The San Francisco call., 1898-08-01
Deadly Results of the Move From the
 PresidiO. Who Was Responsible for the Treatm ent of
 Volunteers The Bows Attribute It to Street car Considerations, Which They Properly Resent.
COMFORTS OUT AT THE
 PRESIDIO.
Miserable Accomnaoda dations Fur nished the Tennessee Boys
 In Camp Hospital.

If Is the earnest hope of those who have taken an interest in the matter that there is a painful time coming to those whose autocratic power was the cause of the volunteer troops being ordered into quarters at Camp Merritt instead or the Presidio grounds, where they belong not only as a matter of right, but for sanitary reasons. The unnecessary hard ships through which the men have passed. the long list of deaths from pneu- rnonia and other diseases due to expos ure. which could have been avoided by the pursuit of the proper policy. are what offends and exasperates the relatives and friends of the men.
 Ii is the general opinion among those who have visited the several camps known as Camp Merritt that IL would have been difficult for those in power 10 select a more desolate, unhospitable ana unsarttary location than the one to which the enthusiastic volunteer troops were assigned.
 The shifting, driving sands, the cold raw, fog-laden winds and lack or sewer age. together with the fact that none or the outside regiments were accustomed to the peculiar summer climate or San Francisco. account for the many deaths and disabilities among the sturdy men who came here on their way 10 the front.
 
 conditions are strong in the belief, along with the public. that peculiar street car reasons and not military requirements were responsible for the strange move. Speaking of this proposition one Of the subordinate officers of the tennessee regiment said yesterday:
 I've feel that We are getting more than our share of street car imposltl )n' At home while we were in camp ttWaltihB orders We were used a shuttlecOcK ooe- tween two rival street car coInpanleSs who owned parks in different pdI.S Ot the city Our regiment was the aura tk.[ ,;or ana we were moved back ana foTlH from park to park seNetal ILISS uuL 4'4s7 the nth We were ln camp, il "aS' .A a case of who bid the highest between Ile n two common carriers. We naturdig hoped that such influences WouIu not @ prevail in a city where there lS d laA 6S -bo-,rS the volunteers were not regardeu as having any rights the regular oIhcers were bound to recognize. S0IuleTs aLe not expected to complain, put u eHIuI = bardships without murmur when they are unavoidable, but when one sees ms ms former healthy strong comrades so down to sickness ana utdtn u l4H H no vaiid sheep and knows that there IS nC Nel1io ,aiC, excuse for these conditions, ne cal Aeip r expressing himself. - s-. bo
 An of which there is no one to deny, pc ca5,sa there were no valid reasons 70 give for herding the men in the CaIlp , -tleI !. M sand pits In stormy weather to SleeP Oi
 
 well-drained grounds in Oncle sam ie'- ervation. .. o,,+bori +ies was many deaths and great deal oi sickness which should not have existed; The camp hospitals were oVercroWoeo and 1t was through the gensroFsIoy Foy oa a,a tlre croUding was obtained. that institution taking in the unfortunate men 10 the luh canaCitv of the free wards.
 c" n tSis time the trained and well sea- eooed regulars at the Presidio were occu- nyinP warm and comfortable quarters ano tkere was no indication Of a desire 70 s,rard the raw volunteers from the unac- customed hardshipS and dangers.
 In this connection 1t will be observed +bat fl is only within the past week, when the comfortable Presidio bslrracks were Dearlv n abandoned by the regulars, that the protests of the relatives and frlenqs or the Volunteer soldiers, backed by the crit ctgnos of the people of San Francisco, were needed and arrangements made t9 give them proper camping grounds ana hVs Pi'Sa tbe present time one of the fine brick .v-o-company barracks and a part of an other have been set aslde ana equlppea i5eodS dS hospitals. where the sick can nave proper care and protection from fhr elements; Tbare are twelve wards in Wnlch over Z4. men are cared for. There IS plenty o5 iitrbt beat and ventilation, clean and cen1fortable beds and the attention of trained nurses. Also facihtes TOT ulslh- factinP clothing and bedding
 lST1,15 ~ nent of the public is that these oonnonsense projections should nave been ri,,ap the men long ago, even IT IL were dS -e!Neth ',I~ n~nnnee of two or three hundred tHoSusgthfened HS regular campaigners. who could have taken a season of life in tents tents 1ttbout suffering III results. In other Mlciiout nLgs tbat there was not the proper sym- Dathy among the regulars for the W Xolnn, t,Iic teers and that 1t was only through tne nressure of public opinion that the pres aI1f orders opening the hospital and trans ferring the troops to the Presidio were promulgated. ,ro..-ossAa +roone o+ this time. except that the weather is better. shows what has, been endured, a. ano 1f the comfort of the lucky poyJ at tne u ui- ing and sad illustration of what might have been had their rights received prop
 Not only the location but the condition