The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-02
ABUSES WERE GROSS
WAR INQUIRY BOARD ELECTS
TESTIMONY DIRECT AND
AND CONVINCING
WATER WAS CONTAMINATED


nished Was UnwhOIesome and in
insufficient Quantities-Typh
Clothing and Blankets Returned
to Be Used by Other Men.
LEXINGTON, KY, Nov before
the war inquiry board today Dr. Ed.
ward A. Mearns surgeon in charge of
Gibbs general hospital, Lexington, was
asked regarding the sanitary condition
of Camp Thomas, where he was brigade
surgeon. DR.. Mearns condemned the
water supply at Camp Thomas because
there was typhoid fever there The or
der to boil drinking water was general
~ obeyed when boilers could be pro-
cured. DR.. Mearns was asked what
recommendations he would make He
SAID men IN charge should be givenWhar
they asked for, as has been done here.
with competent men in charge there
should be no waste and nothing would
be asked for that was not needed.
After luncheon Maj. John J. Back
man, one Hundred and Sixtieth In
diana, was the first witness called by
the commission. His testimony indf-
Gated that his regiment had Jared we'll
in every respect.
Maj. j. d. Glennan, who was captain
and assistant surgeon in the regular
army, and was made major and brigade
surgeon Of volunteers June 4, was call
ed Maj. Glennan was at Chicka-
manga and Tampa with the Sixth
cavalry. He later returned to Chicka,
manga as brigade surgeon Of the First
brigade, Third division First corps
He said that he found much larger
amount of sickness among volunteers
than he had been used to seeing; that
ne found the sinks left open and not
dug deep enough to make the camp
healthful; that the water supply was
affected by this Maj. Glennan said he
reported on these conditions, both
verbally and in writing, and made Ger.
tain recommendations, but that no at
tention was ever paid to his reports.
lie said he tried to get lime that
requisition was made on the quarter
masters department and they said they
did not furnish it; that then reuuisition
was made on the medical department,
and Dr. Huidekoper, the corps surgeon,
concerning whom sensational charges
nave since been made, disapproved the
use of lime and returned the requisi.
ton. Maj. Glennan stated that he
knew OF certain regiments where the
sick were 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
sewerage.
WATER NOT FIT FOR USE.
mo matter how many chemical and
meteorological examinations showed
that the water was not contaminated.
L should still maintain that it was not
fit for use" declared Maj. Glennan.
Asked by DR.. Connor whether the
tendency in the medical service of the
army was not to deteriorate from
the Gay man went in until his re-
tlrement, Maj. Glennan said this had
been bis impression until he saw the
volunteer surgeons, when he had como
to the conclusion that those in the
regular army were as good as those in.
the volunteer service.
L have no Doubt said Dr. Conner,
that the worst in the regular army
are great deal better than some who
were brought into the volunteers. %
Maj. William Cogswel1, surgeon Of
the Eighth Massachusetts, said that
when his regiment reached Chattanoo-
ga 1t was kept in the freight yards
eighteen hours, and it took them then
four hours to be transported to the
park; that the men went two weeks
Without fresh meat, their health was
thus greatly impaired and a large num-
Der were taken sick. DIR. Cogswell at
trlbuted the typhoid to the water milk
and lemonade drank by the men. He
said that the clothing and blankets be-
longing to men who died of typhoid
were brought back without having
been washed or boiled, and used by
other men of the regiment. He men
toned other abuses, too degrading to
write, which he said were reported to
the higher authorities without action
being taken. The doctor said in the
three months and half, when he was
at Camp Thomas, he knew Of DR.,
Hu1dekeper, the corps surgeon, having
visited the camp Of the Eighth Massa-
chusetts but twice. He had great diff
Guilty in securing medicines, he said,
and had to buy drugs out Of private
funds. The list of medicines which he
made requisition for always had about
half of the most important drugs
scratched off by the higher authorities.
He told of the red tape" which re-
quired a requisition for medicines to
go through a dozen channels and then
back before the supplies could be Sc
cured.
Capt. George B. Duncan, of the regu-
lar army, who recently served as adju-
tant general of the district of Ponce
Porto Rico, testified before the COM
mission. He stated that he was who'll
~ conVersant with the conditions con-
nected with the sailing of the TRANSPORT
OLDHAM, and that DR.. Seaman, who re-
turned in charge of that vessel. had
positive orders not to take any man
on board who was not entirely con-
valescent.
SUFFERED FOR MEDICINE.
Dr.. Thomas G. 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 not even get
blanks to make acquisitions for them.
In regard to the transport Massachu
setts, on which he went to Porto Rico,
Dr. Chalmers said:
There was no regular cooking on
board end the men were unused to
eating cold rations. The reserve hospi-
tai men were supposed to have been
well men, but subsequent events prov
ed 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 custom was not
stopped. The mules and horses on
beard went for twenty-four hours at
one time without water"
Lieut.. Col. James Parker, Twelfth
New DIRK, said that when the troops
arrived at Chickamauga the men had
TO sleep on the wet ground with only
one blanket and no change of clcthing.
He said that the First South Carolina
regiment did not receive their rifles
for month after their arrival at the