The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-01
GcncroI Wood Makes q Report Of the
Work Being Done.
MANY OBSTACLES WERE OVERCOME.
Pound Monv U,hpricd Dad In the
Houses OF the Civ.
MOsT or THEN WE'RE BURNED
Cleaning Up the City II WAS COM
pictciy Stamped Out.

Washington, September sO.-secretary
Alger to-day received a letter from General
Leonard Wood, military governor OF San
tiago. II gives in detail many questions
az public interest and the secretary has al
lowed some extracts to be published 1t
may be stated that the secretary feels that
the course OF events at Santiago has dem
onstratod the wisdom shown in the selec-
tion of General Wood for this peculiarly
difficult post. Combining as he did medl-
cal skill with the highest type of soldierly
qualities and executive ability he was able
to meet and overcome the problems pre-
scented at Santiago. The letter moreover
prc.onts wildly the frghtful conditions
that confronted the American army OF oa-
cupatlon after the surrender OF Santiago.
Il have had" writes General Wood, "a
very difficult position from sanitary
point OF view and not altogether an easy
one from a military and civil standpoint
When we came into the city tho sanitary
situation was something frighfu There
were great many unburied dead in the
houses, between 1000 and 5000 Spanish
sick people. nearly 10000 In number, who
had Just returned from El Clney. where
they had gone during the first siege The
water supply OF the city had been cut off
there was no water to be obtained except
from csterns and few wells and the
streets were fun of dead animals and all
Sorts of filthy Materials | had to start In
from the bottom and repair the wlterworks
Then came the removal OF the dead. Some
Of these were burned because the number
was so great and decomposition had ad-
Nanced to such an extent that they could
not be buried Burning Ii not uncommonly
piactlced here during the epidemic season
we had yellow fever all around us and
dbouL twenty cases in the Spanish military
hospitals. The civil hospital was full of dy-
Ing people and public buildings were being
used as hospitals On the whole It was
an extremely difficult task requiring a
great dead OF hard work. have been
working systematically with every means
al hand to improve the sanitary condition
or the CITY II is In this department that
vast amount OF work has been done. |
have a force of about no men constantly at
work and at many times have had nearly
double this force working night and day TO
remove the vast accommodations of lnie-
scrbahle fifth which has accumulated q
tho omhouzes and yards, az well as the
streets Of the city, which AZ rpputed TO he
ono of tho most unhealthy and dirtiest In
the world Tho death rate has decreased
steadily since wo came In and is now about
one fourth OF what " was In July Tho
water system has been put IN order aud a
great many repairs made TO II and the sup
ply, although insufficient. is utilized to the
greatest advantage. have had TO hire doc
tors for the hospitals purchase medicine for
them and supply them with beds, bedding
ana food in fact ro- stnbliah aud take IN
Tire charge of them. / have also tstah-
lished q strict system OF house to house
inspection and inspection Of tho streets aud
have a dislnfcctinE department ag VOL as 6,
cleaning department. The city has been
divided into 1--WE districts, In each of which
ia relief station whore food ls distributed
and n physician in attendance. who pre-
tcribts for those who present themselves
sick, and visits the sick in houses The
police department, all doctors and the ON
rials In each ward have Received iustruc-
tIons 10 furnish these physicians list OF
sick requiring attention and OF the worthy
poor In order that We may be somewhat
protected In the distribution OF medicines
and ra,lons, | ann issuing ut present about
10000 ratlons per day. Tho physicians are
probably prescribing for about 600 or 200
people aud on some days many more, These
physicians are native Cubans. educated In
The United States and employed by our
government rs contract surgeons,
THE garbage and material which
collect IN the streets | have dumped out
aide Of town ard burned. have also had
the lower and most unhealthy portions
drained and tho bitches running into the
harhor cleaned out. also the water front