Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-11-02

or meolcaI suppues mere He saIo there
was not and that the medical officers
said they could not get the supplies. He
| also said Montauk Poirt was a bad
| place for a camp for sick soldiers at
| this time of year" He also said that
! modern weapons had increased the line
| of fire and that danger in removing
| wounded was greatly increased; that it
would be difficult for ambulance men
and litter bearers to live in the in
creased zone of fire.
DIR. Edgar a. Mearns, surgeon in
charge of the Gibbs general hospital. this
city. was asked regarding the sanitary
condition of Camp Thomas where he
was brigade surgeon. He read a report
on the condition of the sinks there which
showed that they Were disease breeders
The men detailed from the regiments
to the division hospital were incom-
petent. He condemned the water supply
at Camp Thomas because there was
typhoid fever there. The order to boil
drinking water was generally obeyed
when boilers could be procured.
Major John j. Backman, One Hun
dred and Sixtieth Indiana. was then
called. His testimony indicated that his
regiment hat Jared well in every re-
spect.
Major ]. .. Glennan was on duty at
Chickamauga and Tampa He said that
he found much larger amount of sick
ness among volunteers than he had
been used to seeing; that he found the
sinks left open and not dug deep enough
to make the camp healthful; that the
water supply was affected by this.
Major Glennan said he reported on
these conditions both verbally and in
writing, and made certain recommended
tions. but that no attention was ever
paid to his reports. He said he tried to
get lime, and DR.. Huidekoper. the corps
surgeon, concerning whom sensational
charges have since been made, disap-
proved the use of lime and returned the
requisition. Major Glennan stated that
he knew of certain regiments where the
sick We're kept for weeks because the
division hospital had no room for them.
He further said that he believed the
water in every well in Chickamauga
park contained the colon bacillus. which
indicated contamination by sewage.
mo matter how many chemical and
meteorological examinations showed
that the water was not contaminated
I should still maintain that it was not
fit to use" declared Major Glennan.
UNPRINTABLEC CONDITIONS ALLEGED
Sensational Testimony Given by n Surgeon
of the Eighth Massachusetts.
Major Wil'Sm Cogswell. surgeon Of
the Eighth Massachusetts. said that
when his regiment reached Camp
Thomas the men went two weeks with
out fresh meat and their health was
thus greatly impaired and a large num-
her were taken sick. He attributed the
typhoid to the water, milk and lemon
ade drunk by the men. He said that
men who died of typhoid were brought
back without having been washed or
boiled. and used by other men Of the
regiment. He mentioned other abuses
too degraded to write, which he said
were reported to the higher authorities
without action being taken. The doctor
said that in the three months and Il
half while he was at Camp Thomas he |
knew of DR.. Huidekoper, the corps sur
geon, having visited the camp of the |
Eighth Massachusetts but twice. He |
had great difficulty in securing me dicines |
and had to buy drugs out of a private |
fund. ''
Captain George B. Duncan, of the |
regular army, who recently served as |
adjutant general of the district of |
Ponce, Porto Rico, stated that he was
wholly conversant with the conditions /
connected with the sailing of the trans
port OLDHAM, and that DR.. Seaman, who /
in charge of that vessel, had /
positive orders not to take any man on |
board who was not entirely convalescent. |
DR.. Thomas .. Chalmers. captain and /
assistant surgeon of the Twelfth New
York, who saw six weeks service in
Porto Rico, testified that at Chicka-
manga his regiment could not only not /
get medicines, but could rot even get |
blanks to make acquisitions for them.
In regard to the transport Massachu-
sets on which he went to Porto Rico
DR.. Chalmers said: There was no
regular cooking on board and the men
were unusued to eating cold rations.
rhe reserve hospital men were supposed |
10 have been well men, but subsequent
events proved that they did not have
enough to eat. The men never could |
get enough water to satisfy their thirst.
Ice water was sold at $1.25 a pitcher.
The matter was reported but the Gus
-om was not stopped. The mules and
horses on board went for twenty-four
hours at enc time without water
Lieutenant Colonel James Parker
Twelfth New York, said that when the
roops arrived at Chickamauga the men
lad to sleep the wet ground with
My one blanket and no change of cloth
ng. The water was not pure, he said,
Ind added that General Breckenridge
made great improvements when he took
harge. The colonel found four hospit-
Ills very dirty, because the surgeons
we're worked to death and too sick
themselves to look after things. So far |
IS he knew neither General Brooke nor
General Wade eyer made any sanitary
of the camp. 1t would have
zen easy to have made Chickamauca
n ideal camp.
Keene Ryan, who had sent written
harges to the board, said the surgeons
we're guilty of criminal neglect by not
eeing that the orders they issued were
beyed; that the medicines pre-
cribed We're not administered: that the
Tater was bad; that the sinks were in
ad order; that men died from want of
ttention.
kAk. .ss <~n Sse. -