The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-03
Troops Ordered to Board Ship
Heller SHELTER.
ROMBYNE'S RACY STORY
WAR INVESTIGATORS ENLIGHT-
ENED BY A CORRESPONDENT.
Inflated Balloon Carried at Front of
An Attacking Column, Thus In
dicating to Spaniards Location of
Troops-No Effort to Clean Filthy
Siboney Before Fever Broke Out.

Washington, Nov. 2.-The war invesu-
eating commission held a session here to-
day for the purpose of hearing the testi-
mony Of Major Hnry Romeyne, a retired
army officer. He said that he had asked
at the beginning of the war for a military
assignment to go to the front in his
capacity as an officer, but it was refused
and he then went as CORRESPONDENT OF
weekly newspaper. His testimony
covered the embarkation OIL the troops
at Port Tampa and the campaign IN
Cuba. He said that when he went TO Port
Tampa the bank of the canal there. was
covered with troops. He had wanted 10
go over with the Tenth infantry, which
was his old regiment, but no one could
tell him where the regiment was to be
found he asked a staff officer and sew
eral others for this information, but none
knew nor did anyone appear to know on
what vessel any particular troops were
to embark. There was great confusion,
as a consequence of which a part OF q
regiment would go on one vessel and a
part on another, and the regiments were
thus separated from their stores. He
had seen no order for the systematic en-
barkation of the troops, and he had heard
it said that they were told to go aboard
helter-skelter. When asked to express an
opinion as to the preparation for the en-
barkation, the witness hesitated, saying
that to do so would involve criticism OF
ed upon a reply and Mr. Romeyne replied
that he did not think the preparations
were such as they should have been.
LACK OF ORDER.
There was he said. "a lack of surf
boats and also of order and of preparation
for landing. When the landing was
undertaken the troops left the ships N
discriminatory, parts going at one time
and other parts at other times.
He told OF the efforts to tow two light
ers over to Cuba, but said that one was
lost and that it was the general impress
! sion that it was lost on purpose because
/ it retarded the progress of the fleet. In
! response to question from General Nc
| Cook, Major Romeyne said that while II
was difficult to land anything, ambuiances
/ and wagons could have been landed as
easily as the artillery.
He had seen only one ambulance at the
front at the battle of Ell Caney and II
was not used for conveying the wounded
! to the rear. Speaking of other incidents
/ OF the battle, he SAID there was general
| surprise that an inflated balloon had
| been carried at the head of the attacking
column, thus indicating to the SDaniards
! the exact locality of the troops, but he
| been done.
sIBoNEY WAS FILTHY.
He said the town of Siboney was with
out exception the dirtiest place he had
J ever seen in his life, and that no effort
was made to clean it up before the fever
broke out. There was a deficiency OF
| proper food at the fever hospitals and
| the cooking was generally poor.
Any one in this. hospital was liable &c
contract yellow fever He had been 9
! patient in the hospital and said there hao
| been no neglect, of patients by the medical
attendants at this hospital or at the
hospitals for the wounded. He hao
! known surgeons in the latter hospitals tC
work 60 hours without cessation.
/ WHY did they not have more sur
I geons?" asked Colonel DENLY. ~
The witness said he could not answer
Major Romeyne said he mad come north
! as a conValescent, with many other con,
! ValeScents. on the transport Concha, anC
he criticized the provisioning of the yes
sci in severe terms. Many of the mer
were compelled to sleep On board hunks
without blankets or pillows and with ne
/ covering at night except the cotton uni
form which they wore during the day.
WATER OFFENSIVE TO SMELL.
THE water was offensive to both sight
! and smell" he said, and the food was
/ poor and scanty, especially for conva-
/ IescentS. The meat was canned and in.
fer1or. and much of the hardtaci
He also stated that there was only one
physician on board the vessel and thai
ne was a convalescent. Six men haC
! died on the way up and Major Romeynt
! expressed the opinion, in response to {
question from Captain Howell, that will
proper attention and good food, the live:
/ of at least some of these men could have
/ been saved
He said he was unable to place the
responsibility for the neglect, but that TIT
I captain of the vessel had stated wnen NJ
made application to go to Jamaica fol
! fresh food and water before starting OF
! the voyage from Santiago, the reques
was refused.
General Wilson, Ex-Governor Beaver
and Captain Howell go to Camp Meade
tomorrow for the purpose of inspecting
that camp.