The Portland daily press., 1898-10-11
THE LACK or LIGHTERS.
This Caused Shortage Of Provisions
at Sa tiagO.
CHIEF COMMISSIARY OFFICER TES-
TIFIES BEFORE BOARD.

1
| pital and Sanitary Conditions There
| Capt. Culver of Volunteer Cavalry An
other Witness--No Serious Criticism
| Offered by Anyone.
Washington. October 10-The war in
vestigation commission had three Wit
nesses before it today, Capt. Culver o1
the Griggsby rough riders, DR.. Hysell,
chief surgeon of the second division, To-
Gated at Camp Thomas, and Major Gala
gher, who was in charge of various com.
missary depots in the Santiago campaign
DR.. Hysell's testimony dealt with the
sanitary and hospital conditions at Camp
Thomas. He said that that there was
less typhoid fever in the troops of the SEQ
ond division than in the other divisions
| and stated that upon his advice the dl-
vision had secured Its water from outside
springs Instead of from the Chickamauga
river, as he considered the river water
liable to be impure. Major Gallagher de.
tailed the process Of supplying of rations
to the troops in the field. He said at
one time there was deficiency in coffee
and sugar for two days and he expressed
the opinion that this shortage would have
proved serious If 1t had continued for
any length OF time. He said the supply
OF lighters were not sufficient to permit
the accumulation of any considerable
quantity of food at any one time.
Washington, October 10.-Capt. J. Fl.
Culver OF troop A of the third U. s. cav
airy, (Griasby's rough Eiders), was before
the war investigating committee today.
He had been stationed at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga, from May until he was
mustered out on the 11th of September.
His company had been located in 1.-The
woods The site was dry though he
thought it would have been better in the
open. He said that one time the meat
was tainted but it was condemned
and removed.
He said it was not badly tainted and he
WOulQ Adt6 pCCn Esi1u OAOuEA w ilnSO oOCA
it In the civil war. Capt. Howell in
terrupted the proceedings to inquire the
object of the examination of the witness,
to which Gov. Beaver who was conduct
ing the examination replied that it was to
show what the different bureaus sof the
war department had done and how they
did it. To this Mr.. Howell responded.
.sThe proper men from whom to secure
this Information are the Officers who
supplied the equipments. -
General Dodge stated that there had
been some complaint as to delay in suppy
ing the regiment with its equipments.
This explanation satisfied Capt. Howell
and the investigation proceeded.
Capt. Culver stated that at one time
20 of his men were sick. He thought the
proportion not excessive, not greater than
during the first days of the civil war and
until the men learned to depend upon
the army ration and not to go outside
for food. He thought the pies sold to the
men were unwholesome and also that
much stale fried chicken was sold to
them. In conclusion, Capt. Culver said
he had no complaint to make of treatment
except in the location of his troops in
Capt. Culver was followed by DR.. james
Hysell, who was chief surgeon OF the
third division of the first army corps and
who was located at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga, from the 7sh of June to
the 2lst of August. He had been O sur
geon in the Civil war and since then,
said he had been in general practice.
Ali the early cases of typhoid were
treated in the regimental hospitals and
the patients were not isolated until after
the construction of the division hospital,
when typhoid and suspicious cases were
isolated and the men were well attended
by physicians and nurses, though at times
covered with earth, but DR.. Hysell said
chat no special precaution was taken to
disinfect vessels going to and from the
sinks. There had been 400 cases of all
kinds of disease treated in the hosp1tal
and 15 deaths. According to his opinion,
the men in his division had not nal as
much water as they should have USED,
though the men did not complain. Ihls
was due to the fact that he had been sus-
picious of the water from Chickamauga
river and had water hauled to the camp
in barrels from outside springs. He had
thought that by this precaution he would
protect the troops in his charge from
typhoid. He had DR.. Martin of the First
Brigade examine the intake OF the pipe
line and this surgeon had reported that
1t was $50 feet from the mouth OF ChloK-
amauga creek, which received the drainage
from the camp. DIR. Martin had also re-
ported that the men were in the habit OF
bathing in the river above the intake.
Furthermore he had found the water
from one artesian we'll to be muddy and
that from others to contain fungus
growth. BE had, however had this water
analyzed and had found it to be whole
some. DR.. Hysell thought typhoid fever
had been brought into the camp from
the outside and that the increase had
been due to the failure to properly cover
the sinks and to the prevalence of flies.
He did not think 1t possible to effectually
isolate typhoid fever Cases, as typhoid
was so difficult 10 detect in its early
stages. All reasonable precautions had
been taken in locating the camp TO pre-
vent the development OF disease. He ad
mitted that in case of another war mure
effective means could pe provided.
The examination of DIR. Hysell was
conducted by DR.. Conner Of the commits
sion. and was very searching from medi-
I<G-