The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-31
CAMP WIkOff DISEASE
DOES NOT INCLUDE DREADED
YELLOW JACK
The CAMP MUST Be CLEANED
Neglect Of Immediate Action Will
Make the Place Most Infamous
Pest Hole
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Aug. 30.-Medical officers at
Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, deny that
there have been deaths at the camp hospi-
tai from yellow fever The two men whose
deaths here yesterday were said to be attrib-
utable to the disease named were, accord
ing to the surgeons In charge. victims OF
pernicious malar,al fever, which those I'M
nose as the latter
DR.. Nicholas Sem, assistant surgeon gen.
eral U. s. A., IL quoted as saying today at
Camp Wikoff:
I'm justice to the camp want to say that
almost none of the sickness among the
soldiers up to the present time and none Of
the deaths have been due to the conditions
which now prevail here, or have in the
past. Sickness has been almost entirely
limited to fevers contracted in the south.
and the death rate would have been much
more than now had the men remained in
the south instead Of being brought here.
1.-THE change of climate lessened the ef
fects of the fevers and improved the con-
dition Of the men. AS a consequence the
only sickness which can be attributed to
this camp is dysentery or similar troubles.
which may have been caused by the change
Of diet or water.
$50 far none Of the fevers have been in
digenous to the camp, but II the men re-
main they will certainly be attacked by
typhoid fever. This will be due to the
germs which they will get in the water.
ITO make this place healthy we should
have system of drainage which would
carry away all these germs, but to build
such would cost large sum, owing to the
extent of the camp"
DR.. Semi was asked II he had brought his
views to the attention Of the surgeon gen.
eral at Washington.
IT have not done SO in regard to Camp
Wikoff," said he. my protest in regard
to other camps have passed unheeded. In
regard to Camp Wikoff, have written an
article embodying all my views, which were
printed in a medical journel over my sig
nature and will be reported to the authori-
ties at Washington, am sure.
'Ther will be asked about and with en-
phasize my opinions. I want you 10 reit-j
crate that unless this camp Is cleared out
within six weeks 1t will be the worst in
fected place in the United States. The soil
will be permeated with typhoid fever and
epidemcs will follow. 1t will be worse than
It has been at any time at Chickamauga.
SIN regard to that camp, want to say
that warmed the Washington authorities
before the soldiers were sent there that
danger would result from massing a body
Of men there. I told them that the water
supply was insufficient and the use Of the
river water would result In typhoid fever
My protests went, unheeded. The result
was shown when I was in Pnr4n Ricn with
CfruerHI N1Ilee. .-,--. s-.
almost the first men sent him were from
Chickamauga. They were run down and
half sick when they arrived. They were in
no condition to stand the southern cli-
mate. General Miles noted their weakness
and told him the cause Of It. I asked him
to notify the Washington authorities and
have the Chickamauga camp broken up He
cid so at once and the evacuation of the
place followed.
II want to say, that as bad as Chicka-
manga was, this place will soon be nar
worse.
within three weeks all the disease con-
tracted in Cuba will be cured. After that
there will be no sickness In this camp, ex-
cept what is Indigenous to 1.-THE death
rate will be vastly greater than 1t Is now
The men with sickness will die from the
typhoid fever which will inevitably fol-
low.
"Unless this camp Is broken up within six
weeks I predict that 1t will be, instead of
recuperation camp, horror camp,
worthy to rank with the infamous pest
holes of the civil war"
Several hundred cots arrived last night
and were this morning put up in the differ
emit hospitals. There Is now enough room
tc accommodate all the sck.a
Convalescents are being discharged
daily from the hospital. and their places are
being taken by the sick from the trans
ports.
Mrs. Katherine Tingley, president Of the
International Brotherhood. Theosophlst
Society, has established relief tent about
three-Quarters OF mile from the Montauk
Point depot. There are four female and
seven male nurses in attendance, and there
are twenty sick in the tent. It Is at a
place where fur1oughed soldier may stop
on his way to the depot to secure something
to eat gratis.
Mrs. M. e. Bell Of Chicago Is here looking
for her son, Deloyne N. Bell, of Troop L.,
OF the Rough Riders. He was stricken in
Cuba with fever and was taken to the hos
pital at Siboney. He was to have come
north on the Catania, but suffered from a
relapse and was left behind. Mrs. Bell has
as yet learned nothing as to the where
abouts Of her son.
At Chickamauga
CHICKAMAUGA NATIONAL MILF.
TARY PARK. Aug. 3o.-General H, v,
Boynton, Chairman OF the Chickamauga-
-, Chattanooga National Military Park AS
ISOLATION, ordered by the War Department
to thoroughly investigate the conditions
at Camp Thomas and report thereon, has
compseted his report and forwarded It to
Washington. The report Is favorable on
nearly every matter investigated The wa
ter Is said to be good. the ground well
adapted for camping purposes, the hos
pitals well located and the attention given
the sick as good as cold be expected.
The indications are that the report will
bring ON warm dispute. as numerous
statements contained therein are contra
dacted by high army officials. The full
text OF the report is expected to be mado
public by the government oficials after
they have passed on 1t. Owing to slight
and unexpected hitch which has occur
red between the army officials and the rail-
roads. the work Of moving the first corps
to Admission. Alaska has not yet begun.
Two regiments, the First Mississippi and
the Third Tennessee, are expected to go
tomorrow.
At Camp Meade