Evening star., 1898-07-13
Dispatches From the Front Caused
a War Conference.
CONDITIONS SURROUNDING THE TROOPS
Their Health Said to Be the Sub
ject of Discussion.
SAME MILITARY SITUATION


Navy Department received dispatches from
the feet off Santiago. The contents of
these several dispatches were not made
public up to noon. They had the effect,
however, of arousing officials, both military
and naval, to unusual activity, and coupled
with this was an undercurrent of appar-
| ent anxiety throughout official quarters.
The advces speedily led to a war council
| at the White House. at which Secretaries
| Long and AIger and the members of the
| naval war board Admiral Sicard and Capt.
| Mahan, were present. Secretary Long
started for the White House after spending
a short time at the Navy Department. He
| had nothing to make public up to that
| time.
| Fourteen Suspicious Cases.
The pl ess reports of the burning of
| Sibcney by the medical officers of the
United States army had very depressing
effect here upon the friends of the soldiers
| at the front in Cuba For a long time It
| was impossible to learn anything from any
| official source as to the exact state of af-
| fairs at the headquarters of the 9TH Army
| Corps and this reticence the part of the
! officials had the natural effect to increase
| the apprehension. Finally the fact was re-
| luctantly admitted that it was not certain
| that yellow Jack existed at Siboney, but
| the reports received over night from the
| medical officers did state that there We're
| fourteen suspicious cases of fever The fact
| that these cases were confined almost en-
| tirely to members of the qUartermasters
| department, teamsters and others who had
| been exposed in a much greater degree
| than the ordinary troops to contagion from
| the very nature of their duties encouraged
! the officials here to believe that the main
| hni of ha &c IN, 40,
| the disease, if it should turn out to be yell
| low fever.
| 1t cannot be said that the appearance of
| fever at this stage surprises the medical
! officers OF the department. They have
| made every preparation that science can
| suggest to protect the American troops
| from the fever but it is fully realized that
| men working in trenches half full of mud
| and water, soaked for twenty-four hours
at time in tropical rains, recklessly dis
regarding the advice of the Medical Corps
in the matter of drinking unboiled water
| and eating large quantities of tropical fruit
| were certainly in some danger of contract
ing disease if it should be existent in their
| neighborhood.
| Condition of the Refugees.
! That yellow fever did exist in Santiago
| though never officially admitted, was
| known here through private letters from
officers at the front to their friends, and,
| in view of the exodus from the city to the
vicinity Of Skaters camp of 1900 inhabi-
tarts, presumably for the most part of the
most destitute and filthy condition, would
afford ample opportunity for the COM
municaticn of the disease to the American
troops, were not the strictest measures
| ado pied to prevent Intercourse.
| These refugees originally made their way
! out of Santiago to Caney, town in the
| suburbs of Santiago. There they have been
| in dreadful straits to secure food and shell
| ter and General Shafter has confessed his
| inability to prevent suffering on that score.
| The French embassy here has been inform
! ed that among the refugees were 500
| French citizens, led by the French consul.
| The latter, hearing that food was more
plentiful with the American army at ST.
| honey, led his feliow-countrymen across
! the hills to that place. and as the hamlet
has Just been destroyed to prevent it from
| becoming hot bed of yellow fever, the
| sufferings of the refugees will be intensi-
| fed
| Probable Origin OF the Cases.
1t is not doubted that General Shafter,
| acting under the advice of his medical Off
! GERS, has done all that is possible to pre-
| vent close communication between the SOL
| diers and the refugees for sanitary rea-
| sons. But in his efforts to assist the poor
| people to the extent Of his power, he has
| been Obliged TO make use of the quarter
| masters department to deliver supplies to
| them, and it is surmised here that from
| the exposure thus resulting, the fourteen
| cases reported found their origin. The
promptness with which the sick men have
| been isolated and the thorough precau-
| q no haCt
| nursing and medicine, combined with the
| improved methods of treatment of fever
| that had been developed by the United
| States marine hospital service and adopted
| by the army. would seem to warrant the
| confidence expressed by medical officers
| here in the ability of the surgeons with
| General Shatter to control these suspicious
| cases and prevent a spread Of the fever
| even if it is found to be true yellow jack.
| The presence in the camp Of Dr.. John Gui-
teras of the University of Pennsylvania
| one of the most famous yellow fever eA-
| perts in the world, is additional source
| of confidence in the proper management of
| the situation.
| Military Situation Unchanged.
Before Secretary Alger went TO the White
House he had conference at the War
| Department with Surgeon General Stern
berg, who also had received dispatches
from the surgical corps near Santiago.
Although no word of any of the dispatches
was given out, those in a position TO speak
intelligently of them said that any anx-
iety which might exist was not due to q
material change In the military situation
but rather to the severe conditions sur
rounding soldiers a result of the
rainy season and the terrific storms OF the
last few days. Although the dispatches
| were thus guarded. it was stated definitely
that fighting was in progress up to the
time of the last report.
No Possibility of Escape.
It was also stated that the fears that
the enemy might secretly draw off some of
their forces to the mountains in the north
of Santiago had not been realized, SO
far as the last reports disclosed. The city
was still surrounded, it was said, and
there appeared to be no apprehension on
the part Of the officers in command that