The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-28
Especial War Correspondence

more fatal to the troops at Jacksonville
than has yellow fever to Skaters army
at Santiago.
This is the comment and it is a true
one, that one often hears from the lips
of men and officers of the Seventh army
corps.
There can no longer be any doubt about
it. The camp grounds here are not
healthy. They are low and fiat. and 10
drain them is an impossibility. For
nearly two weeks now an engineer with
a force of a hundred men has been try
ing it without success. Yesterday, after
a nights rain had fallen testing the work,
he gave it up in despair.
This imposSihility of draining the camp
makes it not only an undesirable place OF
residence, but a most excellent birth
place for fever. malaria and rheuma-
tism. Most of the time, at this season of
the year. either the rain is coming down
in torrents or the sun is shining with bis
tering heat Both conditions on marshy
land like that on which Camp Cuba
Libre is situated. are inimical to good
health.
1t is a seven days wonder why the
present camp site was ever chosen. Ger
tainly in so doing there could have been
no anticipation of the camps permanen-
cy. The fact that people have built on
three sides of the camp ground and never
put residence of any sort on it, though
it has for long time been industriously
advertised and offered for sale by n land
syndicate. shows in what estimation the
citizens of Jacksonville hold it.
5 You have ruined the Jacksonville pond
lily bed" said a resident of the city yes
terday. 1--WE have been getting our pond
lilies in Springfield where the soldiers
are now camped.'
And yet it must he said in justice to
the people of this progressive and hos
pitable city that they deplore the fact
that the camp is not situated on more
healthy ground, and they do all in their
power to minister to the wants of the
sick and to help the men make them
selves comfortable in camp.
Not only is the camp unhealthy, but
there come up from the division hospital
many complaints of lax management on
the part of some of the officials in charge
and of inattention to duty on the part of
nurses and attendants. OF course sick
people are naturally quernlous and given
of fault-fiinding and all that subordinates
say in regard to the Management of such
the half of what is charged be true there
should be reforms of a very radical ma
ture instituted.
The practice of sending men back to
their quarters before they are GONZALES
cent, simply because the hospital is
crowded. should certainly be dscontn-
ned. | have in mind now II private
from the Raleigh company who was sent
n fhn 1nl icly
A week later he was sent back to his
tent as convalescent. Next day he had
very high fever and is now ut Il private
house in Jacksonville, seriously sick.
There have been dozen or more cases
of exactly the same kind. For instance
Private John Crawford, of the Waynes-
vile company, who was seriously ill rs
long as he remained here and whose
death would at no time have caused sur
prise, was half dozen different times
returned to his quarters as convalescent
when in truth he was steadily growing
worse. Each time he had to be SEM
back to the hospital.
1t is fact worthy of note in this con.
nection that the hospital kitchen was last
Saturday officially reported as the filth.
est spot in the camp, when it should have
been one Of the cleanest.
These things and others of the same
kind have made the Second division hos
pital u place Of dread to every man IN
camp and men often hide their real condi-
ton and remain in their tents until they
are dangerously i'll rather than be or
dered to the hospital. Even then they
beg to he sent to the city hospital or to
private house for treatment.
The trouble is simply this: a division
hospital is too large a thing, with the
resources at hand 1t is il hospital for
10000 men. Brigade or regimental hos
pitfalls would be better. The smallest
number of sick crowded together the
greater their chances Of recovery. Where
there are several hundred sick people I'M
der one tent together. as at the division
hospital, attendants and physicians not
only become hardened and liable to neg
lect duties. but an unhealthy focus is
created and if a man is not seriously sick
when sent there he is liable TO soon be-
come SO.
IT is charged also. and there seems 70
be some ground for the charge, that the
hospital is run by the Forty ninth Iowa
regiment; that all the places worth the
having are given to men from that regi-
ment.
Private Mills of the Statesville com
many. writing to the Landmark. recent
ly had this to say. among other things,
about DIR. II. NJ. Wilder. chief surgeon
of the First North Carolina regiment:
Il went ND to the regimental hospi-
tai for a little help for my throat
where / found our hospital steward,
DIR. II. Il. Hunter. and his boss, DR..
Wilder Dr. Hunter informed me
that il was against the Majors or
ders to do anything for me at that
hour ~ o'clock and at the same time
he cast an inauiring look at the Ma
lor and told him my trouble. But
me Doctor stood pat and said come
again. As | considered it beneath
me dignity Of So private to beg y
N<'o"p officer, | left, having learned
'hat me proper time to get sick is
soon IN the morning and late in the
evening"
commenting upon this the editor of the
Landmark makes structures that are as
nnhcserved as they arc severe. Though
OF me honesty Of purnosc in both CORE
spondcnt and editor there can be no
donht. The criticism Of the ono shows jg-
hofahce Of conditions maintaining in
Child ana tho ffOIulautS # Tho ,fl,., 4, 49,.