The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-11
CASE OF TAINTED MEAT
THERE WE'RE WORMS IN THE
BACON.
ONE NURSE TO THIRTY MEN, sinks AGAIN
Fever imported into Camp Thomas. The Dead
ly Fly. Two Days at the Front without
Coffee and Sugar. Ineffi-
c;ant Assistants,
cient Assistants,

cient Assistants.
Washington. Oct. 10.-The war inves-
tigating committee had three witnesses
before it today. Captain Culver of the
Grigsby's Rough Riders, DIR. Hyseil,
chief surgeon of the second division, To-
Gated ut Camp Thomas, and Major
Gallagher. who was in charge Of various
commissary depots in the Santiago
campaign.
Captain Culver had been stationed 1T
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, from May
until he was mustered out September
11th The food. he said, generally was
abundant and good. On one occasion
the meat was tainted, but 1T was con-
demned and exchanged. lie stated
however, that the tainted meat was not
badly spoiled and that he would have
been glad enough to have had use of It
in the Civil War. Captain Culver men
toned an instance when the bacon re-
ceiyed was wormy. and when the com
mand first arrived there was shortage
of tentage but these defects had been
speedily remedied.
Captain Culver stated that at one
itlIt lMCIlA -INo vi HIS Ilth WIN SIM
He thought the proportion not eXces-
sive-no greater than during the first
days of the Civil War. He
thought the pies sold to the men
were unwholesome. and also said that
much stale fried chicken was sold to
then
COMPLAINT OF LOCATION.
In conclusion Captain Culver said he
had no complaint 10 make of the treat
ment except in the location Of his troops
in the woods; he had protested against
this location.
DIR. Hysell testified that he had been
a surgeon in the Civil War and since
then said that he had been in general
practice. All the early cases Of typhoid
fever 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 one nurse
would have charge of thirty men. The
sinks were kept covered with earth but
DIR. Hysell said that no special precau-
tion was taken to disinfect vessels going
to and from the sinks.
According to his opinion the men in
his division had not as much water as
they should have used. though the men
did not complain. This was due to the
fact that he had been suspicious of the
water from Chickamauga River springs
and had water hauled to the camp in
barrels from outside.
He had Doctor Martin of the First
Brigade examine the intake Of the pipe
line, and this surgeon had reported thai
it was $50 feet below the mouth #
Chickamauga Greek. which received lie
drainage from the camp. nr. Martin
had also reported that the men were in
the habit of bathing in the river above
the intake. ~sgg
CT SINKS AND FLIES.
DIR. Hysell thought typhoid fever had
been imported 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.
The examination of DR.. Hysell was
conducted by DIR. Conner, of the com
mission. and was very searching from
medical standpoint.
Al the afternoon session the commits
sion examined Major Hugh J. Gala
gher- lie had served as depot commits
sary at Slboney, San Juan and Santa
go, and recently occupied this position
at Montauk Point, had been made chief
commissary of General Shafter's corps.
The rations We're, he said, forwarded al
most as rapidly as they were landed.
He heard no complaint Of lack of ra-
tions at the front
At first they were able to forward
about 10000 rations each day. From
Siboney the depot was moved 70 El
Poso, seven miles inland, and at this
point there were never enough rarions
on hand for even a day ahead. and at
this point it was impossible to ill all the
acquisitions. There was shortage in
coffee and sugar, which continued for
two or three days. This was due to the
dliflcnlty in landing supplies because Of
the high surf at Siboney.
Major Gallagher said there was one
instance when the canned roast beef
spoiled and it was DESTROYED.
CAN'T FIGHT on SHORT RATIONS
Some potatoes and onions and toma-
toes were also thrown away at Santiago
for the same reason. Indeed when II
was discovered that any article Of goods
was defective it was DESTROYED.
On one occasion it had been necessary
ta issue green coffee to men on the firing
lines. but the issue had only been "a,
a day. and the emergency was una.
voidable
Colonel DENLY pressed for information
as to the shortage of coffee and sugar
and Major Gallagher stated hat there