The Portland daily press., 1898-11-18
TOO MUCH LIKE BABIES.
Gen. Young Says Volunteers We're
Used Too Well.
SUFRERINGS NO WORSE THAN IN
INDIAN CAMPAIGNS.

| Telling of the sufferings of One Regiment
He Added "But They Were Regulars
Not Heross"-C ON mission Meets in New
York Today and Then Is Coming to
| Boston.
| Washington, November 1.-THE war
investigation commission adjourned at
O'Clock today to meet at the Fifth ave-
nue. hotel in New York at 10 O'Clock to-
morrow, and Gen Dodge asked the AS.
sociatsd Press to request witnesses who
have matters to bring to the attention OF
| the board, to report at that point. He
stated that letters had been received from
about 100 persons In the vicinity of New
York, but he did not know whether
all these would appear as witnesses. Al.
ter concluding the work in New York the
commission will proceed to Boston, and
returning will stop at Philadelphia to
make certain inquiries there. 1t is also
xpected that mum Ter of witnesses will
be called after the return to Washington
nd II the commission does not go to
Cuba some persons thers will be asked to
ONE here.
while the o ther mem bers are absent and
will take testimony of such persons as
may ask to be heard.
DIR. Forwood continued his testimony
co icerning the conditions at Montauk
Point, where he was chief army surgeon.
He said that from the beginning to the
end of his term in the general hospital
at Camp Wikof there was never time
when there were not 90 to 500 vacant
beds Many patients soon after arrival
were sent away 10 hos pitfalls in the neigh
boring cities, largely in response to pub
lic oiamor. The patients taken away
first 80 days of the camp 5000 patients
were treated ana it would have been out
of the question to take care of them in
the company hospitals. DR.. Forwocd said
that he had expected typhoid fever would
break out in the hospital, but he never
had expected that the troops would re-
main there long enough TO cause an cpl
delnio of this disease. As it was. he did
not believe there had been case origi-
mating in Camp Wikoff.
He declared there had been a suffi cien-
cy of medicines and medical supplies at
all times-a wasteful abundance in fact.
Notwithstanding this fact, there was
complaint of the scarcity of medical sup
plies and medicines due largely to ths
fact that the doctors often required pro-
prietary medicines, which wsre not kept
in hand. No requisitions were required
in getting medicines.
DR.. Conner read a letter from Major ID.
w. Wood, regular army surgeon dated
at Montauk in August, complaining that
supplies and that the camp was in de-
plorable condition. Dr. Forwood said
that DIR. Wood was disappointed because
he did not get leave OF absence 1nmo
tiiately after arriving from Cubn, which
he had asked for Notwithstanding his
serv ces were needed. Gen. Wheeler had
refused to grant this request.
From thai tinle.'' said DR.. Forwood,
she was constantly kicking and bucking.
He was disgruntled and disloyal and
found fault with everything.
A despatch was read from Gen. Wheeler
saying that DR.. Wood had failed to secure
medicines only because he had not sent
for them.
DR.. Forwood declared that the COM
plants concerning the purity of the water
at Montauk point had originated with
men who had filters and distilling appa-
ratus for sale. The water was pure and
plentiful. He said the transportation
facilities of the camp were poor.
The witness said he had annulied the
contracts of two or three contract sur.
geons because of incompetency, but that
he knew of no case of neglect on the part
of physicians or nurses of character to
compromise the welfare of the patients.
DR.. Forwood said many physicians had
come to the camp at the instance Of the
newspapers, generally for compensation
of ABOUT $50 Among these was DIR. Lee,
had told the doctor to look the camp over
and criticize whenever he found occasion
for criticism. The doctor had written his
article making parts of 1t very hattering,
but be was very mu disguised after
the publication of he letter to find all
the complimentary portion had beeL
expungeu Dr. Edson's predictions as to
the camp had not been realized. DR.
Simpson had spoken of the conduct of
the kitchen. AS matter of fact the
kitchens were in the most expert hands
Miss Helen Gould had supplied number
of chefs and most of these were from tne
kitchens of the weaithiest people OF New
York city. He had talked with one OF
them who had been with W. 81. Wander
bilt for more than three years. As mat
ter of fact, hospitals never were so aDun'
dantly supplied. The army rations were
Supplemented by everything that could
be fourd in the larder OF the Waluorf .
Astoria. He said the newspaper men at
the Damp were gentlemen but they er;czs sp
fhs camp. He knew of two instances in
which the reporters had received ros erasls bs to
not to spare where they found criticism
justified.
In conclusion, DIR. Forwood said that
often patients who had been removed by
their friends had died and that in many
instances their deaths were due to tho
kindness of those who had taken them
in charge.
geon of the first regiment of volunteers,
told the experiences of these troops at
Camp Thomas and at Tampa, in Cuba
and at Montauk. The troops had camped
at Ell Caney and on San Juan hill and
had found the region malarious. At first
the health of the men was good, but later
the sickness increased from eight cases to
is9 in five days. There had been fewer
than % deaths in the regiment. At Mon.
tank the tents were without floors, COM
.