The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-21
WAR INQUIRY DRAGS ALONG.
HOSPITAL NURSES TELL THEIR
STORIES OF THE CAMPS.
One Professional Nurse Tells Ihas
some Men Lost Their Lives
Through Mistaken Kindness OF
I.afe~ Who Fed Them Too Well.

NEW YORK, Nov sl.-When the war
investigating commission met TO-DAY Gen
Dodge the chairman, announced that tns
sessions in the city would probably cor
tinue ten days. Gen Dodge aecAhea 10
give In advance the names OF those ne eA-
pected 10 examine. but II was saia lia-
invitations had been sent to Coi. HooSs-
yeIr. and other members ot the Rough
Riders
Mrs Edwin c. Aais Of New York, who
yer. IN Camp Wlkoff Sentern Der . 10 asip
nurse the sick, was the nrst wltfisss Gait
cd She told of the conditions preValahs
there and said that some OF the hosl'i'a4
wards were overcrowded, while otners
were entirely empty and shut up ME-
All.s' statement referred principaiy 70 me
annex hospital" and TO the SICK OK tle
Twelfth infantry. She complained that the
food was poor and badly cooked, that 'he
sanitary conditions were bas, ana tnat as
a consequence the sick and the well SUI
fered q plague OF riies.
Cross-examined by ex-Gov. Woodbury..
Mrs Ailis told of the carelessness OF the
hospital nurses and orderlles IN attendance
on the sick Summing up her CONCLUSIONS.
Mrs. Aliis thought shere were not enough
attendants in the hospital and that no care
was taken TO separate the dying, the deari-
GUS and the convalescent patients.
Capt. Edward Plumner. OF the Tenth
cavalry now an aide-de-camp on Gen.
Skaters staff, who was brigade quarter
master with the Fifth army corps al Snaf-
ter's headquarters, explained that as oris-
aae quartermaster il was his duty 10 take
food 10 the front He said that the trans
portat!on was limited but be did not be-
iieye that more wagons could nave been
used because of the limited facilities ior
uarrowness Of the roads over whlch tae
supplies had TO be drawn. He denied that
the troops suffered for LACK of food.
Mai Lorigan, Ninth New York, SAID:
There were many complaints OF Dr. HUB
bard He treated the officers Pleasantly;
but he was rough to the men The only
case I know was when sergeant broke
his leg in getting off the train al Chatta-
nooga. Instead of taking the man tg the
hospital in the city DR.. Hubbard insisted
that the man be taken 10 camp. Twelve
miles fuyther away The man died en- the
Capt. Howell asked: Was the want of
proper food the cause CT the sickness IN
mo; the sickness was due to the early
want Of sinks and later because they were
dug inside the pipe line and within ten
feet Of the tents. whence they drained 10
Miss Margaret Girrard. Of Morristown,
y J.. volunteer worker among the sick
at Camp Wikoif was the first witness AZ
the afternoon session. She visited the
camp for the first time after the arrival OF
troops on September 49, Before then she
had visited the trains Carrying soldiers
dences of neglect Men too weak 10 help
themselves were found lying UNCONSCIOUS
on the streets Of Long Island City. and IN
many instances where she made inquiry
she learned that there were neither doc
tors nor nurses on the trains OF the con-
vaiescents. Medical attention and nursing.
Miss Garrard said, were very good during
the ten days she WAS at Camp Wikoff.
She found considerable fault with the
| treatment OF the convalescents, and COM
| planned bitterly of the lack OF cors!dera-
| ton shown 10 the friends ana relatives OF
| sick soldiers who visited them In the hos
pitfalls.
WAS the nursing adequate7' asked DR..
Conner
| after September Is. but the major portion
of the sick eonvalescent and dying We're
| moved about apparently indiscrlIninateiy.
and this was responsible for much loss OF
life When man was 10 be removed from
| one ward to another. he was carelessly
handled"
| The lack OF proper clerical records at
| the hospitals, Miss Garrard thought. was
due 10 the inefticieny of the men In charge
of affairs.
Lieut.. Charles Edwards. of the Seventy
first New York regiment. and a profess
| s,onai nurse. in reply to questions by Gen.
Dodge said:
| 81 was technically starved for four weeks
| after | recovered from yellow fever, but
| that was the hest treatment FOR the dis
| ease. Many Of the deaths in Cuba We're
| due 10 the ignorance of the men affected.
| The doctors told them. II you eat you die
| Stil they ate. The volunteer ladies who
| went 10 Montauk as nurses did more harm
than good Their intentions Were all right,
| but they dId not accomplish their purpose
| They had ut their headquarters soda water
| ginger ale, champagne. cider and bread
| and butter and chicken. They. sympathized
| with tho men landing from the transports
| and invited them to eat and drink. OF
| course the men wanted to eat. and the
| volunteer ladies' gave them chicken and
would be dead and the ladies would SO
| around blaming the government"