it
was Capt. Young. On every side Of him wero
unfinished buildings. In a few days 10000
troops we're expected and here he was facing O
lot OF workmen who had come down undar
o1ranpnnrt fD Nvnrly f~r 01 En N Jn,, a.l -s.1
only demanding more because they realized
that they had the officials at their mercy. The
upshot OF it all was that the carpenters got all
they demanded. Then they were told to get
back to work. They declined because IL was
raining and no amount Of pleading or arRu-
ment could move them. They knew their
rights. they did. And 80 nearly a whole day
has been lost. so far as carpentering work Ii
concerned.
Not a whole day. though. for there were o
dozen or more carpenters too patriotic to make
a fuss at such O time. and they worked away at
the hospital in the drenching rain without
making any complaint. 1t is most important
that the large hospital. which is to
date $50 men, should DO finished at once.
Everybody from Gen. Young Town is Of that
belief. and the work is being pushed as fast as
possible. But although the work has been
| going on for days the hospital is scarcely q
/ QudIbCI Ouo n Va q DOou cIoCItus anu
ranges and supplies put in II. but as far as the
hospital is concerned little besides laying q
single board floor. which Ia to be q hallway be.
tw cen the tents. has been done. Col. Forwood.
the Chief Surgeon. rounded up a few carpenters
this afternoon. and induced them to 90 to work
In the rain. They managed to get Town Q
half dozen board floors. and tomorrow tents
will be erected over them.
No better evidence Of the absolute necessity
| - ~ - afipn fha hnuntfol "a naAaal kha@ khA
plight Of the sick men OF the Sixth Cavalry.
Ten more were added to the list yesterday.
making forty altogether. Almost all OF the men
have fever ofone kind or another and their con-
dition is pitiable. The best Of them are 30 weak
that they can't stand alone. There have been
all sorts Of rumors flying around here az
to the condition Of these men. and to-
day O trooper Of the Sixth Cavalry approached
a Sun reporter and asked him to 60 up and
sec them. The reporter visited the tents
where the men arc confined. There are four
tents, ten men in each one. There are no
board floors In them. but strips OF canvas 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 II
they were getting all they wanted TO eat. Then
a bearded soldier. who was lying in a corner OF
the tent, spoke up.
I'VE haven't had a single thing but water
since noon yesterday. "he said. They say we
have fever and can't have'anythinE butmilk. but
they haven't given US any milk since yesterday.
and don't think ZONE OF the boys'l live II they
don't get something soon. Last night we were
crazy with JOY when they brought In q pail Of
milk. We only got a glass apiece at noon and
we're pretty hungry. But the milk was all
sour and some OF the boys Just lay down and
cried from disappointment. Some OF US. 1
among the rest. justforced the sour milk down.
but. of course. we couldn't hold 1t. The retch-
ing made SOM OF us 80 weak that we tainted
away"
I'm all right" said a boyish-looking soldier
who seemed all skin and bones. "Im lust
weak. but the fever's all gone. and II they'd
give me something to eat I'd get strong soon.