The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-04
HEARD THEORY
THE PRESIDENT AT THE COTS OF
SICK MEN IN CAMP wIKoFF.
Pathetic Interviews Between Mr.. Nc
kinIey and the Patients Burn
ing with Fever.
VISIT CHEERED THE TROOPS
TIRELEss JOURNEY THROUGH ALL
THE HOSPITAL WARDS.
Chief Of the Army Meets shafter,
WneeAer anu nOOseNclt anu MakeS
. Speech to the Privates.
THE CAMP TO BE ABANDONED
QUICK ACTION DECIDED ON DURING
M'KINLEY's VISIT.
~
Heroes from Cuba In Need OF Pure
Water, and DistiIIing Ship Iris Or
dered to Montauk Point.
Chief OF the Army Meets shafter,
wheeler and Roosevelt and Makes
. Speech to the Priyates.
THE CAMP TO BE ABANDONED
QUICK ACTION DECIDED ON DURING
M'KINLEY's VISIT.
Heroes from Cuba In Need of Pure
Water, and DistiIIing Ship Iris Or
dered to Montauk Point.

A tlft
CAMP wIKOFF Montaulx Point, Sept. 8.
President Mckinley spent five hours in the
camp to-day, bareheaded most OF the time,
visiting the sick in the hospitals and in
specting the well in their cantonments. He
made speech to the assembled infantry
men, reviewed the cavalrymen, expressed
his opinion OF the camp to the reporters,
and issued an order directing the regulars
to return to their stations east of the Mis-
sissippi. With the President were Vice
President Hobart, Secretary of War Alger,
Attorney General Griggs. Senator Redfeld
Proctor of Vermont. Brigadier General
Egan, commissary of the army; Brigadier
General Luddington, quartermaster of the
army; Col. Henry Heclxer. and secretaries
to the President, Porter and Cortelyou. The
ladies of the party were Mrs. Alger and
Miss Hecker. daughter of Colonel Hecker.
General Wheeler his staff and nearly
every officer of prominence in the camp met
the President at the station, except General
Shafter, who is still in detention, and Gen.
Young, who fell and broke his arm last
night. After greetings and introductions on
the railway platform. the President took
General WheeIer's arm and went to a car
riage Col. Theodore Roosevelt, of the
Rough Riders. was among group of horse
men near by. Mr.. Mckinley saw him, and
got out of the carriage to speak to him
Colonel Roosevelt hastily dismounted and
struggled with gauntlet for fifteen sec
onds. so that he might shake hands un-
gloved. The column of carriages wound UP
a hill, escorted by the Third Cavalry Reg;-
ment and the mounted band Of the Sixth
Cavalry. The party paused moment on
the hill. and the President looked out on
the wide undulating cape water-bound on
either side and whitened on the levels and
hilltops by the tents Of 1900 men, laid out
in geometric lines.
Mr.. Mckinley drove to General Skaters
tent in the detention camp. The general,
who was flushed and weak from mild case
OF malarial fever, was in full uniform, sit
ting in a chair at the door of the tent He
tried to rise, but Mr.. Mckinley said:
stay where you are. general. You are
entitled to rest"
The President congratulated General
shafter on the Santiago campaign and after
g few minutes rest proceeded to the general
hospital. The soldiers recently arrived on
transports and detained in the detention
section of the camp lined up irregularly on
each side the road and cheered Mr.. Nc
Kinley took off mis- straw hat then, and
could put it on for only minute or two at
a time during the remainder of his progress
through the camp.
Miss Wheeler, a daughter of the general,
happened to be in the first row of the hos
pital tents and she showed the President
through her division. General Wheeler an
nounced in each ward: Boys. the Presi-
dent has come to see YOU" or Soldiers.
the President of the United States.'
GREETING THE SICK.
Some Of the soldiers slept on unconscious
~. some listlessly raised on their elbows.
others feebly clapped their hands. Mr.. Nc
Kinley gently shook hands with many. and
at every cot he paused an instant and if he
saw the sick man looking at him he bowed
in direct and personal way.
In the second ward the President entered
sergt. John A. Alexander. Company d,
First Illinois. who has fever. was rather
startled by hearing General Wheeler an
nounce the President. The sergeant half
raised up on his cot Mr.. Mckinley, at
tracted by the movement. took Alexanders
hand and said:
II am sorry to see you so sick. hope
that you are getting better"
THANK you, think shall get well"
"Do you wish for anything?" inquired
General Wheeler.
"No, have everything good for me,
guess" Alexander replied wearily; 'but
wish were home"
st hope that we may soon get you there"
said Mr.. Mckinley.
Tie had many such bits OF talk with the
men and seemed to be in no hurry. He al
most outwore the patience of all his party
by his slow going through ward after ward.
When seemingly all the wards of the gen.
eral hospital had been gone through and the
President was about to get into a carriage.
Attorney General Griggs detained him.
Miss Wheeler has told me-" said he. ''of
q Lieutenant Prado. who is in tent back
here by himself. and he is in dying condi-
ton He has asked about your coming and
Miss Wheeler has promised that you shall
see him."
Certainly. Let us go to him." Mr.. Nc
Kinley said.
The others of the party discreetly re-
manned outside the tent. The President
reappeared with the nurse a minute or two
later. His eyes were moist and downcast.
AS It was inconvenient to go back to the
doors of the long tents, Mr.. Mckinley would
60 through the frame work at the ends OF
the tents and jump down. The General
Hospital is on a slope and the height of the
floors from the ground increased with each
ward At Ward F the jump was nearly six
feet. Mr.. Mckinley took 1t. Vice President
Hobart. who is bulky man. hestated.
II balk here. Can't go over this hurdle"
he said. Neither would Secretary Alger,
who had taken all the jumps until then.
But General Wheeler sprang lightly down.
The day was hot. MIR. Mckinley wore a
black frock coat with a waistcoet The
perspiration streaned from his face
glass Of Appolinaris was offered to him. but