The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-06

more than 10000 at one time.
Gen. Wheeler saidahe had heard Of
but one instance in which a surgeon
had become intoxicated. The man was
relieved from duty. Gen. Dodge asked
the witness for a general expression Of
his opinion as to the conduct of the
various bureaus of the war department.
Replying he praised the work of all
the supply departments, saying they
We're actuated by zeal and characteriz-
ed by intelligence. He had found the
medical department, from Gen. Stern
berg, down, to be efficient and anxious
to promote the best interests of his de-
partment.
The same was true of ordnance, com
missary and other departments. Gen.
Wheeler said the mortality among the
Spanish soldiers was quite equal to that
among the American troops. This com
pleted Gen. Wheeler's testimony.
Gen H. V. Boynton next took the
stand. He said that since July s, he had
been on duty at Camp Thomas as an
army officer. Recently his especial duty
had been to look after the camps water
supply. AT present he was In command
of the camp. He thought that $4,000 the
largest number of troops that had ever
been in camp at any one time. Gems.
Brooke, Wade and Breckenridge had
been in command successfully Of the
camp. Gov. Beaver called Gen. Boyn-
toms attention to the criticisms of the
camp site and asked him his opinion
of location. Gen. Boynton, who has
been a member of the park commission
for nine years, said that the park had
always been considered one of the most
healthful spots in the country. There
had never been a death in the park
force and never a case Of typhoid fever.
Out of $500 men employed there We're
only seven deaths. None Of these were
due to typhoid. In the year 1890 in the
counties in which the park was situ-
ated, there had been only twelve cases
of typhoid fever The park was $50 to
700 feet above the sea level, and the
land was rolling and well drained, being
free from swarnps. The whole park was
underlaid by magnetism limestone, and
it wassfrom under this that most of the
water was secured. There were three
sources for the supply a number of
springs, the river and artesian wells.
There were now So Of these wells, and
there were nine when the camp site
was selected.
The five springs so far as he knew
were inexhaustible, and only one had
been exhausted during the occupancy
of the camp by the troops.
The wells were also apparently mex
gallons were pumped every "a hours
from the river and this water dis
tributed through the camp by means Of
pipes The river water supply was not
designed originally for drinking pur
poses, but for cooking, washing and
other such uses. However, the water
had been found to be quite pure The
stream was fed wholly by mountain
springs, including the big Crawflsh,
len Ha T.ixr ho1
alyzed three times chemically and once
bacteriologically. The water had in
each case been pronounced pure and
entirely suitable for drinking and do
mestic purposes.
Gen. Boynton remarked: HIt was i'm
possible for the river water to be con-
taminated. know all about that, and
I do not consider there is any founda-
ton for that charge"
There were no towns or villages above
the camp toward the source of the
Chickamauga river, and there were no
residences on it between the camp and
Crawfsh springs. There was no sew
age emptying into the stream. In
some instances the water was filtered.
Gen. Boynton said that while there
was plenty of water of good quality
for the camp, considerable water had
been brought in recently in barrels
from springs four or five miles outside.
| This was done because of suspicion of
some of the surgeons concerning the
water in the camp. When the men
began to get sick the surgeons insist
| ed upon going away from the camp
| for the water. He said there were no
sinks nearer the wells than 200 feet.
| The surface of the ground was an i'm
pervious clay and the wells were all
| drilled through solid rock. 1t was i'm
possible for the water to be contamin-
ated from the sinks. The wells were
| cemented and there was no possibility
of pollution from the surface. The
only typhoid fever in camp was
brought in from the outside.
The volunteers were located in the
wooded portion Of the park, but the
wood was only sufficient for shade. 1t
could be easily penetrated by the sun
shine Tie surface was well covered
with wild grass. A small number of
the troops were located in fiat
woods" He did not consider this part
of the site especially desirable, but 1t
was dry He had never heard of mil
dew forming in the camp on account
of dampness
Gen. Boynton asserted that the camp
was not crowded. Gen. Brooke had
himself selected the ground for each
regiment and brigade. Gen. Boynton
said that the sinks were from 80 to
80 feet from the tents and that in
some instances the kitchens were not
farther than 20 feet from the sinks.
Much of the kitchen offal was burned,
but in other cases the offal was Dump
ed into kitchen sinks and then at times
it was hauled off and dumped in the
woods contrary to orders. Men were
obdurate about such matters and it
was difficult to properly police so ex-
tensive a camp. The chief surgeon of
the camp had assured him that there
was daily inspection Of the sinks.
The typhoid fever in the camp did
not excite serious attention until about
the middle Of July, when the cases
averaged about 2 per 100. 1t afterward
| increased until there were about 400
cases among the $4,000 men. He had
given especial attention to the hospital
Of the I'd division of the Sd corps, as it
had received the especial attention of
| the sensational press.
He had found that out Of 2462 cases of
illness in this hospital, there had been
only 276 cases of typhoid. The fever
had in all cases been of mild char
| acter. At one time, after measles broke
out in the camp, the hospitals were
| crowded, though he did not think such
had been cases at any other time.
| Practically all the sickness was among
| the volunteers. The regulars were not
sick. Asked IL each regiment had a
sutler Gen. Boynton replied that they
| had something worse than a suffer-
| each one had a canteen. He said that
| 372 carloads of beer had been sold In
| the camp. Capt. Howell asked about
whiskey sales, and Gen. Boynton re-
| piled that it had been difficult to en-
| tirely cut out the sharp moonshiners
from Capt. Howelps state. Chattanooga
was a splendid town, but the saloons
| were open day and night
Gen. Brooke's orders allowed two men
| out Of each company to visit Chatta-
nooga per day, which would prevent