The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-11-02
WAR INVESTIGATORS.
Further Evidence of Weakness in
the Medical Department.
CONDITIONS AT CAMP THOMAS.

DIR. Edge A. Mearns Says the sites
Chosen We're Disease Breeders-Ma-
jor Glennan Says His Recommenda-
tions We're Unheeded.
Lexington, KY, Nov. 2.-Before the
war investigating commission yester-
day Chief Commissarv Marshall, of
Camp Hamilton, denied the statements
made by Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell,
OF the First territorias He said every
requisition had been honored from the
territorials
General ]. c. Bates testified as to the
Santiago campaign, the camps at Mo-
bile and at Chickamauga. He went to
see General Brooke regarding the lack
of equipments, clothing and other sup
plies. He said: "The day before we
left Mobile we got pretty well supplied.
These were supplies for recruits. At
Santiago we had bread and meat al
ways. At Montauk Point L learned
that the Long Island railroad had an
exclusive contract to haul the soldiers
TO that city. 1 issued orders to allow
other railroads to come in and help take
off the sick.
"In Cuba medical supplies were Woe
fully short. The medical officers said
they could not get them. This was es-
pecially true at Siboney. In going over
we had enough medical supplies, but
we were cut down. We had trouble in
getting ambulances taken to Cuba. We
got one for each regiment and one
for the squadron. 1 think the ambu-
lances I took were the only ones ashore
when the rough riders fight occurred
on the oath of June"
When asked what in his opinion was
the weakness in the medical depart
ment, General Bates said he thought
great mistake was made in not sending
medical officers In sufficient numbers
with regiments ordered to the field.
Additional transportation should have
been furnished for medical officers and
medical supplies, ambulances and
horses.
Replying to leading questions by DR..
Conner General Bates said:
"I think there is not sufficient excuse
for medical supplies being short in
Cuba. Better preparations could have
been made for transportation We had
no way to shoe horses and mules. L
have no recommendations to suggest
as to improvement in war department
regulations nor regarding the rations.
These matters have been subject to
| consideration of boards and able Of
ficers and 1 don't care to offer an
opinion"
DR.. Edgar A. Mearns, surgeon in
charge of the Gibbs General hospital,
Lexington, was asked regarding the
| sanitary condition of Camp Thomas,
where he was brigade surgeon. He
read a report on the condition of the
sites there which showed they were
disease breeders. He thought the men
detailed from the regiments to the di-
vision hospital were incompetent. DR..
Mearns condemned the water supply at
Camp Thomas because there was ty-
phoid fever there.
Major J. d. Glennan, who was cap
tain and assistant surgeon in the reg
uar army and was made major and
brigade surgeon of volunteers June 4,
said that he found a much larger
amount Of sickness among volunteers
than he had been used to seeing, that
he found the sinks left open and not
dug deep enough to make the camp
healthful, and that the water supply
was affected by this.
Major Glennan said he reported on
these conditions both verbally and in
| WTlIluB, anu Hldue CERTAIN lSSOih-
! mendations, but that no attention was
ever paid to his reports. He said he
tried to get lime, that requisition was
made on the quartermaster's depart
ment, and they said that they did not
furnish it, that then requisition was
made on the medical department and
DIR. Huidekoper, the corps surgeon,
disapproVed the use of lime and re-
turned the requisition. Major Glennan
stated that he knew of certain regi-
ments where the sick were kept for
weeks because the division hospital had
no room for them.
Major William Cogswell, surgeon OF
the Eighth Massachusetts, said that
when his regiment reached Chattanoo-
ga it was kept in the freight yards Is
hours, and it took them four hours to
be transported to the park; that the
men went two weeks without fresh
meat, their health was greatly injured
and a large number were taken sick
The doctor said that in three months
and a half when he was at Camp
Thomas he knew Of DR.. Huidekoper, the
corps surgeon, having visited the. eamI