The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-10-15
DR.. SEAMEN'S TESTIMONY


B0faro tho war Invo1tigaAnl =
ne GroWu IraSotblO uhdor f-ln'
inatlon-Lisnt. Hiil 0FoW1
WASHINGTON. D. G., 81 A--pr.
Louis L. ssaman, major end 1iseon
OF the frst volunteer enGin las
ths forenoon witness before ao var tn
Vestlgating commission to-da Ee saw
service IN Porto Rico and ~ been
quoted as making seriopr charges
against the manner OF eondueHng the
war.
Or. Seaman said he had pever seen
any military service before ne tegin-
ming of the present war.
Or. Seaman said there had been uni-
versal complaint at the hospitals Of a
deficiency Of suitable supplies 30 had
been told repeatedly that re sixty
cents a day ration for the elek could
not be furnished in Porto Rie9. # vas
not even supplied to the gsnl5al MILF
tary hospital.
whie he was in Porto Rico ihe aos-
pItals were oyercrowded, the beds be-
ing Within six inches OF each other.
When he left there were befWeen 9ooO
and 1000 sick out OF an army q 3pO0O.
DR.. Seaman grew sOmewhlt iraaciele
under DR.. Connor's Questioning and
finally refused 20 answer, llytilg' tne
questions put to me here ara OF z char-
acter calculated to place me N the
false position Of assuming the meelcal
department Of the army Of maladmln.
igtratlon. Such 10 not the cage,4 regard
the conduct OF this department ~ Dr'
Sternberg as above reproaeh ana Nha
ever fault there was was ~ anotner de-
partment."
After some pretty sharp cress dring,
DR.. Connor declared he would e4h no
more questions OF the witnela. Cover
nor Beaver told DR.. Seaman that no
question would be put TO him that was
moi proper. but he Governor Beaverl
would "lnslst upon his Answering ana
ie he did not do 60 he must take the
consequence"
General Beaver then asked - 20 the
conduct Of the quarterm7stefg serving
with him or In his vicinity. DIT. sea-
man declined to answer, saying that ne
understood he was expected g appear
before the war department after get
ting through with this board and, he
said. 81 do not want to criticize my su-
perlor officers while wear the shoul-
der straps Of an army otncer." BE con-
tInued by saying that he had been so
much misrepTesented BY the press
within the past twenty-four hours that
he did not wish to further commit him
self. He said he had authorized no Inter-
view since he landed. and that an arti-
Gle IN a New York paper grew out OF q
conversation between himself and his
superior officer in New York which a
reporter Of that paper overheard.
Lieutenant K. Hill, an ofiieer on the
warship Iowa, when the army landed
near Santiago and In charge OF the
debaFkation OF the troops 81 Baiquiri,
said the navy supplied eleven launches
and fifty-tWo small boats for the land
ing. The army brought only one light
er. The army was entirely unprepareu
to land and Lieutenant tfill aid that
as he Viewed the matter ne army
would have been unable to land and un-
able TO subslst after the lanq with.
out the AID OF the navy. a great deal
OF trouble was experienced with the
CAPTAINS OF the transports Wlb had re-
fused to 60 nearer the shore Until he
secured an order to them from General
shafter. Lieutenant Hill eaid there
was no wharf, but that he had under
stood that they talked Of building one
on which to land General ShafteF.
"PersonallV?" asked q member OF
the commission.
"Yes."
HAD they no dry doclSs7"
''Yes. but they were not strong
enough"
This personal alluslon 70 the avoir-
dupoIs Of the commander Of the Shntia-
go campaign created generalilaugh
Continuing. Lieutenant Hili express-
ed the oplAion that IN case q sranspor-
tatIon Of troops at sea be thqrsht the,
vessels tltould be under the eommnnd
OF navy officers until the troops are
landed.