The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-01
Now Insists What He Said at First
Regarding Pollution of Water at
Camp Thomas Was True.
GENERAL WILSON'S EVIDENCE
NOT SUFFICIENT LAUNCHES TO LAMB
TROOPS IN PORTO RICO.
Conditions at Chickamauga Park, aa
Viewed by Colonel BaIdwin-Hos-
pitfalls Not in Good order.

CAMP POLAND, Knoxville Tenn Oct.
31.-The war investigating commission cons
cluded the work of it's Southern tour here
to-day, and tonight left for Washington,
expecting to arrive there tomorrow after-
noon. 1t is the present intention of the
commission to. go to Camp Meade soon after
arrival at Washington, and ex-Governor
Woodbury. will proceed directly to Vermont
as subcommittee to take testimony there.
The commissioners devoted the forenoon to
inspecting the camps and the afternoon to-
taking testimony. They found division of
troops here under the command of Colonel
kurtz, of the Second Ohio, and, while they
had no personal criticism to express against
him, some of the commissioners expressed
the opinion that the command was too large
to be intrusted to an officer below the rank
of brigadier. The transfer of Colonel Kurtz
to the command of the division leaves the
brigade of which his regiment is a part in
command of Colonel Young, the colored
colonel of the Third North Carolina.
The first witness before the commission
was DR.. John c. +. Martin, a contract SUR
geon from Ohio, who was at Chickamauga.
He repeated his expression of opinion that
the water in the pipeline system at Chick
amauga was contaminated by the water
from Cave Spring creek. He said that after
he had first expressed this opinion, saying
at the same time that the facts in regard to
the existence of typhoid were being sup
pressed, he had been summoned by General
Sheridan and told that he must retract I'M
mediately or submit to court t-martiaL He
had then written letter of retraction but
he declared that he had done this to pro-
mote discipline, and not because he had
changed his opinion as to the pollution Of
the water. He read a statement from the
pumping station engineer to the effect that
the new channel Of Cave Spring creek was
not completed until Aug. 6, and that previ-
Gus to this time the creek emptied into
Chickamauga river just above the mouth oe
the intake pipe of the pipeline SYSTEM
He also expressed the opinion that the Jay
Mill spring at Chickamauga was contami-
mated from the surrounding sinks.
DIR. Park l.. Myers, a contract surgeon
from Ohio, who was engaged in the hospital
Of the Second Division of the First Corps
at Chickamauga, differed from most of the
physicians in his estimate of typhoid. He
said that while many believed 80 per cent.
of the sickness at the camp ito be typhoid,
he did not believe that to exceed 20 per cent.
was of that character. He also took issue
with those who charged typhoid to agency
of flies, attributing it to the water. He
thought most of the diseases at Chick
amauga Park were miasmatic. He said it
was true that on some occasions it had been
necessary to have patients at this hospital
lie en- the ground for as much as ten hours
at time, until provision could be made for
them.
Col. F. w. Hughes, division superinten6-
ent of the Southern Railroad, gave the com-
mission Information as to the trouble en-
countered in moving troops. He said that,
as a rule, the soldiers lad co-operated in
the work of the railroad company but that
there had been some disorder at times He
mentioned one instance in which Company
f. of the Fifth Pennsylvania, had broken
up all the furniture of two cars near Lex
ington, KY, on the plea that the cars were
not fit for soldiers to travel in. Other wit
nesses examined were Colonel Brown, Of the
Fourth Tennessee, and Lieutenant Colonel
Schubet, of the Thirty-first Michigan, and
Croxton, of the Sixth Virginia, and Chaplain
White. of the Thirty-frst Michigan.