The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-14
CAMP THOMAS DEFENDED.
SURGEON H0FF DENIES STORIES OF
MlsMAsACEMEyT THERE.
Men Were Eos Neglected In the Hos
pitfalls and No Cases Occurred of
sick Men Being Left Lying on
the Ground, as Was Reported.

WASHINGTON. Oct. I3--Afser devo,ing
TIE :orsrscG 70 hearing tae testimony %
II. Hat. 4 chef surgeon of ire Third
army corps. stationed a. Camp Thomas.
tae war .-Ess.lg &t.ag commission gave t;se
remainder c: To-Day g the reading % "a
perS submitted 81 Secretary Aiger wtta hts
statement concerning TIE conduct q. the
wa
the documents reveal the fact that Cen
2.es recommended tie occupation OF the
Is.e % f'!1ss About ire tia4e Q. the battle
c: santiago. ard that Secretary Alger dis
approved % IKE suggestion IL also sp-
pears t4ai Gsa- Miles recommended tha:
acne p0Iats between Santiago and Porto
R!eo Re taken previous 10 fAe beginning
CT eiih@f campaign. The CORES pon1eace
also developed the fact that thsre was an
apparent cnatiiet or authority between
tens Miles ana Shagtcr a. Tampa, before
tho santiago campaign vas inaugurated.
II also shows tazf orders were issued by
the secretary Of war hat in the event that
Gen. Shafter should De disabled by sick
mesa Or ether cause the command Of The
troops at santiago Should deyoiye upon
Gen. Wheeler. and TO The next In command
In case OF disability OF both shafter and
Wheeler.
The commission has summoned Mai
Louis L. Leeman. q surgeon of the FIRST
,s.- engineers. to APPEAR before
morro~'s session. He has recently been
quoted as saying thar BIZ men ha5 died
daly, because Of the mal-admintstrat.on
OF the auaTtermaster's department
Lieut.. Col HoT was before the invesci-
eating commission At the forenoon session
he 10 regular army officer and was
chic! surgeon In the Third army corps az
Chiekamauga. Hon did not consider the
camp TO have been IN the best sanitary
condition. bu' expressed the opinion 4
could not have been better under the cir
Gunisiaacss
He also said that some acquisitions had
oesn returned by the Washington authori-
ties because improperly filed an,. he was
under the impression that there had been
complaints OF some suffering on this ac-
count. There was considerable delay In
securing flooring FOR the tents
Was there any deprivation on account
of he shortage OF tents?' asked Gov.
| Woodbury.
Whose fault was it?'' was asked.
Not mine he replied Il lid ali could
The troops Of the Third colps were more
closely crowded than they should have
been
Continuing. Or. Hoff said the capacity of
the divts!on hospitals was often doubled
and treoied. Il s0mstimexs occurred thar
there we're eight men in tents, which were
Intended TO accommodate SIX. because OF
delay IN securing tentase 10 care for the
Increase OF disease. which was unexpect-
e1iy rapid On one or two occasions pa
tients were necessarily placed In beds made
upon the floors, because Of temporary
were without training. are this fact oc-
casioned some difficulty In dealing with
typhoid caSes Yet he knew of no specific
cases OF suffering on this account tie
specified the case Of a man afflicted with
an Infectious disease who had been COM
PEELED 10 lie In the open air one night on
account or lack OF tentage The captain
was sure that no injury resulted, as the
IA
the shortage In medical supplies had con-
| tinued for several weeks hut there was
| generally sufficient 10 meet the immediate
demands He also SAID thar some requisi-
| tons mad been returned by the washing
| ton authorities because improper
DR. Conner said that the governor Of
Arkansas tad complained Of The neglect
or the troops from hat state.
The witness ree-ed that The Arkansas
troops received the same medical care and
attention that had been given 80 other
soldiers under IKE conditions. He knew
or 40 case IN which men IN the hospitals
bad been compelled 70 lie on the ground
hat re thought there were probably cases
when sick men had been kept under flies
fer several days.
lie was asked If 1t was true that AZ night
there vas an average Of only ore nurse
20 each forty patients IN the hospital ~
tho Second division OF the Third corps.
and said us could not be- true
Or Conner read an extract from n letter
| OK tHe Arkansas governor, saying that he
had made a personal Investigation Of the
conditions In this hospital and had found
"the conditions deptOCaoie-siunply dis
| graceful" lie charged thar the doctors
| In The Institution we're all Northern men
unfamiliar with diseases Incidental TO the
South; thar there were cases Of fever in
| which fever patients had gone without
| water for twerty-toa~ hours ard in which
| Sick men went without attention from a
surgeon or wtRhont receiving a dose OF
| medicine for week
| Replying. Or. Hon ea.a that several
! Southern physicians ware engaged a. the
| hospitals and that he did rot ,alnk II Dos
| STOLE t4at men could have been neglected
| as Indicated " the governors letter Ve
had nedT' Ct no such cases lie said thar
| during TIE last few weeks Of the Son 4
| divisions hospitals existence 4 had Aeen
| a. ovsrcrowded J1at Il was found ra>.s
| sAry 10 s'0r receiving patients .Nar h,t
| fh" coHgeStef o-9ndi'!ons ware relfaV.1 as
! "1'n as TIE SserTberg hospital was com