Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-11-10
The War Board Hears a Mass
of Testimony.
COMPLAINT AND PRAISE.
Evidence Was as Varied as the
Rank of It's GiverS.
SICKNESS OF THE TROOPS.
One Man Blamed the Commanding ON
GERS, Another Thought the surgeons
Were at Fault and Third Saw no Rea-
son Whatever for Any Kicking.

son w hdIeNeT any hlGblnHs
Cincinnati. Nov. 5.--The war investi-
cation commission had interesting
sessions Friday. 1t had among the
witnesses four officers who served in
the Santiago campaign, one of them
being Gen. Egbert, who as lieutenant
colonel of the Sixth United States
infantry was shot down at San Juan
hill by a bullet piercing his chest.
Lieut.. Col Minor, now in command of
the Sixth infantry, was another inter
esting witness. Perhaps the most sug-
geStivc testimony was that given by
Maj. Griffith, of Kansas City, who was
in charge of the Third division hospital
of the First corps.
The first witness was DR. Menage,
contract sergeon with the Sixth in
fantry. He testified as to the absence
of hospital tents for the regiment in
Cuba. The medical supplies were
reasonably sufficient. The appliances
and supplies at the hospital the wit
ness did not know about. His chief
trouble was in getting an ambulance.
This he got after a delay of two days.
Lieut.. Schendel, of the Sixth infan-
try, said he left with the Sixth for
Tampa and at Santiago was made com
missary. They had ample quarters on
the trip from Tampa to Santiago. Com
missary supplies were always sutfi-
cient. At Montaull Point the supplies
were sufficient.
Lieut. Col. Minor said the Tampa
rar ny1nllapt Ihnr-n Il HI.
Guilty in getting transportation from
Tampa to Cuba. The transport l.iami,
in which his regiment went to Santi-
ago, was not fit for troops. The men
would have died in their quarters if
the voyage had not been mild, so that
the port holes were left open and air
thus supplied.
Col. Hunt, of the First Ohio infantry,
testified that when his regiment
reached Chickamauga it was poorly
supplied with clothing and arms, and
never was fully supplied. The sickness
among the troops was not the fault of
the camp nor due to the lack of medi-
cines, but more to the incapacity of
commanding officers.
Gen. Egbert was the next witness.
at Tampa or the supplies, or even with
the transport Miami, except with the
ventilation. He found troops abund-
antly supplied for the campaign. The
witness received excellent care at the
hospital. Referring to his return on
the Seneca he said the conditions on
that vessel were not good.
Mai Griffith testified regarding the
conditions at Chickamauga and the
hospitals. He had difficulty in getting
enough tents and when he secured the
proper number he found the last ones
of poor quality. AS a rule the men
detailed as nurses were unfit. Witness
asked DR.. Hof for female nurses. This
relieved the situation. The staff of
the division hospital was inadequate
when the increase of sickness occurred.
Sickness among the surgeons reduced
the working force. He said there
would have been no difficulty in get
ting hundreds of competent surgeons
at Chickamauga within a week. He
said he knew many applications were
refused. He attributed the failure at
the Camp Thomas hospitals to red
tape" and peace for 80 years. which
incapacitated the department for ex-
pansion for emergency.
Washington, Nov. 5.-Acting for the
war commission Col. DENLY has taken
the testimony of Gen. Lawton, who
was in command of the Second division
of the Fifth corps in the Santiago
campaign. Summing up Gen. Lawton
said:
Taking into consideration the con-
ditions we We're obliged to face, the
character of the country, it's climate
and other things being considered. |
can say there were no serious or gross
mistakes made. | can say there was
no lack of care on the part of any of
those in authority, whose duty it was
to look after the interests of the camp.
We had with us as fine staff officers as
there are in the world; no better could
be found. These men worked night
and day and no human being could do
more than they"
Camp Meade, Middlctown, Pa, Nov
5.-Chief Commissary Allison and other
officers at corps headquarters went to
Harrisburg Friday to appear before
the war investigating board. The COM
mittee heard testimony relating to
Camp Alger and other camps eStab-
lishcd at the breaking out of the war
The testimony of the witnesses heard
did not aid materially to that taken at
other places by the board.
Joint Traffic Association Dies.
New York, Nov 5.-Thc board of
control of the Joint Traffic association
decided yesterday to dissolve the or
ganization. This action was taken be-
cnman Of InnnraI lnn.aiAn L. th..