The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-16

which was its properly. 4.t,an
Col. Lee saiu the tent could not be tsshen
out except in the proper military mannet -
| but the regimant had never been aole "
| ascertain what he required ana naa nos = -
secured the tent The defect was SUP
piled by taking the officers mess tent iol
hospital purposes.
Gov. Beaver, a member OF the commas
sion, expressed the opinion that -this oou-
duct on the part of Col. Lee was an A+ ouvt
rage and he said the only mistakes tnnu
the doctor and his colonel had made was
that they had not taken the colonel ~
tne nape OF the neck and kicked MIN ouo
OF the camp"
Continuing, DR.. Weaver said thai ne
mad been the only surgeon on duty Win
his regiment, the other two being DE-
taile TO other service He had been on
duty as long as AZ hours at time, but
he had never any COMPLAINT, but 1t was
gener lily known that the surgeons III Une
heaquarters were overworked. The Wit
ness expressed the opinion that the nos
pital facilities should he furnished by
the government, adding that Dor An artis
sie of property in the hospital had been
| upplied, the citizens of Pennsylvania
buying beds, blankets, sheets ana all tne
food, ice and milk that had been there.
He had expended over $1,000 on the hos
pital alone.
Major Louis A. LeGarde, regular
army surgeon, who was in charge OF the
division hospital at Siboney, said the
transports taking troops to Cuba wers
oyercrowded and the air was very fetid.
On his steamer, the Saratoga. Is cases OF
fever had developed going over. He had
received his first patients on the trst Of
July from Aguidiers and El Caney and
by the 4th of July 400 or 500 patients had
bean received The majority of them
were shipped north as rapidly as possible.
The men sent north were supplied with
all that could be spared, but the hospital
authorities felt that those who went
north, even though short in attendance
and in supplies, were taking fewer chances
than those who remained. as yellow fever
WAS even then beginning to make it's ap-
pearance
The orders were to send such men as
could depend upon themselves He said
he had obtained from the He'd Cross socl-
ETY. all that he had asked for. Miss Barton
had apoiogized for not being able to sup
ply more, saying that she had only ex-
peoted to be called upon to aid Cubans
and not our troops. However. she said,
that the northern soldiers should come
first. Furthermore. Miss Barton had sup
piled ATTENDANTS tor one of the hospitals.
DR.. Lesser of the ked cross was iu
charge. Here the physician and the
nurses haa developed yellow fever, prov
ing that The house occupied had cen in
fected. he then had them removed and
the building burned. he patisnts had
protested against the removal, but he did
not believe the transfer had hurt them.
The doctor said that as the patients at
ths hospital increased, he called for adj
ditional physicians, receiving some from
corps headquarters and also th5 aid of the
aoctors of the navy and also Cuban and
Red Gross doctors. There was, however.
shortage of nurses, as the military me-
~,
ticable to keep as many men at work in
this capacity rs were needed.
DR.. llaGarde expressed the opinion that
the Uniued States could have q supply OF
stores on hand as well as he Red Cross ana
he believed that it would have been done
if such bartle as was fought had been
anticipated. There was suftoient guam
tity of medical stores if they could have
been unloaded. The lighters were all used
for unloading articles of military equip
ment and il had been next to impossible
to get The hospital supplies landed.
Reyerting 70 the transportation, of
troops north DR.. La Garde said two ply
sioians had been detailed to go on the
Seneca as we'll as some nurses. lie said
that ii any people were placed on that
vessel they were transferred from the hos
pital ship Relief, without The sanction or
his knowledge. Referring to the charge
that the sick on the Seneca had no change
of clothing he said he presumed this Was
trus, as nobody in Cuba seemed to have
mora than one suit of clothing. Further
more. the hospitals had no ice to spare to
the troops. Ice WAS scarce article. The
gentlemen of the press had furnished the
chief supply to the Institution. The Wit
ness said that ho had recommended the
burning of the town of Siboney to secure
immunity frosn yellow fever and to secure
site for hospital.
DIR. Polk, the corps surgeon, however.
had been mislead by the assurances OF
the natives that there had been no yellow
fever in the town and had not then acted
upon the recommendation.
DR.. La Gar 9 had not concluded his ties.
timony when the commission adjourned
for the day.