The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-06
WERE WELL CARED FOR
General Wheeler Says There
Were No Camp Horrors.
ANSWERS THE CHARGES
Some Individual Cases OF Neglsct-Nany
Soldiers Fell in the streets-0round
Was Not Porous-No Danger
Of an Epidemic.

Washington. Oct. 5.-General Wheeler
resumed his testimony before the war
investigation committee to-day. The
examination on the line of the New
York World charges was resumed. He
said IL there were any camp horrors
on the 27th OF August. as charged, the
commander Of the camp was response
BILE for IT. for he had full power to fur
nish relief. There probably were indi-
vidual cases OF suffering. but ~ . rule
he said he knew the soldiers were well
cared for. There was certainly no lack
of food.
General Wheeler admitted that In
many instances there were men Ill In
their company quarters. Often men not
very III preferred not to go to the hos
pitfalls. and the hospitals were too
crowded to make room for them. Some
time was spent on the charge that Gen.
eral Wheeler had said that General
Eagan. chief commissary of substance.
had countermanded an order Of his for
supplies. This occurred. he said. but
IL was due to a misunderstanding Of
general orders. General Wheeler also
explained the circumstances concern
ing the death Of Private Hugh Par
rett.
My inquiry" he said. developed the
fact that DIR. Tabor was a little grufY
to the men. but IL also developed the
fact that he had proved so efficient In
the field that they were devoted to him
and had petitioned for his retention in
the army
This. he thought. was one Of those
individual cases of neglect. and he
thought IL was to be explained by the
fact that DIR. Tabor was probably i'll
himself. He found this to be true I'm
other cases and had demonstrated with
the physicians for being irritable with
patients.
General Wheeler said II was true that
many soldiers would fall on the streets
He thought that all OF them had been
weakened by their experience In Cuba.
and most of them had the germs Of
fever in them, II was not strange.
therefore. II some of the men had fallen
to the ground at Wikof. The general
took up a statement attributed to DIR.
Sem concerning the sinks. He said the
sinks were covered every hour with
either earth or lime. He had examined
the ground and found that the soil was
not porous.
He also found that other physicians
did not agree with DIR. Sem as to the
danger from typhoid. There was no
outbreak of fever such as General Sem
had predicted: hence IL was a false
prophecy. He admitted also In reply
to a charge attributed TO DIR. Cyrus
Edison that small percentage of the
men in the hospitals were lying on the
floor on Aug. 20. They were. however.
supplied with beds. and in no case was
there complaint on this account.
The fact Is that the surgeons and
other officers and men conducted them
selves most heroically. and IL Is painful
to me to see the effort TO make II ap-
they were not. DR.. Myron had also
predicted an increase OF typhoid. but
the prediction had not been verified.
General Wheeler said he had seen a
statement from DIR. Smith to the effect
that the drinking water was contami-
mated. He had had an examination
made. not only by the surgeons. but
pert. and they had informed him that
the water was pure. He considered
the water supply adequate and pure
and well distributed. While II had
been considered very desirable to weed
the sick out and send such as could
go to the city hospitals. he had eau
toned the surgeons against sending
fered TO see that some were not sent.
He admitted that before the steam
laundry was put to work. there was a
scarcity of clean bed linen for typhoid
and other patients. He had encouraged
the closest inspection from visitors and
had asked newspaper men to visit the
hospitals and report the complaints OF
men. with view to relieving their
wants. II they had any.
Replying to criticisms by DIR. Heber
Newton. referring especially TO the fail
ure TO have the camps at Montauk pro-
vided previous to the end of the war
General Wheeler said he could not ac-
count for the criticisms. unless Il was
true that DIR. Newton was not used to
the conditions which generally prevail
at a military hospital IL was impossi-
BILE to foresee that the troops would re-
turn at so early a date. General Miles
had predicted that they would OF neces-
sity remain in Cuba for a year or two.
II would not. therefore. have been ex-
pedient to build a hospital in advance.
as DR. Newton had said should have
been done.
Mr. Howell asked why there had NOT
been a court martial investigation OF
the charges against DR. Tabor In the
case. General Wheeler replied
that he considered that after the report
had been made upon the case the in
itldtNe OF a court martial enOulu oe
taken by the Washington authorities
and not by himself. I4e also said. In
reply to a question from Captain How
ell, that he had encountered no OBJ
stscles in securing such supplies as he
had made requisition for. He had
heard OF but one instance in which a
surgeon had become intoxicated. The
latter was relieved from duty. but
there was no court martial as II was
impossible TO procure testimony bear
ng on the case.
General Dodge asked the witness for
, general expression Of his opinion as
10 the conduct of the various bureaus
~ the war department
Replying. he praised the work OF all
he supply departments. saying they
we're actuated by zeal and Character
zed by intelligence. He had found the
medical department. from General