The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-23
POOR SITE FOR CAMP
GEN. FRANK TESTIFIES AS TO
CHICKAMAUGA BEFORE THE
WAR BOARD
COMMANDED A DIVISION


Direct Their Investigation
Largely Toward Camp Thomas
Shortage of Food, Clothing
and Medical Supplies Admitted.
ADMISSION, Ala, Oct. 22.-The war
Investigating commission began its
work here today by making an inspec-
ton Of the site OF Camp Shipp in the
forenoon, and then devoting the after
noon to questioning Gen. Frank, the
commanding officer of the camp, and
his chief surgeon, Maj. Henry 8. Hoyt,
who were identified with Camp Thomas
at Chickamauga, Gen. Frank having
beer in command Of the First division
of the Third corps at that point, and
Maj. Hoyt, his chief surgeon.
1t was made plain by the general
trend of their examination that the
work done here would pertain more
largely to Camp Thomas than to the
camp here as a majority of the men
here were removed from Chickamauga.
There are, however, two regiments here
WI ich were in Cuba, and some Of their
representa- tiVes will also be examined.
Gen. Frank said he considered Chick
anjauga a good site for a temporary
camp, but not for a permanent camp,
fer q large army. The chief difficulty
was in putting sinks down deep enough.
Owing to the rock formation near the
surface, sinks could only be made two
or three feet deep, and they We're fire.
quently overflowed. There was also
general impression that the springs in
the locality We're impregnated by these
sinks, and it was impossible to pre-
vent the men from drinking from the
springs. He thought the camp should
have been moved as early as July.
He said he had heard no complaints
from the men in regard to the food re-
ceived while at Chickanaauga, but be-
cause of the necessity for getting the
First corps ready for foreign service
there was a shortage in clothing for
time. There was also for time diff
Guilty in securing hospital room for the
men whose sickness began to increase,
but this deficiency was soon remedied.
There had been a constant improve
ment in the command since its removal
to Admission early in September, and
Gen Frank thought the Improvement
was due to the change of site.
Reverting to Chickamauga, he said
the hospital tents were not f1oored when
he went to the camp early in July,
though there had been sufficient time to
have this work done.
Gen. Frank said that his corps COM
mander had never made an inspection
of the camp with reference TO sinks,
drains, etc.
INCREASE IN SICKNESS.
DR.. Henry F. Hoyt was also examin-
ed, especially with reference to Camp
Thomas. He. said the increase in sick
ness above the normal had begun
about the middle of July and had been
rapid from that time forward until
in tIa
vision hospital on the LIST Of August.
AT this time it was impossible to re-
ceive new patients for a period Of
twenty-four hours. The increase in
disease had begun with the rainy sea-
sen, and he thought much Of the ma
laria had been due to the fact that the
men were compelled to sleep on the
ground. He attributed the increase in
typhoid to the sinks, to the flies, to
the fact that the wells were infected
and to the carelesSness of the men,
The command used water taken
through pipes from Chickamauga river,
and the pipes We're located only a few
feet above the mouth of the stream
which drained the camp. The doctor
thought that some of the water from
this tributary stream had been forced
into the pipes by means of eddieS.
DR.. HOyt expressed the opinion that
the surgeons in the division hospital
had been competent, and in support of
his opinion he adduced the fact that
there had been only 81 deaths out of
1.549 patients in the hospital for the en-
tire three summer months. The nurses
Of the hospital corps, while faithful,
were in most cases unskilled, and
therefore incompetent. He said there
had been GIG patients treated in the di-
vision hospital at Admission. and Of
these twenty had died. There had been
an exceptionally high degree Of mortal
ity here, but many of the men who
came here, both from Chickamauga and
Santiago, were very much debilitated
He thought the change Of location from
Chickamauga had been very beneficial.
DR.. Hoyt said he was familiar with
the complaint concerning the Eighth
New York regiment. There was, he
said, an enormous sick rate in this
regiment, and there were many cases
of inconsistencies, yet circumstances sur
rounding these men were the same as
those affecting others.