The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-10-07
Its Sanitary Condition at the Time
ofthe Surrender Was some-
thing Frightfal.
STREETS FILLED WITH THE DEAD
What Has Been Done by the Exer-
I. ,fsuperhuman Efforts
Since July.
YELLOW FEVER ALL AROUND THEM
Water supply Had Been Gut and
AL That Could he Secured
Was Polluted With
Disease Germs.

Washington, Oct. 3.-Secretary Al
ger has received II long letter from
General Leonard Wood, military gov
enor of Santiago. 1t is personal to a
great extent, but deals with many
questions of interest to the public and
Secretary Alger has allowed some ex-
tracts to be published.
General Wood says in part:
Il have had q very difficult position,
from n sanitary point of view, and not
altogether an easy one from a mill
tary and civil standpoint. When we
came into the city the sanitary condi-
ton was something. frightful. There
we're a great many unburied dead in
the houses, between 1000 and 5000
Spanish wounded and sick and a great
horde of half famished and sick peo-
pie, nearly 10000 in number, who had
just returned from FL Caney, where
they had gone during the seige. The
water supply OF the city had been cut;
there wa no water to be obtained ex-
cept from cisterns and a few wells,
ind the streets were full of dead ami
mails and all sorts of filthy materials.
! had to start in from the bottom and
repair the waterworks. Then came
the removal of the dead. Some of
these were burned, because the num-
Der was so great and decomposition
had advanced to such an extent that
they could not be buried. Burning is
not uncommonly practiced here dur
ing the epidemic season.
Yellow Fever All Around.
"We have yellow fever NIL around lis
and about 20 cases in the Spanish mil
itary hospital. The civil hospital was
full of dying people and public build
ings were being used as hospitals. On
the whole it was an extremely difficult
task, requiring n great deal of hard
work. I have been working sys-
tematically with every means at hand
to improve the sanitary condition of
the city. 1t is in this department that
a vast amount of work has been done.
stantly employed and at many times
have had nearly double this force
working day and night to remove the
vast accumulations of understandable
filth which has accumulated in the
outhouses and yards, as well as the
streets of the city, which is reputed to
be one of the most unhealthy cities in
the world. The death rate has dropped
steadily since we came in, and is now
about one-fourth of what it was in
July. The water system has been put
in order, and a great many repairs
made to it, and the supply, although
insufficient, is utilized to the greatest
advantage"
'The garbage and material which ]
collect in the streets l have dumped
outside of town and burnt. I have
also had the lower and most unhealthy
portion of the city ditched and drained
and the bitches running into the har-
Dor cleaned out, also :he water front
system of sewerage which was com
pletely o%bstructed and in a frightful
condition. 1t has long been the Gus
tom in this town to depend upon
heavy rain and the floods through the
streets to sweep away the accumulate
ed filth of the dry season. All this
has been swept down to the water
front, where it has been collecting for
years, choking the drains and filing
the shallow waters near the shore, SO
that when the tide goes masses
of dumping material are exposed to
the intense rays of the sun and fur
nish frightful causes of disease. La
ter this year, when the epidemic sea
son shall have passed, it is my inten-
ton, if l am granted funds and au-
thority, to have the shallow places
dredged out, so that at least a thin
layer of water will cover them at low
tide and prevent the present condition
of affairs.
Police Force Re-EstablIshed.
1.-THE police force has been re-estab-
lished and it's uniform changed to one
similar to that worn by the Cubans,
and the city will soon be rid of all
suggestion of Spanish rule.
"The lighthouse system in the har.
Dor | have rc-cstabiished and have ar
ranged pilots, harbor masters, etc.
A the courts are not yet running,
I have the delightful experience Of
acting as police judge and clearing
the docket of all sorts of odd cases.
OF u the most serious cases, such
MS crime, are being held for trial,
either by military commission or by
The courts when they are established
and in operation.
"The receipts of the city from Gus
toms since we occupied it, l under
stand from Generals Shafter and Law
ton, who have charge of this matter,
have been about $780, 900. The ex-
penses of the city per week, support
ing the hospitals, cleansing the
streets, doing the necel ssary engineer
NEW PERMANENT ARMY HOSPITAL
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