The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-09-01
OLIVETTE'S VOYAGE,
D=LicAcIES SENT FOR FREE DIsTRI.
BUTTON SOLD TO SICK SOLDIERS.

A seaman's story OF the Voyage. The
Troops Were Hall starved when They
Embarked ut Santiago. Medicines on
Board.
Boston. Mass, Aug. as.-The death
of Lieutenant Tiffany and the intima-
tions regarding the Olivette made by
Belmont Tiffany and the Boston physi-
ton. and lack of proper food and treat
clan who attended his brother, and
who doubtless heard his story, have
awakened great interest In the cruise
OF that ship.
Frederick Miller, seaman on the OIL
ivette, charges that the delicacies put
on the Olivette for the sick and wound
ed were not given to them, but were
sold in limited quantities to those who
had the money to buy. and these were
the officers and passengers, rather than
the sick soldiers. He says:
I'VE left Santiago in wretched condi-
ment on the voyage came very near
being disastrous to all the sick and
wounded men. Their treatment was
outrageous and 1t Is a wonder that any
of them survive. Those who were able
to walk got food from the sailors and
firemen, but of course all could not be
fed in that way.
lice cream. ginger ale and other del
icacies were put on board for the sick
and wounded. The food and drink
never reached the soldiers. for they
were sold to the passengers. When we
got to Montauk Point what was left
of the ice cream was sour and was
thrown overheard"
An infantryman of the regular army
in one of the hospitals here told this
story to a trained nurse, who repeated
1t to me:
THE statement that some of the sick
and wounded were left In Cuba when
the Olivette sailed is true. 1 was told
that l would not be allowed to go on
board the ship, but the day before she
sailed I managed to sit up almost all
day. though the effort nearly killed me.
When the surgeon came on his rounds
lied handsomely when he asked me
how I felt He said / might go on
board In the morning. There were two
tnfantrymen 1 knew who were told
they must stay, and they both died
that night 1 believe the disappoint-
ment killed them. They seemed to be
no sicker than 1 was, but the hope of
seeing the United States once more
braced me up.
Our rations had been cut and cut,
until We got five hardtacks and a very
small thin piece of 'sowbelly.' 1t was
first weakness from hunger and then
fever that killed the men. We thought
our troubles would be over when we
got aboard ship. heard that ten sick
men had been left behind when we sail
ed, and no one left to care for them.
They were not much worse off than we
We're aboard the ship.
1.-THE rations aboard ship did not i'm
prove much. Healthy men might live
on It, but for the sick and wounded it
was almost useless. Those who had
money Jared better than those who
were broke. I had a little money and
1t was lucky for me that I had, or 1
would not have been strong enough to
get here. We were told that a lot of
deiicacies had been sent on board, but
We sew hone of them"
Several points of this soldiers mar
rative are corroborated by Dr. James
s. Kennedy, first assistant surgeon OF
the Second division hospital, Fifth ar
my corps. now at Montauk Point on the
sick list, who has made a statement.
published In Chambersburg, Pa, in
which he says:
Yesterday, August II, a certain reg!-
ment left Its encampment to go on
board the Olivette 10 go north, and ten
hours afterward private, who had
been left behind, started back to his
FORMER encampment to sleep (no pri-
vate soldiers being allowed in Santiago
after dark), and on reaching his camp
found ten men abandoned. No medi-
cine, no food, no nurses nor physicians
simply abandoned to starvation or su-
icide. AS to the frequent suicides which
occur, the reports go all right when
the facts are not known.
II came down on the Olivette myself
and saw stacks of medicines and sup
plies. such as the sick and wounded
crave, and I also say a favored few
break open boxes of champagne and Ii
quors and eat Ice cream, packed in the
cold storage department by the Red