Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-01
OFF TO THE FRONT
Half a Brigade at Camp Alger Ready
to Move.
TIE ORDERS ALREADY RECEIVED
Further Investigation of Fever Con-
ditions in Camp.
S OLDIERS DISC Fl RGED
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence CT The Evening Star
CAMP ALGER, Va, July /, 1898.
Brigadier General Garretson, commanding
the I'd Brigade, LIST Division. To-Day sent fol
the colonel OF the regiments which make
up that brigade and held long conference
for the discussion Of the pro pecti.e Depart
ure of his troops. 1t has leaked out that
General Garretson expects one regiment
and ndlf of another to leave either today
or tomorrow, and that he has chosen the
Sth Ohio and half of the 9TH Illinois
the troops which are to leave first. The
six companies of the 9TH Illinois that
main and the 9th Massachusetts, to
break camp not later than Monday. AS
the entire briga1e has been in readiness
this conference necessitated no extra prep
arations.
Fever COnlitfOps-
In the discussion provoked by The Stars
article yesterday on the danger of siege
of typhoid fever it has been developed that
some of the surgeon majors on duty here
are very much alarmed indeed. Two of
them. the acting division surgeons, Majors
Parke and Devine. have been engaged since
Tuesday in Investigating the conditions
that prevail in the camp and in studying
the symptoms of the fever patients now In
the hospitals
"a, ,..Sy view the situation the danger or
an epidemic is not very grave. but Immi-
nent. "One patient" said one of these two
surgeons yesterday, could put the whole
camp on its back" The discovery of four
or five patients in each regiment is, there
fore. a danger signal that must be observ-
ed. 1t ought TO occasion little wonder that
typhoid has broken out here and there. as
the national government has so far failed
to issue a pound of lime any other dis
infectant for use among the enlisted men.
Some regiments drink water. obtained. II
is true. sixty-five or seventy feet below the
surface, but separated from it only by a
porous strata of clay and sand. Typhoid
germs might easily be washed through to
and carry with them the means of destroy
ing the health of an entire regiment. One
or two streams wind their way past the
sinks, and men have been found washing
more than once.
Local conditions may be the immediate
cause of much of the typhoid now preya-
lent. and so both the division surgeons
Eamed above and Col. A. C. Girard have
begun to study the conditions prevalent
at various places. Col. Girard appointed A
commission to look into the camp of the
five Cavalrymen now at Fort Nyer with
the fever. as fully stated in yesterdays
Star Majs. Parke and Devine went to
Fort Myer this morning to make a test Of
all the fever patients there, and to learn
as much as possible of each individual
case. This afternoon will be spent in Il
tour of the camp
May Appeal to Department.
On the conclusion of the investigation
begun by Majors Parke and Devine they
will present a summary of the facts OBJ
tanned TO Col Girard and ask him to begin
at once to make such changes as the Sit
uatrcn demands So anxious are they TO
have proper measures inaugurated that f
Col Girard still persists in his statement
that the water is pure and the danger CT
an epidemic slight. they mean to transmit
their report TO the department through
their colonel and brigade commanders
This course was determined upon yester-
day afternoon after consultation with
Gen. GCbin- He advised first the prepara-
ton OF an accurate statement of the num-
Der of patients in camp and the measures
that would most completely eradicate the
evil. When this was obtained 1t would be
well, he continued. to present it to Col
Girard. II then the medical department
Should fail 10 adopt propsr precautionary
measures. concluded Gen. Goblin. he would
Sc that the War Department took action.
court-Enartial has been appointed in
the LIST Division to try such cases of dis
obedience OF orders as may arise in the
command The special order detailing the
court was read yesterday evening.
Among the men who are to appear before
the court are Privates Alfred ST. James,
Company d, 9th New York, and James
Miller. Company X. 9Th Ohio Both are
charged With having assaulted officers on
duty. The court convenes Saturday morn
ing at o'clock.
Receive Discharges.
Discharges have been issued to the fol-
lowing men in the 9TH Illinois: Privates
Percy 3. Devens, Company NJ; Gustave
Harsh. Company b, and Z. S. Langdon,
Company l. Representative Hit was par
ticuIarIy interested in the first-named. and
had Mrs. Hit visit him when the boy was
first sent TO Fort Myer- AS day after day
went by Mrs. Hit was quick to see that
Stevens could not recover his full strength,
and she had MIR. Hit make special appiica-
tion to the War Department for his dis
charge IL came yesterday, and Stevens
was able 10 Set out this morning for his
home in Galena. Ill.
Capt r. ". Barber. quartermaster of the
9Th Illinois. Is now acting commissary of
the 2d Brigade of the LIST Division. Capt.
2. G. Denning. L. 5. v, the regular COM
missAry of the command. is now at New
port News preparing for the departure OF
Gen Garretsons men for Santiago. Much
satisfaction IS expressed everywhere with
Capt BaT5er's selection. his efforts to
feed the me1 in his own regiment have
been unusually successful.
Hiss Bessie Loer, Judge Critcher and
daughter. Dr. and Mrs. Jauney, all of Alex
sHdria. spent yesterday afternoon and even
ing with the Sd Virginia.
A well with seventy feet of water Is now
at the disposal of the regiment.
Brig Gen Mark Sheafe reported today
and took command OF the LIST Brigade, LIST
Division.
Col. Kellar Anderson of the I'd Tonnes
see Is - receive the sum of $50, intended
10 more fully equip the hospital of the regi-
ment. This purse was collected by the wo-
men of NJ smphis.