The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-20

them to go in safety. He had no per-
sonal knowledge of any individual
cases of this character. He thought
these instances were due to insufficient
supervision, to ignorance Of physicians
and desire to clear the wards of the
hospitals for the new patients.
DIR. Frye spoke in very uncompli-
mentary terms of the men engaged in
the hospital corps, saying that they
had been picked up at random over the
country and were generally a scabby
looking lot" not fit to adorn any walk
of life. He also spoke deprecatingly
of the contract surgeons, saying that
he would not be willing to trust his
family or friends to so per cent of
them.
MANY Of Them" he said, fare recent
graduates from medical institutions,
and do not consider the average med
ical graduate capable of taking charge
of from % to so typhoid fever cases"
There was, he said, no proper oppor-
tunity for consultation with superior
officers, as the latter were, as a rule,
so generally occupied with their admin
istrative duties as to prevent their CIV
ing proper attention to professional
matters until specially called upon. He
considered this very wrong and said
there should be more supervision in
serious cases in hospitals on the part
of experienced men. Maj. Frye gave his
opinion as to the origin Of the popular
excitement concerning conditions 1at
Montauk Point, while the trops were
stationed there. He said that from 80
to rs per cent of men were sick when
they landed there, and that insufficient
provision had been made for them. AS
a consequence many were, compelled TO
lie upon the bare ground and they nat
urally suffered from exposure. He
also asserted that reporters from many
newspapers had brought to the camp
under Instructions to find all that was
bad and nothing that was good.
do you know this of your own per-
sonal knowledge?" he was asked, and
he replied, mo, but 1 was told it by
men who talked with the reporters.
Col Bows of the 49th Iowa regiment
testified next, and was followed by sew
eral members of his regiment. Col.
Bows said there had been no dehcien-
cy in the commissary supplies. The
men have the regular army ratlonS,
he said, land if they have not had
enough the fault is theirs" He had
had some complaints against the meat,
and in all cases the undesirable arti-
cles were exchanged upon application
and without going through the form
of condemnation. Speaking of the med
ical supplies, Col. Bows said that a
physician, who had been sent to the
camp, had spoken with surprise OF the
variety and quality of the medicines
and medical supplies and appliances on
hand.
Gen. E. B. Wildston, in command of
the LIST brigade of the 7th army corps,
was questioned about various points,
having been stationed at Camp Thorn
icfO a mr. ut
points before coming to Jacksonville.
He said the principal objection to Camp
Thomas, in Chickamauga Park, was
the fact that it was impossible, on ac-
count of formation of the ground, to
have sinks more than two or three feet
in depth There had also been an in
sufficiency of water in the beginning of
the history of the camp. The water
was taken from wells and, while he did
not believe the water was contami-
mated from the surface, he thought it
had too much magnesia in it to be
wholesome He had found difficulty in
getting sufficient water for stock at
| that period, but Gen. Boynton had af-
| terward constructed two wells in the
vicinity of his camp, thus removing
| this objection Speaking of the condi-
tions at Jacksonville, he said he did
not see that any fault could be found
with either the administrative officers
or the service performed by them in
either the medical, commissary or
quartermaster departments Most of
his staff officers were volunteers, but
he had found them very efficient. He
had also found the troops in his com
| mand splendidly equipped, and had
found the regimental officers especially
Jealous to maintain the best sanitary
conditions possible. Gen. Wiidston had
been at Montauk from the LIST of Au-
gust TO the 18th of September and had
superintendent the debarkation of the
| troops and the location of the infantry
regiments in camp.
Never" said he, was a prettier
camp pitched In the United States than
was that camp at Montauk" He said
there were tents erected for 10000 men
before man arrived, and all they had
to do was to walk into them and, so
liar as men who were not sick were
concerned, they were well provided for.
He said the site was a splendidly
| adapted one to camp service and that it
was abundantly supplied with stores of
all kinds.