The times., 1898-11-03
THE PEST SHIP coNCHA.
Major ROmeyn Tells of the Terrible
NOyaRe From Cubn.

Four members of the Alger Relief Com
mission-CoI. DENLY. Gen. McCook, Gen.
Beaver and Gen. Wilson-heid a session
in Washington yesterday and listened to
the testimony of Major Henry Romeyn, 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 1t
was refused, and he then went as cor
respondent of weekly newspaper.
His testimony covered the embarkation
of the troops at Port Tamapa 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 to 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 4 stan officer
and several others for this information,
but none knew. nor did anyone appear
to know on what vessel any of the par
ticular troops were to embark. There
was great confusion, as consequence
of which a part of command would
go on one vessel and part on another.
and the commands were in some cases
separated from their stores. He had seen
no order for the systematic embarkation
of troops, and he had heard it said that
they were told to go aboard helter skelt-
er.
When asked to express an opinion as to
the preparations for the e:nbarkation the
witness hesitated. saying that to do so
would 'nyolve criticism of his superioIs.
The Commissioners insisted upon \ reply.
and Major Romeyn replied that he did not
think the preparation was such as It
should have been. There was he said.
"a lack of surfboats. and also of order
and of preparation for landing. When the
landing was undertaken, the troops left
the ships indiscriminately."
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 il was lost on purpose because
it retarded the progress of the fleet In
response to a question from Gen. Nc
Cook, Major Romeyn said that while it
was difficult to land anything ambulances
and wagons could have been landed as
easily as artillery. He had seen only
one ambulance at the front at the battle
of Ell Caney, and it was not used Cor
conveying the wounded to the rear.
Speaking of other Incidents of this bat
tle he said there was general surprise
that an inflated balloon had been carried
at the head of the attacking column. thus
indicating to the Spaniards the exact To-
cation of the troops, but he did not know
at whose orders this had been ,loae.
He said that the town of Siboney was
without exception the dirtiest place he
had ever seen in his life, and that no
effort was made to clean it up before the
fever broke out There wassa deficiency
of proper food at the fever hospitals,
and the cooking was generally poor
Any one in the hospital was liable to
contract yellow fever. He had been pa
tient in the hospital, and said there had
been no neglect of patients by the medi-
cal attendants at this hospital or at the
hospitals for the wounded. He had
known surgeons in the latter hospitals to
work sixty hours without cessation.
"Why did they not have more sur
geons?" asked Col. DENLY. The witness
said he could not answer.
Major Romeyn said he had come North