Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-08-11

are Chosen as Sites for Field Hospitals,
Two In New York and One In Vermont
Washington, Aug. 6.-Friday would
have been remarkably dull at the war
department had it not been for the
publication in the newspapers of the
round robin" signed by the military
commanders at Santiago and the short
but sharp correspondence between
Col. Roosevelt and Secretary Alger-
These afforded food for much discus
sion among officials and the belief was
general that there are to be further
interesting chapters in the corre-
spondence, provided it is deemed
harmless to the best interests of the
army to allow further publications. In
proof of the allegation that the war
department had beStirred itself to sue
cor the army in Santiago before the
united protest was made, the follow
ing statement is given out by the sec
retary of war:
Until quite recently ii was sup
posed that yellow fever was epidemic
in Santiago and it was not believed
that it would be safe to send north
ship loads of men largely infected
with yellow fever. The disease, it was
believed, would spread rapidly on
shipboard and result in the death and
burial of many at sea. On the 18th
ut. the secretary of war telegraphed
to Gen Shafter that as soon as the
fever subsidized the men of his COM
mand would be moved north to camp
that had been selected for them on
Montauk Point On July 30 Gen.
Shsfter telegraphed that he had made
known the secretary of wars tele-
gram that troops would be moved
north as soon as fever subsided and
it haCf-a very good effect on the men.
"When. however, the true condition
was made known an order was issued
to Gen. Shafter to move his command
north as rapidly as possible and all
ships in the quartermaster's service
possible to get to Santiago were sent
there and the great liners st. Paul and
ST Louis were also ordered there. All
this was done before the communica-
tion signed by Gen. Shafter and his
generals was received and before Col.
Roosevelt's letter was published. over
$50 surgeons are at Santiago and lT6
immune nurses have been sent there,
besides the usual hospital corps that
always attends such an army. There
have been less deaths in Santiago by
yellow fever than by typhoid fever in
any camp of the same size in the
United States"
1t is said to be overstating the case
to say that Gen. Shafter was rebuked
for allowing publication of the round
robin" for the secretary of war con-
fined his communication to simple
inquiry as to whether the general had
given publicity to the Roosevelt letter
and the round robin" but hereafter
an effort will be made to guard such
information more carefully from the
public.
The war department has ordered
the large fleet of transports at Ponce
to proceed to Santiago, there to join
with the transports already at Santl-
ago in bringing ShafterS army back
to this country. There are ten large
transports at Ponce, some of them
having a capacity of 1000 men. In all
they have a capacity of 6,540 men,
This. with the capacity of the ships
at Santiago, will give a carrying
The war officials say that the em-
baAkation at Santiago has already be-
Gun and that the Louisiana, with cav
airy on board, is now we'll on her way
home. With the arrival of Skaters
army in this country, every facility
will be given to the troops to recu-
perate. -
There will be no yellow fever cases
brought to this country, as such cases
can be best handled without removal.
The less serious cases of sickness not
involving contagion will be brought
here if the patients are cclvalescing
to a point where remo.al will be adj
yantageous. Surgeon Gen. Sternberg
has in view several pohts for patients
and convalescents. The actual hos
pital station will probably be located
at Montauk Point, where a field hos
pital for 500 patients is being pre-
pared In addition to this. Gen. Stern
berg has in view two fine locations
where bracng mountain and lake air
will help convalescents to recovery.
These points are Fort Ethan Allen,
VT, and the army post at Plattsburg,
\ Y