Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-05

paign he said he had been so busily oc-
|cupied that he had not given the matter
great attention, but he had not thought
. at the time that any precaution had
| been neglected
He said in reply TO a question that
the tents had been left on the trans
i ports because of the feeling that 40
time should be consumed in removing
them. I'VE were there for business,
and We felt that prompt disembarka-
/ ton and a speedy movement to the
front would impress the enemy more
than anything else we could do. But
if they had had the tents they would
have used them
There was also a shortage at this
time of transportation facilities toward
the front. His own illness had been
caused by the exposure and he himself
had not been supplied with tent. Il
was more shifty than some of the SOL
diers.' he said. Il stretched a little oil
cloth from tree to tree to protect my
face from the dew, but amy soldier
could have done the same thing"
The examination of Gen. Wheeler
was resumed at $50 p. NJ. He spoke at
this session especially of his experien-
ces at Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point.
He arrived at the camp on the 18th of
August and at the direction of the
President, had taken command of the.
camp. remaining until Sept. g. The
President had ordered him to spare no
pains or expense to make the men com
Portable. Upon taking command he
found it necessary to undertake much
preparation to properly care for the
men. 1t was, for instance, necessary
to bore wells, lay water pipes, build
laundrieS, etc. 1t was also necessary
to build disinfecting plants, to get
floors for the tents. erect hospitals, etc
The surgeons, at his request, had
made list of special articles to be pur-
chased for the sick. This he had ask
ed them to do in obedience to the Pres
ldent's desires. This list of articles in
cluded evaporated fruits, green corn IN
cans, sugar cured hams, oatmeal. fish
ice, canned peas, prunes, soups pickles,
lemons. oranges, eggs, tea, milk and
many other articles in addition to their
regular rations. The people came with
many kinds of food, land undertake
to say he declared, that no army on
earth was ever so abundantIy supplied
with luxuries."
The transportation facilities of the
camp were poor. There was but one
line of railroad, that a single track,
and without adequate terminal facil-
ties. The camp could, ne said, have
been supplied by water but unfortu-
nately there was a contract with tn
railroad company owning the land
which gave it the control of all trans
portation except on government trans
ports. This contract had been made
he understood, in return for the use Of
the land. He did not know who had
made the contract.
Gen Wheeler said that when he ar
rived at the camp from Santiago the
tents were without floors. I'm fact"
he said. I'VE had not up to that time
thought of having floors in the tents, -
There We're good hospitals erected
but there was a scarcity of nurses He
had Immediately wired for nurses and
within five or six days there was an
abundance. He had been in the habit
of summoning the surgeons for a con-
sultation each morning and when any
of them would indicate the nessity for
an article he would Immediately order
it by wire. He detailed an apparent
, misunderstanding between Surgeons
Forwood and Wood. in which Wood
, had complained that Col. Forwood had
not honored his acquisitions. When
| brought together, however Forwood
had explained that this was due to the
! difficulty of meeting the demand for
: more than two or three days. Quin!ne
was one of the articles of which there
, was q scarcity. The doctors were con-
: tract surgeons appointed by the sur
geon general. He thought they had
, been appointed after an examination
: but he could not say whether this was
6 the uniform rule.
: The hospital tents were, he said, all
4 | floored. The patients were laid upon
= mattresses on the floor and were sup
Piled with clean bed linen. From first
n | to last, 10000 patients entered the hos
8 pitfalls at Montauk The hospitals had
n when he landed, q capacity of not tc
8 exceed 900. So far as he knew the hos
: pitfalls mad UP to this time been equa
(. to the demands upon them Over 1925:
of the Santiago troops had been re-
= ported sick on arrival, but many Others
= of the arrivals We're really sick.
h He stated that visiting ladies hat
n made frequent complaints to him OF
= specific cases in which sick men were
n not properly cared for, but he fount
!. upon investigation in each case tina
i the physicians said the ladies were
: mistaken.
II Describing the general location of tn,
l. camp Gen. Wheeler said it was charm
y ing. The sea almost surrounded it
the ground was rolling and the tent
IS We're all ditched. AS a rule when tn
d parents or other relatives came to visi
Is the soldiers they expressed satisfac
he ton at the care the men We're given
II He knew of no complaint from rela
y tives
t. Gen. Wheeler explained that the rea
re son there was so much complaint abuu
of the burials was that the burial groun,
was so near and so plainly in view
n Only 260 of the men had died in tn
v existence of the camp He knew moth
oe ing of the details of interments an
n could not say whether any bodies ha
re been buried without clothing. Upo
ur the whole he thought the fact tina
or there had been no spread of yello,
er fever from the camp was quite marvel
&c lous.
One of the greatest difficulties he ha