The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-17
number were compelled to lie on their
hfankNts nv +le e-~r',-1 1


slation OF the hospital. The surseo
were.all competent and noeWienstanaing
| the shortage of supplies the men had as
good attention as they could have had at
any otheE hospital.
Speaking of the Concha, concerning
which there has been considerable criti-
cism. he said he had supervised the pro-
vistoning Of that vessel and hs was sure
that it hao received all the supplies neg
essary. He did not know OF any ships
coming North without medical officers
and attendants, yet the oonvalescents
were expected to look after themselves on
the trip.
Dr.. Ireland said that ON one occasion q
surgeon on the Seneca had come ashore
in search of revolver because he said the
able to get revolver, but did get a rifle.
Dr. Ireland had never heard that he had
been called upon to use it. He was not
sure whether this was DR.. Bird or Dr.
Hicks.
DR.. Edward L. Nuns on, who was on
duty at Tampa and in Cuba. being Tor
a time on the Olivette, said he had un-
derstcod that acquisitions were promptly
approved and chat oil the difficulty
there was in getting medicines and sup,
plies Was due to the lack OF transpor6a-
tion. M
He had understood that the medical
supplies in Cuba were short. They were
taken on the transport, but it was I'M
possible to get them landed. DR.. Pope
had made application to the quartsrmas.
ter's department for transportation for
this pnrpose, but was told there was none
| to be had. Later small boat had been
| furnished for one trip only. Gen. Shafter
I.<x <,.,f1f Of a N
trip and had afterwards revoked it to the
extent of having the boat take some Off
c3rs aboard. There were medical supplies
which had never been landed.
DR. Munson had outftted some of the
hospital ships going north and on one
department large quantity OF delica-
cies for this service which had been
left on the Iroquois.
DIR. Munson said that the condition Of
the army before Santiago was lamentable
owing largely to the fact that the men
were without tents. For the first two
or three days also they were practically
without supplies on shers. So far as he
could determine, the quarterinaster's S
Department had made no effort to assist
the medical department. leaving 1t en-
tiraly to its devices. He knew that DR..
Pope had protested against sailing until
supplies, which had been ordered, could
be received. s4
Col. W. "A. Forwood, who was the chief
medical officer at Montauk Point, testi-
| fed that his instructions were to have on
hand at all times tents beds, etc., and
REPRESENTATIONS that they were not there
were not correct. There was, however,
some Lack Of transportation facilities and
there was difficulties In getting supplies
| from the station, this fact being due
largely to the limited capacity of the rail-
road depot. The hospitals were overorowd-
ed at times, but emily for few hours. He
asserted that mot for minute'' had
| patients remained outside the hospitals
without protection from the weather.
though there were times when cots were
mot on hand. In these cases, the patients
| were laid on hair mattresses spread on
! the tent floor. DIR. Forwood, said that
much of the orowding of the hospitals
was due to the fact chat many soldiers
sought to gain admission as means OF
| tion of affairs might have resulted in
keeping deserving men out.
"We did notdo much business with
the leyser pad, = said the witness We
| did mot use the pen nor resort to red tape.
| but we got on cur horses and went with
vim to do what WINS tn be DONE
| "But," said DR.. Conner, "thase facts
| do not explain the other facts that there
were occasions when the tents were over
crowded, when there were more sick men
| than could be accommodated. What steps
were taken to relieve this condition.
| Dr. Forwood-s'We increased tie mum.
| ber of carpenters and the laboIers gen.
orally. We redoubled our own personal
exertions, worked late at night"
| DIR. Conner" But how did it happen
| that after receiving an order early In
| August to get q thousand bed hospital
ready in the latter part OF that month
this had not teen done, and there were
| sick soldiers who were not able to ind
hospital accommodation. Whose fault
was it-that of the medical department
or the quartermaster's that such was
| the oasel Surely somebody was at fault
land you. as the chief surgeon of the camp,
ought to be able to tell us who 1t was. =
1 DR.. Forwood III MOI you have not made
case yet. Our first ordsr was for 50n-
/ he'd hospital and after that for another
Iof the same capacity; but by the time
| you speak of, we had not room for
| 1000 beds, but for 200.s''
| DR.. Conner Even then you had not
sufficient tentage ="
| DIR. Forwood-st Not to cover the whole
earth, but we had all that was necessary
to cover the sick, there was neysr mo-
ment whom we did not have tents there
to put up y
| At this juncture DR.. Forwood was ex-
cused fer the night.
| Gen. Dodge announced at the close OF
tOday's session that the commission
would leave here tomorrow night for New
York. While in that oity the Fifth ave,
nue. hotel will be the headquarters and
meeting will he held there, the first be-
ginning Friday at 10 O'Clock.