Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-01
WATER WAS CONTAMINATED.
DR.. John c. F. Marian, a Contract
Army Surgeon from Ohio,

Army Surgeon from Ohio,
TELLS THE WAR INVESTIGATING
COMMISSION ABOUT THE WAY
WATER FOR THE USE OF CAMP
THOMAS WAS PUMPED FROM BE
LOW THE MOUTH OF CAVE
SPRING CREEK - CALLED Be
FORE GENERAL. SHERIDAN AND
THREATENED WITH COURT
MARTIAL. IF HE DID NOT RE-
TRACT THE TRUTH-AN EFFORT
WAS THEN BEING MADE TO
SUPPRESS THE NEWS THAT
TYPHOID FEVER EXISTED AT
CAMP THOMAS - j AZ NJ l. Il
SPRING, CONTAMINATED BY SUR
ROUNDING SINKS.
Camp Poland, Knoxville, Ienn.' oc-
tober 31.-The war investigation COM
mission concluded the work or us
Southern tour here to-day, and at
O'clock tonight left for Washington
expecting to arrive there about l or
O'clock tomorrow afternoon. IL 10
the present intention that the comml0-
sion shall go to Camp Meade soon
after their arrival at Washington, anu
Ex-Governor Woodbury. Will proceSu
In Vermont as a subcommittee 10 tdhe
testimony there. The commission ue
voted the forenoon to inspecting TIC
camps and the afternoon TO taxing Ieoe
fim0ny. They found division VI
troops here under the command Oh Coi'
lI,riza of the Second Ohio, and While
they had no personal criticism TO o.
press against him, some OF the ~ INC
sioners expressed the op'nlon .ltau Cd
command was too large W VIC os', -
officer under the rank OF prlsa-
A.. The transfer of Col. kurtze u
~ command of division leaves the
brleade of which his regiment Is
na1I in command of Col. Young, Tue
colored colonel Of the Third North Cal-
DINA
the first witness before the commls-
eicn was DR.. John c. F. Martin
CONTRACT surgeon from Ohio, who was
Of Chickamauga. He repeated MS OK
nression of opinion that the water i'll
rho nine line system at Chlckamauea
Yves contaminated by the water from
Fave Snrine creek. He said that altel
nc had first expressed this opinion, say
;no a+ the time that the facts IN regard
IN the existence of typhoid was Delns
suDnressed. he had been summoned ny
cen Sheridan and told that he must
rotract Immediately or submit 10
courtmartial. He had then written
letter of retraction, but he declared tha'
he had done this to promote dlsclpilne
and not because he had changed ni'
opinion as to the pollution OF ,nt
water. He read d statement from th'
nrmning station engineer to the effec
;" as nor c0n.P1e!ed Gftff Sprrine
., ana that previous to this time 10 qs
creek emptled into CIhickamauea rire,
just above the mouth of the in-tolce
pipe OF the pipe line system. He aIso
expressed the opinion thar The ToU
alll spring at Chickamauga was IN
"a. cd from the surrounding sinks
III. Park L. Myers, contract SIR
eeon from Ohio, Who was entoood i,
the hospital of the Second division 80
the First division at Chickamauga. diff
fered from most of the physicians in
his estimate of typhoid. He said that
while many believed 80 per cent. of the
sickness at the camp to be typhoid, he
O. LCt believe it to exceed 20 Der
cent. was of that character. He also
trek issue with those who charged ty-
rhoid TO the agency of flies, attrib-
uting it to the water. He thought most
Of the diseases at Chickamauga Park
wore miasmatic.
He said that it was true that on
SOIs,e Occa IL -, ,,ooo.o.,.,.
to have patients at this hospital lie on
the ground for as much as ten hours
a. time, until provision could be
made for them.
Col. G.. K. Hughes, division superin-
tendent of the Southern railroad, gave
the commission information as to the
trouble encountered in moving troops.
He said that as rule the soldiers had
Co-operated in the work of the railroad
company bTt that there had been some
disorder at times. He said that Com
Apany F, of the Fifth Pennsylvania, had
)broken up all the furniture of two cars
near Lexington, KY, on the plea that
the cars were not fit for soldiers to
travel In.
Other witnesses examined were Col.
Brown, of the Fourth Tennessee, and
Lieut. Colonel Schubert, of the Thirty
first Michigan, and Col Croxton. of the
Sixth Virginia, and Chaplain White, of
the Thirty-frst Michigan.
Returning to town about 8 o'clock
the commission went into session at
their rooms at the Phoenix Hotel and
began the hearing of testimony Major
General James H. Wilson. now COM
handing the First army corps, was the
first witness. The General said he was
in charge of the First division, First
corps, at Chichamauga Park. He left
there with his command about July
LIST, bound for Porto Rico The dis
embarkation at Porto Rico. he said,
took eleven days, when it should have
been accomplished in two.
This, he claimed, was on account of
not having steam launches for which
he asked the department in vain. In
Porto Rico. the health of his troops
was good on the march, but as soon
as they came to a standstill sickness
broke out.
Gen. Wilson said he had found the
government rations good and suffi-
Gent. The most of the sickness among
the troops was caused by the men eat |
ing fruit and trash.
Il consider Chickamauga Park one !
of the finest camps in the world said |
Gen. Wilson. Il never saw it's SUI
perior, unless it is Camp Hamilton
in Lexington"
IN~SD, l.