The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-06

WASHINGTON. Oct. s-Gen Wheeler
resumed his testimony before the war In
vesiisatlon commission teday. The exami-
nation on the lire of the New York World
charges was resumed. lie said IL there
were any camp horrors on August 20. a.
charged. the commander of the camp tGen.
Wheeler h!alselC was responsible for II,
for he had full power 10 furnish relief
There probably were individual eases oe
suffering. but as a rule. he said. he knew
the soldiers were well cared for. There
certainly was no lack OF food.
Gen. Wheeler admitted iha; in many In
stances there were men Ill In their COM
pany quarters. Often men not very III pre-
ferred not TO go 10 hospitals. and the hos
pltals were too crowded to make room for
them.
Some time was spent on the charge that
Gen. Wheeler had said iha: Gen. Eagan,
chief comm!ssary OF subsistence, had eoun-
termanded an order Of his for supplies.
This had occurred, he said. bat II was due
TO misconstruction or general ordera.
Ply yaieian Was Tired Ont.
Gen. Wheeler also explained the circum.
stances concerning the death OF Private
Hugh Parrot.
fact that DR.. Tabor was a little grun 10
the men. but it also developed the fact that
he had proved 80 efficient In the field that
they were devoted 10 him and had petition
ed for his retention in the army"
This. he thought. was one OF those In
dlv!dual cases OF neglect. and he thought
IL vas to be explained by the fact that DR..
Tabor was probably Ill himself. lie found
this 10 be true In other cases, and had re-
monstrated with physicians for being irri-
table with patients.
Why Soldiers Fell Down.
Gen. Wheeler said Il was true that many
soldiers would fan on the streets. He
thought all Of them had been weakened
by their experience In Cuba. and most of
them had the germs Of fever in them. Tt
was not strange. therefore. IL some OF tho
men had fallen TO the ground at Wikon.
The general took UP 4 statement astrib-
utesi 10 DR. Sem concerning the sinks. He
said the sinks were covered every hour
with either earth or lime. He had examin-
ed the ground and found that the soii was
not porous. He also found that other ply
sicians did not agree with Dr. Sem as 70
the danger from typhoid. There was no
outbreak OF fever such as Gen. Senn had
predicted; hence IL was false prophecy.
None of His Men Complained.
lie admitted also in reply 10 a charge
attributed 10 DIR. Cyrus Edison. that
email percentage OF the men in the hos
;taiH were lying on the ficor on August
20. They were. however. supplied with
beds. and In no case was there complaint
on this account. Gen. Wheeler continued:
The fac; is that the surgeons and other
officers ard men conducted themselves
Ia. .Hr.r -
20 see the effort 30 make Il appear that
they vera complaining when they wefs
not
Or. Nyron had also predicted an Increase
OF typhoid. but the prediction had nat been
verified
Drinking Water Was rare.
Gen. Wheeler said he aad seen state
usut from Dr. Smith 10 the effect that
the drinking water was contaminated. He
had had an examination made. not only
by fhe surgeons. but by Col. Smart. a noted
expert and they had Informed him that
the water was pure. lie considered the
water supply adequate. ard pure and well
distributed.
While IL ha4 been considered very de-
s!raAle to weed the sick oat ard send such
as could 20 % the city hospitals. he had
cautioned the surgeons against sending
men not able 90 leave. ard had iFterfeTed
to see that some were not seat
lie admitted tha, before the steam laun-
dry vas put 10 work there was = scarcity
Of clean bed linen for typhoid ani oshss
patients
He had encouraged the closest inspection
from visitors, and had sx1scd newspaper
men to eiSs: the hospitals ard repe-t the
complaints of the men. with a view of 70
i.evsng their wants. II they had any.
Reply To Heber Newton.
geaIylng 20 criticisms by DT. Heber
Nswfsr. referring especially 20 the failure
TO have Inc camps ~ Montauk provided
previous 20 TIE war. Gen. Wheeler said
he could not account for the criticisms un-
less 8, was true snst Dr. Newton was noe
1zea To the conditions which generally
prevail az a military hosYitsi II was TN
rs,zsgk.9e 70 sor@see that Ffs troops would
ge4urn az 20 early asse, Gen. Niles had
9redse-<e6 that they would oe necessity re-
main in Cuba for year or two. IL would
rot. therefore have been expe1ient -
nulid hospital ia advance. az Dr. New
ton aad sAlA should have been 6one.
Mr. Howell asked Why there had not been
a eo8srt-rnart!a! tryea.iEation NJ the charges
Gsainst DR. Tabor In TIE Parro;s case. Gen.
Wheeler replied saas he considered after