Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-09
WAS SIMPLY SLUSH.
The Water at Camp Thomas
Hospital Very Poor.
Or. Smith Says Gen. Brooke Took
End Division Supplies.
Commission Told Of Further mismanagement
a. chickamausa Park.

Chicago, Nov. S.-The war investi-
eating committee, today, continued
the examination of the witnesses. Gen.
Dodge, chairman of the committee
now says that he can begin to see an
end of the long investigation. After
some evidence had been heard at
Detroit, the committee will go to
Washington. They have yet to visit
Camp Meade Pa.
According to DR.. Conner, the ac-
cumulation of papers and documents
in the possession of the committee
would fill a large sized room DR.. q.
A. Smith of Clinton, Iowa, was the
first witness today. From Aug. to
Sept. 10 he was in charge of the I'd
Camp Thomas.
DR.. Smith said: when I assumed
my duties / found shortage of tents
and cots. Some of the patients were
lying on the ground. There was no
provision made for feeding the sick
other than the rations issued to the
soldiers in the regular service, except
such food as was brought in by chart
table organizations, principal of which
We're the Red Cross Society and the
National Relief Association.
In the pharmacy there We're at
that time no intestinal antiseptics, al
though the commanding officer IN
formed me when I made a requisition
that he had made repeated efforts to
get them. The pharmacy at that time
and indeed. until it was ordered
closed. q turned the stores over to the
government ON the 9th of September)--
never had any proper equipment for
doing pharmaceutical work.
In speaking of the water supply fur
nished the hospital DIR. Smith said:
THE water that was furnished for
the men to use in the hospital up to
Aug. l was taken from the pipe line
from Chickamauga creek and was so
full of sediment that it was simply
slush and was not water. There were
no floors in any of the hospitals tents
at the time / reported for duty at that
hospital. The tents We're fioored soon
after the middle of July although
some We're not floored until after that.
I'm regard to the nursing in that
hospital, we had no trained nurses. All
the nursing was done by orderlies and
many of them were densely ignorant.
In regard to the sinks, disinfection
and drainage, right back of the tents
of the I'd Brigade there was a cess pool
which contained most of the water
from the camp and that remained
stagnant until some time in August.
In speaking of the infection of the
camp the doctor expressed himself as
being of the opinion that typhoid
fever germs were carried around by
the flies which invaded the ground l
never knew of more than two in
stances where I should say that there
was any amount of neglect in my hos
pital'' said the doctor. Yes, l saw
sick men lying in their camp clothing
because of the want of blankets, cloth
ing, etc, to make a change. Usually
within "a hours after such thing was
discovered it was remedied. 1 went
to Gen. Compton once and told him of
the conditions prevailing in our hos
pitfalls, and so far as I know he made
efforts to have the recommendations
carried out. The United States gov
eminent did not supply any special
delicacies for sick men. These were
obtained from the relief associations
Il believe that Gen. Brooke, who
was in command of the list Army
Corps and also in command of Chicka-
manga park, was instrumental in de-
fiecting a large bulk of the supplies
into the 1st Corps, to the detriment of
the I'd Division hospital"