The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-10-04
THE NEW YORK WORLDS CHARGE.

w,sbington. Oct. 1.-The War In
yosti-atinc Committee devoted It's time
today largely to the consideration of Il
statement filed by Mr.. Nelson llerSh on
behalf of the New York World, giving
what he styles a record of facts con
corning the establishment Of Camp
Wikoff and its management, together
with specific instances of abuses
charged to have existed. dates. number
of sick in hospitals, deaths. etc. 1t IS
asserted that at the time Montauk
Point was selected as the site for the
camp it WAS a barren waste" 1t is
charged that when the first detachment
Of 30 troops arrived, August Sth. tine
camp was not ready to receive them,
and they slept under their blankets
and IN the open air, as no tents had
arrived" This, it is added, was eleven
lays since it had been decided to cs-
tablish the camp. Continuing, the as
scrtion is made that the sick were re
ported suffering from want of proper
accommodations and food: that their
tents were without floors and with only
their blankets between the sick mon
and the ground. and that Il glass Of
sour milk apiece was the only nourlSh-
mcnt they received i'll twcnty-four
hours.
The War Department is charged with
frequent changes of plans, and 1t IS
asserted that General Young was given
only six days for The preparation of the
camp before the arrival of troops, when
two weeks was necessary. which caused
great confusion.' On the 11th of
k,.-,+ H.. INI.a,, yi.it,I 4hn ,, 1nti
found that the LOO troops there were
almost wholly dependent for drinking
purposes upon Il body of water without
inlet or outlet, known rs Fort ! ond.
This pond received the drainage from
the camp. and the doctor found thc
water to contain 30 grains of salt t.
the gallon. This condition, he san.
caused disease, and rendered the pond
d constant menace to the men.
BY August 80 there were 10000 men
in camp, and 1900 in the hospital, with
many unable to secure admission from
the transports. Ihe regulars were re-
ported to be suffering for the neccssaricS
of life, and had received no pay for
three months. Contract surgeons were
reported to be living at the expense If
patients. After the doctors had
lunched,' says the account"
twenty-five empty Appollinaris bottles
We're counted on the table. said to have
been diverted from hospital stores.
Particulars are given of the death in
his tent Of Private Hugh Parrctt. on
August %, and it is asserted that DIR.
Tabor refused him permission to enter
the hospital on the ground that he was
not sick.
The assertion is made thai, when. on
the 9TH Of September. DR.. Lee went to
Camp Wikoff With Il special train to
take sick soldiers TO the Brooklyn hos
pitfalls, he WAS unable to get more than
fifteen men to the train on account Of
the lack Of ambnlanccS, which were be
ing used TO carry Sight-Seere around The
camp. While hundreds OF SEX soldiers
were waiting to be transferred t. hoatr
and trains. Il dozen ambu!lncr:; were n;
the depot filed with laughing mrI anG
women who We're seeing the camp with
officers friends. After this incident
General Young gave ordp,S that the am
balances We're to be use only for the
transportation of the sick.
a long list Of Witnesses names were
forwarded. and there was Il general re
quest that correspondents and reporters
OF the World be called.
The Commission directed that n rcpIyI
he forwarded to Mr.. Hrrsh inforInin.l
him that the statement should have
carctuI consideration.