The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-15
Was Not Furnished to the Porto RIcan
Hospitals.
NO OELICAClES WERE SUPPLIED.
He Did Not Know the Commissary De-
pnrtment Had Money TO Purchase
Them-Blame Was Not on the
Medical Department He
Declined TO Answer
some Questions.

s. Seaman was the principal witness be-
fore the War Investigation Committee
to-day. lie complained that the COM
mlssary supplies furnished the troops in
Porto Rico were unsulted TO the de-
mands Of a tropical climate, and they
were especially undt for hospital use.
He said the sick were only fed with
the army ration. lie failed to secure
any change OF diet FOR his patients, not
wthstanding ne made frequent demands
upon the Quar,ermaster Of The regiment
ald upon the surgeon Of the corps. lie
was told that no food was issued 10 any
regiment In that service and that Il
would be OF no use 10 make a formal
reQusiiOn IN writing. However the
men in the hospitals d'd not suffer. be-
cause the Red Cross Society furnished
The desired assistance.
~ CHARGE OF OBDAM.
DR. Seaman said that the had been IN
charge of two hundred cOnvalescents on
The OLDHAM returning from Ponce. The
ship was supplied with army travel ra-
tions. which. while plentiful and good OF
the kind were not suitable to inYaiids.
lie refused 10 give this food 70 his pa
tents and appealed for a different va
rie,y to The Red Cross and National AID
Society and had been supplied by them
with what he desired. As d consequence.
an the patients except one gained
weight and strength during the voyage.
He made no formal requisition 20 the
government authorities for different ra-
lions because Of the willingness Of the
Red Cross 20 furnish what he consider
ed better food.
80 MILK NOR TEA.
When Governor Beaver pressed the
witness % eXp'ain why there was no
requisition made for condensed milk and
tea. he replied that Chief Surgeon
snowden had told him they could not be
had.
Reforming to his stay in Porto Rico,
DR.. Seaman said there had been uni
versal complaint al the hospitals OF the
deficiency Of suitable supplies. There
wcr. times when the Red Cross Society
ala not have these While there was no
SHORTAGE OF the regular raiions. he
thought many OF the men had suffered
for want Of proper food lie had been
fo'd renoatediy that the sixty-cents-a-
dav ration for the sick could not be fur
nished in Porto RICO. IL was not even
supplied 10 the general military hos
pital
Dr. Connor urged Dr. Seaman for a
statement as 20 whether he had made
q formal written requisition for the COM
mutation OF supplies by the Commissary
Department. The latter replied he had
not done so. hut insisted thatshis reason
FOR This failure was found in the fact that
he was constantly informed that no such
exchange could be made. lie said he had
only six hours 10 supply the Obdam.
MADE no DEMAND.
He had secured from the commlssary
only the regulation travel ration but he
had made no formal demand for other
suitable foods for the sick. He said. IN
reply 20 a question that he did not know
that the commissary at Ponce had on
hand a quarter Of a million dollars or
any other sum Tor supplying delicacies TO
the sick. He could only say that they
We're not supplied.
in reply TO questions by DR.. Connor,
Surgeon Seaman said that while he was
in Porto Rico the hospitals were over
crowded the beds being within six
inches Of each other. When ne left there
were between 1900 and 1000 sick out Of
an army Of l0CQ0.
Dr. Seaman grew somewhat irascible
under Or. Conn0r's questioning. and, in
reply 10 an inquiry. Insisted upon putting
a question 10 his questioner.
WOULD SAY 40 MORE.
when Or. Connor attempted to repeat
the question. Dr. Seaman said he had
given HIS reply and would not answer
again, adding, 1.-THE questions put 10 me
here are Of a character calculated 20
place me IN the false position Of accusing
the medic department OF the army OF
mal-admnistration. Such Is not the case.
/ regard the conduct OF this department
by DR. Stern0erg as above reproach, and
whatever fault there was was In anoth-
er department.
After some petty sharp cross-hring
Or. Connor declared that he would ask
no more questions Of the witness.
Governor Beaver told Dr.. Seaman that
no question would be put 70 him that
was not proper. but he Governor Beaver
would "insist upon his answering. and II
he did not do so he must take the conse-
Quences.'
General Beaver then asked as 10 the
conduct OF the quartermaster service 10
bis vicinity DR. Seaman declined 10
answer. saying that he understood he was
expected 60 appear before the War De-
partment 6ftcr getting through with this
board, 'and, he said. II do not want 20
cr-lcise mv superior officers while / wear
the shoulder straps OF an army officer"
HAS BIZ IN MlSREPRESENTED
lie continued by saying that he had
been so much, misrepresented by the
rreSs within the last twenty-four hours
that he did not wish To further commit
himself He then detailed the circum-
stances leading 20 the representations
concerning his views IN the newspapers.
he said be had authorized no Interview
since he landed and that the article in
q New York paper grew out ~ con-
yersatlon between himself and his Gupe-
rior officer SD New York which a report
er OF that paper overheard.
lie also denied having read the article
before Il was printed as had been repre-
scnted. He concluded mis- testimony and
he was followed by Lieutenant +. X.
HIu. OF thc navy
LIEUTENANT HILL TESTIFfES.
Lieutenant Hlll was an officer on the
warship Iowa when the army landed near
Santiago and was In charge OF the de-
barkation OF the troops al BaiquirL He
said the navy supplied eleven launches
and ftty-two small boats FOR the landing.
but the army brought only one lIsh'er.
He gave the details OF the landing which