The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-30
HABITS OF VOLUNTEERS
Responsible for the Disease at
Camp Thomas.
TESTIMONY OF NATIVES
Engineer Belts Said the Water Supply
was Ample-6ick Men Sent Home
Without Attendants or
Supplies.

Chattanooga Tenn. Oct. 2s.-The war
investigating commission closed its sit
tings here tonight by hearing the tes-
timony of some residents. stating their
observations of the condition at Chick
amauga park while the troops were
there and giving their conclusions as to
the causes of the sickness of the sol
diers. They defended the climate as
salubrious and heaithful and generally
attributed the prevalence of disease to
the habits Of the volunteers.
At midnight General Dodge's private
car was detached from the special train
TO permit the train to depart for Knox
Vile with all the commissioners on
board except General Dodge. Colonel
Sexton and DR.. Connor. These three
members OF the commission remain In
Chattanooga until tomorrow night.
when they will leave here for Lexing-
ton. KY. proceeding thence to Clncin-
natl. Chicago and Detroit, and taking
testimony at each place In turn. They
will probably be at Lexington Monday
and Tuesday. The majority OF the COM
missioners expect to spend those two
days at Knoxville and then proceed to
Washington direct.
Edward Belts, engineer OF the Chick
amauga park commission. gave the par
ticulars of the establishment OF the
water supply system OF the park for
the army. including the digging Of wells
and the establishment Of pipe service.
He said there was an ample supply of
water for the troops at all times and
that there would have been space for
$1,000 more troops on the pipe line.
j. c. Howell, railroad station agent.
told OF an instance In which 54 sick
men. being part Of the Wisconsin COM
mand. had been placed on a train and
started to their homes without medical
supplies or physicians and without fur
loughs and transportation papers. They
were taken OF the train at Chattanooga
and their wants administered to by the
members OF the relief societies.
Ira j. Hannes. a private acting as a
member OF the hospital corps. who said
he had been n practicing physician in
Louisville. KY, for eight years. was
examined on the lines of q communica-
tion he had sent to the commission. In
this communication he had charged
phoid fever when they plainly had
pneumonia. He said there were sew
eral such patients, and he gave the
name OF Vincent Flora of the Sd Illi-
nois. as one of them. this. he said. be-
ing as plain a case of pneumonia as ne
ndu ever seen. upon Deink pressed, ne
modified his statements. saying that he
had no consultations with the physic-
ians as to their line Of treatment. He
said. however. that he considered some
of the physicians incompetent. He also
charged that appointments were made
in the hospital upon political influence.
Capt. Daniel f. Mccarthy and NJ. G..
Zalinski of the quartermaster's depot
at this point. gave testimony as to the
conduct os this officer. They agreed
that the administration of this depart
ment had been as efficient as could
have been expected under the circum-
stances. Captain Zalinski. who had
charge OF the Issuance OF clothing. said
II had been impossible. in some cases,
to supply certain sizes of clothing but
otherwise the men had been well sup
piled.
DIR. r. b. Stapp. a local physician.
detailed a visit to the hospital OF the
second division OF the third corps in
August. saying he had found IL over
crowded and dirty. and with no ply
sicians In attendance at the time. DIR.
Stapp said he had seen a great deal Of
among the soldiers In the
city. but that he had never heard OF
any special effort to close the saloons
and other places Of vice. He had seen
drunken soldiers lying in the streets
and he was sure much OF the sickness
at Camp Thomas was due to the habits
of the men