The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-22
Large Number of Deaths Due to the
Fact that Many Sick Soldiers
Were Taken on Board.
CONDITIONS At SANTIAGO
GEN. SHAFTER's DAILY REPORT OF
FEVER CASES AND DEATHS.
Men of General Lees Corps Fortunate
distressing Picture of the Suffer-
ing of Spanish Prisoners.


reached the War Department concerning
the bad sanitary condition in the transport
Mobile, which arrived at Montauk Point
few days ago from Santiago. The Ship it
was charged, was overcrowded and the sick
on board were not properly or adequately
provided for. The department communi-
Gated with General Shafter on the subject
and in response to the dispatch it received
tonight the following explanation from
him:
Referring to your telegram about over
CroWding the Mobile, her captain reported
that, loaded as she as going to Porto Rico
she could carry three thousand and that she
could carry two thousand comfortably. /
did not consider few less than seventeen
unaFee as S TOO mann many she was carefully
tors, and members of the board state the
steamer was not overcrowded. Accommoda-
lions for officers We're however, somewhat
deficient. The large number of deaths can
probably be accounted for by the fact that
this brigade took nearly all their sick with
this respect Transports have been loaded
with from two to three hundred men less
than the same ship brought down."
In addition to the statement of General
Shafter concerning the complaint about the
condition of the troops arriving from San
tiago on the transport Mobile, the War De-
partment is in receipt of the following dis
patch from General Ludlow, who was in
command on the transport:
Through military channels newspaper
statements as to the overcrowding on the
Mobile are erroneous; five thousand ton
ship: maximum displacement II 600; sixteen
hundred on board, four hundred on sick re-
port; expected to lose thirty or more: lost
ten. Brought every man in my camp except
seventeen wrongly adjudged yellow fever,
and ten men, in addition twenty, from
dlvlslon hospital. Ship we'll ventilated,
seven large matches, wind sail in each, TWEEN
ty-nve deck ventilators, always swung to
the wind and numerous side ports. Every
thing wide open during the voyage. Men in
hammocks not overcrowded. Sick in cots
in hospital, stern of ship. Strict police and
sanitation. Men began improving at once
with nope of rescue, open air and assiduity
than when embarked. No deaths in Twenty
second and but two in Eighth. Had COM
mand remained week longer numerous
losses inevitable; only chance of saving life
to bring them along. Please advise General
Shafter of this
General Skaters report of the health con-
dtions of the troops at Santiago on Aug p,
received at the War Department tonight,
follows:
nctai SICK
Number OF new fever cases .............. IS
Fever cases returned to duty ............ 129
Deaths
Aug 19.-Private Norman Mcmillan COM
pany NJ Seventy-first New York Infantry
pany c. Thirty-third Michigan, typhoid
fever; Private J. Gaines, Troop B, Tenth
fever; Corporal Walter c. Jarvis, Company
A, Ninth Infantry. malarial fever; Private
Richard Rique' Company G, Ninth Infantry,
acute dysentery; John c. Wright, civilian
pernicious malarial fever; F. r. Naftzger,
Company D. Eighth Ohio, yellow fever
Aug. N.-Private August L. Johnson, Com
pany e. Thirty-fourth Michigan. typhoid
fever; James S. Smith, Company B, Second
Infantry. yellow fever.
Late tonight Ajutant General Ccrbin
made public the following dispatch from
General Fitzhugh Lee. in command of the
Seventh Army Corps at Jacksonville, Fla:
Replying to dispatch from Hon. John H.
Gear Burlington, Ia, to YOU will state that
the condition of the Fiftieth Iowa is ex-
aggerated. Yesterday mornings report
shows 1,015 enlisted men present. rs sick in
hospital and GA in quarters. The total num-
Der sick in the hospital in the Second Divi-
sion to which It belongs is 4O4 out Of l0Is
is ably managed and we'll taken care of,
has electric fans and comfortable appliances
many of whom have had experience in civil
hospitals. In addition. the surgeon general
has ordered fifty trained women nurses
hss peen sent Nors to- ens So nuree
from the large cities of the North. The
Fiftieth Iowa has lately had its camp
moved and is getting along WELL The
trouble at home seems to be the result of
want of knowledge of these existing facts.
The Forty-r1inth Iowa, the other Iowa regi-
ment here. has, by yesterdays report, 1257
enlisted men present, of whom ~ are sick
in the hospital and 81 in quarters. Apart
from climatic summer fevers there is very
little sickness in this corps.
The following dispatch from Camp Wi
koff was posted at the War Department to-
night:
Fourth Infantry. Maj Bigger. command
ing, about four hundred in strength, just
disembarked from the Seneca, marched up
TO camp. bands playing. fine shape and con-
dition.'
The transport Serguranca will sail to-
morrow afternoon from New York for San
tiago. carrying supplies and mail. Adjutant
General Corbn said tonight that persons
desiring to send packages or communica-
tions to any of the troops at Santiago could
do so by the Serguranca by communicating
with Colonel Kimball. depot ouartermas-
ter at the army building, New York city.