The age-herald., 1898-11-18
GLOWING PICTURE
 OF CAMP WIKOFF Dr. POrROOd Goes Into RaptuFeS Over
 the Conditions There. LAND OF ARABY THE BlEST Has Not More Delightful to Reside in
 Than hOntauk Point. GEN. YOUNG'S OPINION OF CUBANS The Only Thing the Insurgents Did at Santiago Was to Collect Discarded Baggage-La Guasima Was
 Not an Ambuscade.
GEN. YOUNG's OPINION OF CUBANs

Washington, November 1.-The war in- yestigating commission adjourned at
 o'clock today to meet at the Fifth Avenue l hotel, New York, tomorrow. After con- cluding the work in New York, the com l mission will proceed to Boston and, return ing, will stop at Philadelphia to make in- quiries there. It is also expected that number of witnesses will be called before they return to Washington, and if the com mission do not go to Cuba some persons will be asked to come here. Colonel Denby will remain in Washington while the other members are absent, and will take the tes- 1 timony of such persons as may ask to be | heard.
 | Dr. Forwood continued his testimony be- | fore the commission today concerning con- ditions at Montauk Point, where he was l chief army surgeon. He said that from the l beginning to the end of the history of the | Dent hospital at Camp Wikoff there was never a time when there were not from 50 to 800 vacant beds. Many patients were sent away to hospitals in neighboring cities, largely in response to public clamor. The patients taken away were largely typhoid cases and were selected chiefly be- cause it was not believed wise to allow IypnOlu cases u dCCuHiuletlS hl NAoaie0e'A' Another reason was the necessity of ex- tending the hospital accommodations. Dur ing the first thirty days of the history of | the camp, 5000 patients were treated, and it would have been out of the question to take care of them all in the camp hospitals. Speaking of the nurses, he said there was | a considerable number of hospital nurses, l who had been trained in the post hospitals | before the female nurses arrived. Ihis was limited training, but 1t rendered the men much more efficient than they would otherwise have been.
 Dr. Forwood said that he had expected typhoid fever would be apparent in the hospital, but he had never expected that the troops would remain there long enough to cause an epidemic of this disease. AS II was, he did not believe there had been d case originating in Camp Wikoff He de- clared there had been a suf1iciency or med- icine and medical supplies at all times, d wasteful abundance in fact From hrst 10 last during the history of the camp sixty four carloads were received. Notwlth- standing this fact there was complaint or the scarcity of medical supplies and ms di- cines due largely to the fact that the doc tors often required proprietary medicines, which were not kept on hand.
 In Deplorable Condition
 Dr. Conner read a letter from MaJor M w. Wood, regular army surgeon, dated at Montauk in August, complaining that there was a pressing want Of medical sup plies and that the camp was in deplor- able condition. Dr. Forwood said that Dr. Wood was disappointed because he dld not get a leave of absence immediately al.er arriving from Cuba, which was asked for, notwithstanding his services were needed and he was in good physical condition. General Wheeler had refused to grant his request. -
 was constantly kicking and bucking. He was disgrunted and disloyal and found fault with everything. For instance, he said the well water was polluted, declar- ing he would not take a drink of 1t for $50"
 A dispatch was read from General Wheel CT, saving that Dr. Wood had failed to secure medicines only because he had not sent for them.
 Dr. Forwood declared that the complaints concerning the purity of the water at Mon-
 tauk had originated with men who had filters and distiling apparati for sale. The water was pure and in plenty.
 He said the transportation facilities of the camp were poor, and that often the vehicles received were not complete in their equipment. The witness said he had an- nulled the contracts of one or two contract surgeons because of incompetence, but he knew of no case of neglect on the part of the pnySlcla0S or nuTSeS Dl d cildTdcleT 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 a compensation of $50. Among those was Dr. Lee, who was a personal friend of his and he had told the doctor to look the camp over and criticise whenever he found occasion for criticism. The doctor had written his article, making parts of it very fattering. but he was very much disgusted after the appearance of the mat fo "a 1ir,ap tar portion of it had been expunged.
 Predictions Nut Verified
 Dr. Edsons predictions as to the camp had not been realized. Dr. Stinson had spoken of the conduct of the kitchens. As a 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 the kitchens of the wealth. fest people of New York. He had with him one who had been with w. H. Wander bilt for more than three years. As a mat ter of fact hospitals were never so abund- antly supplied. The army rations were supplemented by everything that could be secured, including roast turkey, pheasants, sauabs, lambs, sheep, pigs, game of all kinds, pate de foi gras, mineral waters, the finest of champagnes and liquors. There was so much Apollonaris water that 1t was in the way, and when nurse came for bottle, they would offer her a case.
 He said that the newspaper men at the camp were gentlemen but they appeared to be under orders to criticlse the camp. He knew of two instances in which the report CTS had received orders to roast every thing" He had told them not to spare where they found criticism justified. Dr. Torwood said that patients who had been removed by their friends had often died, and many instances their deaths were due to the kindness of those who had taken them in charge.
 Dr. Pyles. major and surgeon of the First regiment of District of Columbia volun- teers, told the experiences of those troops at Camp Thomas and Tampa, in Cuba and at Montauk Point. The troops had encamp- ed at El Caney and at 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 1S9 in five days. There had been fewer than twenty-five deaths in the regiment At Montauk the tents were without floors,