The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-05

was due to local rains ana not 10 the
fact of original inferiority.
The spirit of the army was such, he
said that there was no disposition to
complain. "They were all proud 10
be there and willing to undergo hard
ships"
NO NEGLECT.
Captain Howell asked to what he at
tributed. the development of disease
after the capitulation of Santiago. Cen
eral Wheeler replied that it was due
TO the climate and to the exposure
made necessary. All the men seemed
to be more or less affected by the con-
ditionS. He had, he said, known or no
instance of a sick or wounded man dy-
ing from want Of care from the ply
sicizns. So. far aS he knew, there was
general commentator of the medical
corps. eyceIt that on one or two occa-
sions there had been some grumbllng
in regard TO the general conditions. He
thought there was a deficiency in the
number of ambulanceS, but this uehc-
tencv was due to the eXigencies Of the
campaign.
Int.fhis connection General Wheeler
revealed the fact that he had felt some
what hurt that his had been the fourth
command ordered to be landed, when
he Thought his rank entitled him TO
the first landing. General Shafter had
given the order which thus affected
him.
AT CAMP WIKOFF.
After a recess General Wheeler de-
voted his testimony chiefly to his ex-
perience at Wikoff, Montauk Point. Inc
president, on giving him command
there. had ordered him to spare no
pains or expense to make the men
comfortable. lie made an eXamlna-
ton of the camp and found it necessary
to undertake much preparation to care
for the men properly, to bore wells,
lay water pipes, build laundries, dis1n-
fecting plants, get floors for the tents,
erect hospitals, etc.
The surgeons, at his request, had
made a list of special articles to be pur-
chased for the sick. This he had asked
them to do, in obedience with the
presidents orders. The list included
evaporated fruits, green corn in cans,
sugar-cured hams, oatmeal, fish, ice,
canned peaches, prunes, soups, pickles,
lemons, oranges, eggs, tea, milk and
many kinds of food. And under
take to say" he declared, that no
army on earth was ever so abundantly
Supplied with the necessaries Of life
and Injuries"
The general location and the trans
portation facilities of the camp were
Door. There was but one line of rail-
without adequate terminal facilities.
The camp would he said, have been
supplied by water, but, unfortunately,
there was a contract with the railroad
company owning the land, which gave
it the control of all the transportation
except that on government transports.
This contract had been made, he I'M
derstood, in return for the use Of the
land He did not know who had made
the contract. There were good hospit-
ais erected, but there was a scarcity Of
nurses. He Immediately wired for
nurses. ana within five or six days
there was an abundance. He sum-
moned the surgeons for a consultation
each morning, and would order imme
diately any article needed.
HOSPITALS ALL RIGHT.
The hospital tents were, he said, all
fioored. The patients were laid upon
mattresses, on the floor, and were sup
piled with clean bedding. From first to
last 10 000 patients entered the hospitals
at Montauk. The hospitals had, when
he landed, g. capacity of not to exceed
800. and, SO far as he knew, the hos
pitfalls had up to this time been equal
TO the demands upon it. Over 1882 of
the Santiago troops had been reported
sick on arrival. but many others of the
arrivals were really sick.
lSlllLE lctNAAES ndtl l1idAit frequent
complaints TO him of specific cases in
which sick men were not properly
cared for, but he found upon investi-
cation in each case that the physicians
said the ladies were mistaken. As a
rule, when parents or other relatives
came TO visit the soldiers they ex-
pressed satisfaction at the care the men
were given. He knew of no complaints
from relatives.
General Wheeler explained that the
reason there was 50 much complaint
about the bUrials was that the burying
ground was so near. Only 260 of the
men had died in the existence of the
camp. He knew nothing OF the details
of interments, and could not say
whether any bodies had been buried
without clothing. Upon the whole. he
thought the fact that there had been
no spread of yellow fever from the
camp was quite marvellous One of the
greatest difficulties lac had encountered
was to properly control the removal of
sick soldiers by their relatives in cases
where sympathy and affection often
acted instead Of discretion.
General Wheeler considered the hospital
facilities ample after the erection of the
division hospitals There We're times
when they were crowded for a day or two.
but on the other hand there were many
times when the buildings were not filed.
WORLDS CHARGES.
Taking up charges made by the New
York World and by DR.. Jenkins in its
columns General Wheeler said that if the
soldiers had not been landed at some
Isolated place. such as Montauk Point the
fear of yellow fever would have caused a
general outcry. It would have been cruel
to send the men home within five DAYS
after landing, as DR.. jenkins had sug-
gested
Many Of them were sick men and needed
attention in the hospital They would
have fallen sick on the trains and ar
tracted general attention to the situation.
The distress was dde to the condition OF
the men and not to the Typographical or
climatic conditions. Ninety per cent had
the fever in them ana the officers suffer-
ed as much as the men. Montauk Point
he thought, in brief. was a necessity for
uuartering Durposes-to prevent the
spread Of fever; If for no other purposes.
Replying TO other allegations made by
the World General Wheeler said he did
not think the hospitals were crowded;
that if the sick were without blankets or
adequate shelter he had not known the
fact and IL he had known such want
ne would have supplied it. There was no