The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-14
Town of siboney, Used as Headquar-
ters of the Army, Burned to Pre-
vent Spread of the Fever.
TORAL MAY BE RESPONSIBLE
ALLEGED SCHEME TO DEMOR ALIzE
THE AMERICAN FIGHTERS.
The Spanish General Charged with
Deliberately Injecting Skaters
Camp with the Deadly Fever.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. July 13.-The breaking
out of yellow fever among the refugees
from Santiago and its communication to a
few soldiers and teamsters in Skaters
army confirms the fear of those who knew
by experience what life and especially cam
paigning in the tropics in the rainy season
was The rains down there have become tor
rental in their nature and the men have
to work in trenches filled with water and
to sleep on the wet ground. They are, there
fore, susceptible to fevers incident to the
country, the most dreaded of which is
yellow jack" The presence there of such
fever experts as DR.. Guiteras, of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, and DIR. Sem, of
Chicago, is fortunate. They have under
them corps of medical experts and are
provided with everything that science and
experience can suggest to combat disease.
General Miless prompt action in ordering
the destruction of the hamlet of Siboney,
which had become little more than a pest
house, meets with the approval of the Pres
ident and secretary of war, who are deter
mined that, If possible, the army shall be
spared the horrors of a fever epidemic"
1t is a terrible thing to believe but the
belief is being forced upon the authorities
anu otheIS mere VINO nave andlyZed the ac-
mons or the Spanish commander in SAINT
lago' General Toral, that he, inspired by
ueVliish maiignity, sent the refugees from
the city into our lines for the deliberate
purpose of injecting it with yellow fever
1t Is known that fever exists in that city.
though its presence there has not been Of
ficially recognized, and it is believed that
some of the thousand of refugees who have
fled from it have brought the disease out
with them The fever is from three to five
days In its period of incubation, according
to the reports of the surgeons If Toral
engaged in any such frightful ATTEMPT to
introduce the disease into our army rea-
son is found for the numerous truces he
has asked for. with their attendant DELAYS
He asked for yet another to-day. shortly
before the hour set for the RESUMPTION of
the attack upon the city, and at its con-
clusion said he had no authority to sur
render Internationally. but would have to
communicate with Havana and Madrid
He thus gained twenty-four hours, General
smarter granting delay until noon to-mor-
row. If he were actuated by the devilish
design of defeating our army by either de-
stroying or demoralizing it by an epidemic
of yellow fever, deliberately introduced bv
fever-stricken refugees sent by himself into
our lines, he has by these truces and de-
lays given the fever plenty of time i'm which
to develop and ravage our men, Toral has
been guilty of acts which indicate that he
IS entirely capable even of fighting an en-
emy by inoculating him with yellow fever.
1t was under his orders that Spanish sharp
shooters fired upon our surgeons and
nurses and wounded men. 1t was he that
sent thousands of helpless men. women
and children out of Santiago without food
knowing that unless they were succored
by the Americans they must die of starya-
ton. The burden of proof, therefore. ia
upon Toral to show that he did not seek to
infect our army with yellow fever to de-
stroy it or so weaken it that he could lie
feat ii.
Surgeon General Sternberg of the army is
taking every precaution possible to prevent
the army ~ Cuba from becoming stricken
with yellow fever epidemic He has or
dered the hospitals to be removed to ground
thousand feet above the sea level At that
height no case of yellow fever can originate
nor can the disease spread. He saws that
in Cuba and other West India islands seven
hundred feet is considered safe, but he has
directed the removal to be made to ground a
thousand feet above the sea level in order to
make assurance doubly sure. In addition
to this Genreal Sternberg has telegraphed
to all the South Atlantic and Gulf ports to
secure all the yellow fever immune doc
tors and nurses obtainable and have them
sent to Santiago at once. Nursing is the
main thing in dealing with a yellow fever
case.
feeling of relief is felt in official circles
here that General Miles has assumed COM
mand in person at Santiago. General
Smarter Is an able and gallant soldier but
he has been unwell almost from the dav
he landed in Cuba. and has thus been phys
cally unfit for the tremendous duties i'm
posed upon him by the unexpected difficult
ties of the situation there. He has been nm
able to give that personal attention to the
physical welfare OF his army that a COM
mander should The exposure the men
have undergone has undoubtedly reduced
their vitality and predisposed them TO fall
comparatively easy victims to malarial
fevers. These fevers are of themselves not
usually fatal hardly even serious, but with
yellow fever lurking in the background they
may easily develop that dread disease 1t
Is believed that General Miles will hasten
operations as he will not want to fight two
such foes at once as the Spanish and the
yellow fever. After the city is taken the
army win be removed to a more heaIthful
locality without delay, either TO the high
ground back of Santiago where yellow fever
cannot live or to Porto Rico, where II Is
practically unknown. 1t only appearing
there when brought from Cuba or some
other outside point Santiago can be held
by q small force after its capture and this
force can be made up of the troops prac-
ticaily immune from tropical disease
Secretary Alger and Secretary Wilson re-