The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-10-29
INSPECTING THE PARK.
War Committee Examines the war supply
aud Hears Hease Complaints.

lnNestiEattng commission spent we "
tire day in inspecting the site OF Caml
Thomas in Chlckamanes park under .h'
guidance OF General Boynton. General A
p. stewart member Of the Chicka.
mauga park commission, and Mr. E. f.
Belts, the engineer Of the commission.
The inspection began at Lytle station
and covered all points OF interest in the
park and near its borders which have
been IN any way involved IN the contrc-
versy concerning the sanitation OF the
camp including sternberg and Letter
hospitals. the various springs from
which water was secured by the troops
including the famous Crawnsh springs
and the point on Chlckamauga creek al,
which the water Of the pipe line supply
was taken out.
| Special attention was given to this lat
ter place, because OF the criticisms that
have been made upon this source OF the
camps r ster supply. They found the m.
take pipe submerged about 200 feet above
the mouth OF tributary creek, known
locally as Cave spring creek which
drained the camp The charge HAD been
made that the water from the trlbuter,'
stream had contaminated the pipe watt
ern being carried back into It by moaus
OF eddies and In one case by overflow al
ter a freshet
General Boynton and Mr.. Belts who
had both been concerned In the location
of the pipe line, admitted that there had
been one occasion when Cave Spring
creek had overflowed and broken dam.
thus throwing the water into the main
stream over the intake; but they ex-
planned that this freshet had occurred at
night when the pumps We're shut down
and no water was being taken I'm. They
called attention TO the rapidity OF the
flow and to the depth Of the stream, and
urged the impossiblllty Of infection from
this source.
The inspectors listened attcntively TO
all ,lat was said but naturally they were
conservative in their expressions.
General Wilson gave especial attention
to the question as an engineering prob
lem and while he refused to allow him
self to be quoted It was evident from tie
interest he manifested and the express
ions he dropped that he was impressed
with the strong improbabnity, # not the
lmpossbility, OF Infection from this
source. 1t was also equally evident that
q majority OF tho commission formed
the same opinion.
There were many expressions of COM
mendations of the methods followed at
Sternberg hospital and General Dodge
was heard to remark that It was u pity
TO have to leave - institution so well
equipped. They fond only hfty-eight
patients in the hospital and most OF
those were convalesccnt All we're hous-
ed IN wooden pavilions, the tents being
vacated. Major Griffin I'm command OF
the hospital, said 1t would soon be aban-
doned The commission also gave atten-
ton TO the proximity of the various
camps to one another and the depth and
location OF the sinks The conclusion
seemed quite general that many Of ,ho
regiments were thrown more closely 10
gether than they should have been. and
that this fault could have been ave'ctl
by moving as there was, IN the opinion
OF at least some OF the commission, suf-
fcient space thai was not occupied for
the accommodation OF many thouaanI
troops than were ever there.
After concluding the inspection OF the
camp Major Gifnn who had been before
the commission before, was asked TO
make statement concerning some crltl-
clsms Of the hospital made in a Vermont
newspaper by Frank A. Bailey. who had
spent six weeks I'm tho hospital nursing
his brother Whcn he returned home. he
wrote an article saying, among other
things, that he had heard physicians In
the hospital tell attendants TO give their
attention to patlens who had chance 20
recover and no to nurse those who were
! sure to die In the presence Of those OF
the latter class, and that he had heard
other physlclars instruct their helpers
TO give patients ice cold baths with the
view OF finishing their patients"
Dr. Gifnn pronounced as false all the
statements made.
Dr. Charles +. Craig bactcrioogist OF
the sternberg hospital. was also exam
ined. He was questioned especially with
reference to the water supply Of tho
camp and he expressed the op'ni5n that
the water taken from Chlckamauga riv-
er through the pipe system was pufer
than that from The wells. He had fourd
impurities In the water taken from some
OF the springs He had made two analy-
sis Of the water from the river one be-
fore the July freshet and the other after
II. and had found It TO be entirely whole
come from a archaeological standpoint
1t was muddy and he thought IL should
be filtered. He had also made tests
which convinced him that there was M
danger Of eddies carrying the water Of
the cave Spring creek into the pipes.
Dr. Craig expressed the decided opin
ion that common house flies are capabl'
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