The record-union., 1898-10-14

Made Public by the Commission Investi-
eating The Matter.
Urged the Corps to Use Every Ef-
fort TO Aid the Administration
try.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.-The state
ment made by General John M. VIII
son, the Chief of Engineers, to the
commission Investigating the conduct
of the war was made public to-day.
During the progress of the war the
following additions We're made 10 the
country's armament:
\ Armament was placed I'M position for
six 12-inch guns, twenty-nine 1O-inch,
thirty-one S-inch, fifty-six 12~inch
mortars and thirty-five rapid-fre guns,
| and additional platforms were made
ready for a still larger number, and
additional emplacement are under con-
struction for still more.
According to this report, when all
the works begun are completed, the
armament will consist of eighty j.
inch guns, III 10-inch, sixtyfour
S-inch, 81 Pinch mortars and seven
ty-nine rapid fires. The emplacements
were under construction at twenty
five different harbors on the :51st of
August, and there We're double shifts
working at each place The total ex-
penditUres on account of gun and NOR
tar batteries during the period of the
war amount to 81, S21, 800.
Among the purchases for harbor de-
Tense were 400 miles Of cable, $50 tons
of high explosives 1,650 new torpedo
cases, forty-four searchiights, etc.
Twenty eight harbors were mined, $50
mines being placed. The expenditures
on harbor defense for the period We're
81 ,661, 900. Intrenching tools We're pur-
chased sufficient for an army Of 80
OG0 men.
Inclosed with the statement was
letter written by General Wilson on
the Sd of April, before the declaration
of war, to the officers of the corps of
engineers in charge of harbor defense,
directing them in view of the approach
ing emergency to make the best posi-
BILE torpedo defense and instructing
them how to- proceed.
1T is not" he said in this letter,
'the fault of the corps of engineers
that we are not fully prepared but It
will be it's fault, and that of sucn dis
trict officers, i'm case we do not at once
take advantage of the limited means
now al our command. Use every effort
in this emergency, arrange for boats.
set up operating apparatus in case
mates, arrange mooring anchors. lay
your cables and junction boxes, pre-
y
mines ready; purchase what is abso-
lutely necessary for the mines you now
have that you cannot protect at once
from Major Knight, extemporiZe tenn
porary mines, employ all the help you
want, but go ahead, and show what
the corps Of engineers can do in an
emergency, for your country is UMPIRE
pared
He also incloses a letter sent to
number of officers of the corps in
charge of submarine mine defenses as
early as the 2Sth of March, asking
them to organize volunteer corps for
the operation of the mines. These or
ganizations were to consist Of about
120 men each, and We're to consist of
electricians, machinists and telegraph
and telephone experts, who We're TO
agree to give their services free of
charge. These officers were also re-
quested at that date to find just when
they could put their hands on material
for equipping and working the mines.
Lieutenant l.. +. Hoff was before the
War Investigating Commission at its
forenoon session to-day. He is a reg
ular army officer, and was Chief Sur
geon in the Third Army Corps at
Chickamauga. He said he did not
consider the camp to have been in the
best sanitary condition. but expressed
the opinion that it was the best it could
be under the circumstances The men
were encamped somewhat closer 10
each other than they should properly
have been, and it had been impossible
without blasting to make the sinks as
deep as good sanitation required, owing
to layer of limestone which lay two
or three feet below the surface of the
ground throughout the camp. Further
more it was impossible to compel the
men to use the sinks, and he thought it
probable that this difficulty had led to
injurious results.
DR.. Hoff said that in the beginning
the camp was deficient in medical sup
plies There We're at this time many
cases of diarrhea, and it had not been
possible to meet all the demands for
remedies The shortage was due to
the fact that it had been expected the
troops would come to camp supplied
with medicines
Continuing, DR.. Hoff said the capaci-
ty of the division hospitals was often
doubled and trebled 1t sometimes oc-
CURED that there were eight men in
tents which We're intended to accom-
ing tentage to care for the increase of
disease which was unexpectedly rapid
On one or two occasions patients were
necessarily placed in beds made up on
the floors, because Of temporary de-
ficiency in cots. As a rule the nurses
were without training and this fact oc-
casioned some difficulty in dealing with
the typhoid cases. Yet he had known
of no specific case of suffering on this
account. He specified the case of a
man afflicted with an infectious dis
ease who had been compelled to lie in
the open air one night on account of
lack of tentage. The Captain was sure
that no injuries resulted as the weather
was pleasant
DR.. Hoff said the the shortage in
| medical supplies had continued for sew
eral weeks, but there was generally
sufficient to meet the immediate de-
mands
DR.. Conner stated that the Governor
of Arkansas had complained of the me-
glect Of the troops from that State. The
witness replied that the Arkansas
frOnDS received the Sarna y,,a1iooi ~, ~,