Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-02
SHAFTER AT CAMP WIKOFF
Commander of the Santiago Campaign
Reaches Montauk Point.
WILL NOT DISCUSS THE alLEs.ALeER ROW
Says the Red Cross and other Nurses
Did Good work, but that the
Front Is Not the Place
for Women.

NEW YORK, Sept 1.-The transport
Mexico, with General Shafter on board, was
sighted off Montauk Point at $40 a. m.
today, and an hour later dropped anchor
in Fort Pond bay.
The City OF Mexico has on board besides
General Shafter the members of his staff
including Lieutenant Colonels E J. McCler-
nand, b. F. Pope and G.. McC. Derby; Majors
Robert H. Noble, John Miley and S. W.
Grosbeck; Captains J. Z. Gilmore and E.
II. Plummer. AS soon as General Wheeler
was notified of General Skaters arrival he
ordered a salute of fifteen guns to be fired
and Troops NJ, E, C, II and X, of the Sec
ond regular cavalry were detailed to escort
General Shafter into camp when he should
land
General Shafter and his staff were landed
from the City of Mexico shortly before IL
O'Clock, being taken of in the auxiliary gun
boat Aileen and landed at the floating
dock" some distance away from the quar-
antine pier. General Young was at the pier
at the time. The coming ashore of the COM
mander and his staff was unexpected. Cen
eral Wheeler had the cavalry drawn up at
the quarantine pier and the guns waiting to
salute General Shafter He was not aware
that General Shafter was on shore until the
latter and his staff had been driven to the
detention hospital in carriages. General
Shafter appeared in good health when he
came ashore. On the City of Mexico beside
the general and his staff came one company,
Of the First regiment infantry. No report
as to their condition has been made.
General Wheeler when informed that Gen.
eral Shafter was ashore ordered the salute
OF fifteen guns fired 1t was difficult to get
near General Shafter at the detention camp,
h,t H.
paign sent word to the correspondent that
he was glad to be on American soil once
more, but was sorry to learn that so many
of his men had died and were still sick at
Montauk He said, however that had the
troops remained in Santiago they would
have Jared much worse.
Surgeon Myer, who came north on the AL
legheny, had something to say today as to
the condition of the transport. 1t was said
on the vessel that fourteen Ninth Massa-
chusetts men had died Surgeon Myer stated
that when the Allegheny left Santiago there
were but twelve sick men on board, but
sickness developed very quickly on the ves-
sci when out few days and deaths oc-
CURED at the rate OF three day
The Massachusetts, men and the First Illi-
nos men were landed from the Allegheny
today and the las sick were sent to the hos
pilaiS' ut men IlOln inc Clly vi heAlCO
were also taken ashore.
Can Look Out for Himself.
General Shafter is now, strictly speaking,
by reason of rank in command OF Camp
WiKoff, but he will not assume the reins Of
control until his term in the detention camp
is finished.
In an interview this afternoon General
Shafter said:
II knew nothing of the Miles Alger con-
troversy until l was shown a newspaper on
my arrival here. l will not discuss it now.
nor will enter the controversy at any time.
Secretary Alger and General Miles can take
care OF themselves and so can l.
The Red Cross and other nurses did good
work at Santiago, but the front is hardly
the place for women. There was never any
real scarcity Of food in Cuba, but there were
no transportation facilities to get supplies to
:he front other than pack mules. The army
and sick in hospitals down there Jared as
we'll as possible in such climate
When told that 1t had been denied that
there was yellow fever at the camp at San
tiago, General Shafter said it was nonsense
as there was yellow fever there and the
doctors in Santiago, who knew it like a book
said it was yellow fever and nothing else.
Santiago was on the mend the general said
and the sanitary measures taken by the off,
GERS were having a good effect.