The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-08-27
GEN. SHAFTER IS BLAMED
A Little Work Would Have
Saved Many Lives.
CRITICISM BY DR.. SENN.
Chief Quartermaster Is Scored for
IneffCiency-Much was
Lacking.

lnlCdeo, Ill, aug -o.-Dl. 'Neul tues
not hesitate to place the responsibility for
the troubles of the medical department
and the sufferings of the soldiers around
Santiago upon the broad shoulders of
Gen. Shafter and his chief quartermaster,
a man named Humphrey, says W. f.
Curtis in letter from New York to the
Chicago Record.
DR.. Sem states that Gen. Shafter is
the only man vino could control Humph-
rey. and Humphrey was i'll charge OF all
the transportation facilities at Tampa. as
we'll as at Santiago. 1t was his fault,
DR.. Sem says. that large portion OF the
medical supplies were left on the dock
at Tampa when the expedition sailed. and
it was also his fault that facilities were
not provided at Santiago for transferring
those which were taken from the ships to
the shore.
Humphrey controlled the movements of
the transports that brought home the sick
and wounded, and it was his business 10
see that they were properly provided with
necessaries of all kinds. There could
have been no trouble about this, tor these
hospital ships sailed at intervals OF sever
al days and sometimes a week apart ana
there seems to be no reason why Col.
Humphrey could not have fitted them
out with sufficient and suitable food and
water at least
There was an abundance of the very
best kind of water at Santiago, hut some
of the transports did not have their tanks
filled from the time they left Tampa for
Santiago until they arrived IN New i ork,
and the water given the wounded and
feycrish soldiers to drink was not only
stale but i'll several cases full of animal
life.
According to DIR. Sem tic great diff
fcuty was the lack of proper prepara-
tion. The uuartermaster department
was not capable Of meeting the emer-
g,ncy The mismanagement was due to
ineN Nporience and inCOmpetency. he
lack of cooperation has taught the war
department a very valuable but very
costly lesson. and will probably he fol
lowed by reorganization OF our stan
system. The work of unloading the sup
plies at Santiago was difficult and te-
dious because the quarterma>ttr : de
partment had neglected to provide light
crS Everything had to be carried III
small boats. which were incapable OF
taking much of cargo.
1t took us two weeks said DIR. Sem,
''to. unload the hospital ship, Rellef'
which carried down hospital equip
ments and medical supplies. All we had
was q rowboat and we kept that going
back and forth day and night bringing
over the things for the want of which the
soldiers were dying. The medical de
partmcnt had reason to expect that the
ships would be unloaded in the usual
manner by the QuartCrmaSterS depart
ment. II was their business and we eX-
pcctcd thcy would attend to it, but we
could not get them to give us any boats
or any assistance whatever. They
claimed that all their facilities were ah-
sorbcd III other directions aud that we
would have to look out for ourselves. If
w had supposed that this would happen
a hn,
tionS. but we expected the cooperation
of the quartcrmaster' department and
did not receive it. Hereafter the medical
department will look ont for itself.
The management of the Porto Rico oX-
pcdition under Gen. Miles was splendid
tinued DR.. Sem. There was excellent
management ali around and no friction"
asked Dr. Sem what he thought of
the effect of the murh-critiCized abolition
of the rpgimentnl hospitals and their con
soldation into division hospitals, but he
did not seem to he inclined to discuss shat
subject. He explained that it was orl.'
an experiment and there were many
things 20 be sad on both sides
1T wasn't the bullets that did Ms the
harm" said he; 'it WAS the climate and
the germs of disease which were carried
To Cvha from The camps OF the United
States. The man who dies from disease
in military campaign suffers much more
than those WIN are killed in battle. Any
one would rather he wounded with 3 rifle
ball than get the typhoid or yellow fever,
II nder the direction Of Col. Grcenlpaf
chief surgeon of the army in Porto Rico.
[ made an Investigation and found that
80 per cent of the fever cases IN tho
army on that island were due to infcr-
ton. brought from the camps in the
United States. md am firmly convinced
that if those particular regiments are a.
lowed to remain IN Porto Rico the loss Of
life from fever will I've as great as il waS
at Santiago. Wbcn | left Ponce all the
hospitals were fun There were at least
go cases of typhoid fcver'
Or. Sem also complains earnestly
bout the lack of mail facilities. md says
that many a poor boy died from home
sickness who might have been saved if
the letters written hy the loved ones ct
homo could only have reached him. Nos
tal-ia. or homesicknrss, was very prcva-
lent, particularly among the WOUNDED and
fever patients. II is a form of nolan
cholja, he says. distinct disease. which
develops acutely under such conditions.
and Is one of the most painful forms of
mental distress.
IF the mails had been delivered
| promptly and frequently" said DR.. sem.
1T would have saved many lives. TAX
ing myself rs an example. during the on
tlr" timc | have been away | have re
ccivci only two letters, and ] have no
doubt that there are 200 OF 300 lodged
somewhere on my trail. If it is impOSsi-
bic for my mail to reach me, occupying
a conspicuous position aS | do, what inust
hr the fate of the letters that were writ
ten to the private soldiers. which noula
have done incalculahle good if they could
/! have been read in the hospitals =