Evening star., 1898-07-13

the enemy would get away. Much anxiety
had been created at the War Department
by press report to the effect that Brig
Gen. Duffield was i'll in the hospital Gen
Duffield is a fellow-townsmaa of Secretary
Alger and one of his closest personal asso-
ciates. The dispatches of Gems. Miles and
Shafter made no reference whatever to
Gen. Duffield's being in the hospital, so
that the press report WAS unaccountable.
as it was felt both Miles and Shafter would
speedily report if Gen. Duaield was in
capacitated by wounds or Illness
While the war council was in progress ali
the usual centers of information at the
War and Navy Departments were closed
against inquiry. A number of public men
called. and to them the officials conveyed
the general impression that the military
situation stands substantially unchanged,
with no fighting and no surrender: but that
the chief attention for the moment was
being directed to the health and hygicnic
conditions of our troops
Services of Immunes Engaged.
The surgeon general has received several
dispatches from the chief surgeon in charge
Of the medical department of Shafter' ;
army but. If they relate to fever he will
not admit it. 1t is known, however, that
the surgeon general is engaging the serv-
ices of immune doctors and nurses for work
in the hospitals, Before the expedition to
Santiago was made UP and sailed from
Tampa DR.. Sternberg sent a number of
these immune physicians TO Tampa, and
they accompanied Gen. Shafter to Cuba
Gen. Sternberg thinks it unwise to discuss
questions relating to the health of the
troops, it would only give rise to con-
ayr1 in .l.,I-
friends at home.
No Cases Reported in the Fleet.
Surgeon General Van Reypen of the navy
distinctly states that no reports have come
as to any cases of yellow fever among the
naval forces at or near Santiago. The ma
rine garrison at Guantanamo is about the
only land force coming Immediately under
DR.. Van Reypen's supervision, and as to
this force the reports are entirely satisfac-
tory up to date.
The exemption Of the latter from disease,
although they have been camped out in the
tropics for over month, is undoubtedly
attributable to the ability of the marine
officers to enforce very mucn strict3r con-
ditions upon their men than are possible
o. observance among volunteers and regu-
lar soldiers. 1t is believed. for instance
that no marines dare drink anything but
the distilled water which Is supplied on
the ships, under pain of punishment; their
lines are sharply drawn, and there is moth
ing like promiscuCUs intercourse between
them and the vagrant Cubans passing IN
and out of Caimanera, the nearest town.
The surgeon general received word that
the naval hospital ship Solace sailed yes
terday for Newport News with her load or
wounded soldiers and sailors, Spaniards as
well as Americans. She will reach New
port News in about three days. The sur
geon general also received a letter from
DIR. Edgar, surgeon with the marine garri-
son at Guantanamo, giving the first de-
tailed account OF the killing Of Surgeon
Gibbs. DIR. Edgar writes that while the en-
gagement at Guantanamo was in progress
many bullets struck the hospital tent 1t
was decided to start for an excavation
about sixty feet away, where the hospital
work could proceed under shelter from the
surrounding earth. They had gone but
fifteen feet, when DR.. Gibbs dropped with
a bullet wound through the left temple.
The ball passed transversely through the
brain, coming out of the right temple. DIR.
Gibbs died half hour after receiving
the wound. He was buried in camp on the
afternoon of the 18th ultimo with due
honors.