The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-05

! pitfalls erected, but there was scarcly VI
d nurses ie lGqulried tor nurses anu "I.hi .i
\ hve or SIX Gays there was an apu 'l-an~.
/ He summoned the surgeons tor cohsuita-
! ton each morning ana would immeo'a'ei!
o!qer by ,..re any article neeoed.
The hospital tents were, he SAID al
floored. lhe patients were laid on mat
tresses ON the floor and were supplied
with clean bed linen. FROM first u 'isl
10 600 patients entered the hospitals Ut
Montauk Point. The hospitals mad, when
he landed, a capacity OF not 10 eSeeeu WV
ard 20 tar as he knew the hospltai had up
TO this time been equal TO the aenianus
on It. over 1858 of the Santiago troSpS
Lad been reported sick on alFYal pHt
i4.aBy osneis VI tAe arrivals "e'e is"'''
sick.
As rule when the parents or other
relatives came TO Wait the soldiers they
expressed satisfaction at the care the men
were given. He knew of no complaints
from relatives General WHEELER eApii!iiei
that there was much complaint peoa"'o
the burial ground was too near an ID
plainly inview. only go OF the men h1n
died in the existence a the camp ne
knew thing of the details Oh lH.eriis M,
and could not say whether any bodies nau
been buried without clothing. Upon tn7
whole. he thought the fact that lnere nau
been no spread of yellow fever from lhe
camp was quite marvellous one oil Inc
great difficulties he had encountered was
10 properly control the removal OF SICK
soldiers by their relatives In case where
sympathy and affection often acted IN
stead of discretion.
General Wheeler considered the hospitaI
facilities ample after the erection Of tne
division hospitals. There were times wnen
they were crowded for q day or two, pul
on the whole there were many times wheh
the buildings were not filled.
Taking I'D charges made by the New
York World and by DR. jenkins in It's
columns General Wheeler said That u the
soldiers had not been landed at some
Isolated place such at Montauk Point The
fear OF yellow fever would have caused
general exodus. 1t would have been cruel
to send the men home within five days
after landing as DR.. jenkins had suggested.
Many Of them we're sick and needed special
attention. The distress was due 10 the coh-
clifton OF the men au1 not to the topo-
graphical or climate conditions. Ninety
per cent had fever in them and the Officers
suffered as much as the men. MUn'alh
Point he thought, in brief was necessity
for quarantine purposes'-to prevent the
spread of fever if for no other purpose.
Replying 10 other allegations made by
the World, General Wheeler said be did
not think the hospitals were crowded, mat
II the sick were without blankets OF ade
Qlate shelter ne had not known the fact,
and If he had known such want he would
have supplied it, There was no red tape.
He mentioned one case in which he had
telegraphed TO New York for four carloads
OF medicine and it had arrived on the even
ing Of the next day He had read to the
regular soldiers the assertion that they had
been in an almost starving condition. and
they laughed at the report. The men as
serted that the only trouble was that they
had too much; and, as a matter of fact, no
soldiers had ever been SO well supplied
General Wheeler asserted that it was true
some of the employees had used articles in
| tended for the sick. and he had been told
by some ladies that physicians had used
some of the articles, including apolinaris
water, provided for the hospitals. He had
issued an order for the arrest of those en-
gagged in such a practice.
There were, he said. undoubtedly nli-
vidual cases of suffering and of neglect
but they were the exception. He had in
vestigated the charge that the hospitals
were overcrowded, and he was satisfied
that such was not the case. I'VE had no
red tape about this or any other matter"
said the general, but we ordered thing
done and it was done. Our aim at Wikoff
was to supply the necessities of the men.
and we attempted to do so without resort
ing to the forinalities necessary IN times
OF peace"
At o'clock the commission adjourned
until tomorrow, when General wheeler
will resume mis- testimony General Fitz-
hugh Lee has notified the commission that
he will not be able to appear before Thurs
day,