New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
THE ARMY INVESTlGATlON.
FURTHER TESTIMONY AS TO TRAN'-
PORTS AND EQUIPMENTS.

CAPTAIN MKAY AcM:s DENIES CHARGES ABOUT
THE SANTIAGO TROOP sHIPs-TnE ST
LOUIS SAID TO HAVE BEEN IN
RAD CONDITION.
w,sn,nyton Dec AT to-day's session q the
War perartment Investigating Commission inc
examination Of Captain Mckay. who was in charge
Of the transports Of the Santiago expedition, was
continued. lie said the question OF disembarkhF
the troops on the arrival Of IN" Transports was
carefully considered before the expedition left
TAMPA but owing 10 the haste with which INC
arrangements were made II not possible 10
procure stern anc for moorinE purposes for All
the vessela. Captain Mckay also srporintenhed
the elnbarkation Of troops which came North from
Santiago after the surrender. ard he Indignantly
denied many Of the published statements regarding
the filthy condition Of the transports. lie cite"
the case Of the Allegheny particularly. The con
lition Of Tint vessel had been especially criticised
yet he insisted that II was one of The hest-V"hu-
lated and Of the hest-carci-for transports OF
The fleet. There had been plenty Of Ice Tor the
ships at Santiago. mainly supplied by the Heo
Cross. and he had personally sup"rintended the
leading OF the supplies for the ships.
He came North on the Seneca. She vas crowde!
with sick soldiers from Siboney. He ADMITTED
that many Of the soldiers berhed between
decks that the water unpalatab'e. caused d!
the rolling of the ship, AMI that the soldiers SUI
fered other discomforts. but many Of the crew
were sick and there were eNtenuating c!rcuH-
stances. There two contract surgeons OF
/ board He had received no applications for the
decentralization OF medical supplies. and had In
strlctions from Colonel Humphreys to MAKE
especlal efforts whenever medical hospital sup
plies were called for. and he denied 'npha'icaN
the statement that Colonel Humphreys devoted q"
his time getting quariermaster ana co'hh'Sshry
stores ashore. dlsregardng requests for medical
stores In closing he expressed the opinion that
/ II nj
for landing The difficulties afterward encountered
were due to the loss OF some OF the lighters ana
tug and tho rough water In the harbors OF Baiquri
and Siboney lie said that the transport captains
showed TO disposition to dlsobey orders lhcy a..
steamed at night to avoid danger IN case oil
SQUALLS but came IN close in the day lie on'y
knew OF one where a captain mad decHhen 10
obey orders. That through fear that obedience
would endanger his ship. In that case captain
Mckay said he had personally assumed the re-
sponsihlity and risk on behalf OF the government
whercupon the orders had been obeyed Immediately.
4 SURPRISE TO THE COMMISSION
1,autenant-Colonel c. w Gocthal. who was chief
enotncer on General Rrooke's staff. followed Cap
tain Mckay lie criticised the condition or the
camp at Chickamauga. which, he SAID was PAD
owing TO the failure OF the soldiers 20 use thelr
sinks lie described the condition Il headquarters
as 'partcularIy dirty" lie did not think that fact
set q good example for the rest Of the corps lie
thought there were better sites In the Park than
those occupied, but these were NANNY III me oi u
ern part which had been reserved for the Skin
Army Corps. The witness descrlned ueneia.
Brookes expedition TO Porto Rico. lie gould not
answer for any vessel except the 81. Louis, on
When he embarked THE conditions that
ship he said. were awful. The staterooms were
not cleaned. the bedding was foul theIe was no
ventilation and the meals were ahominabe. sui
he did rot think the troops were lh'dN"Vi'd''u .!
reason OF the voyage. , IT,,
This Characterization of the great American iher
caused evident surprise General McCook SAID ne
had made trip in the ST. Louis. and that she
finely ventilated the staierooms 1e0" uecAs
being almost as well ventilated the deckrooms.
Colonel James NJ. Moore. Assistant Quartermas-
ter-General against whom complaint was mace ~
Knox, the New York halter, explained the clrCum-
stances under which he had condemned ne Knox
hats He said that Of experts 20 whom the
hats were submitted for inspection not one Sc
iected the Knox hats. Even knoxs expert on an
examination Of the hats in Colonel Moore's pres
ence had not selected the Knox hat. lie explained
the difficulty IN obtaining clothing ana camp
many cases the Quartermaster's Department was
compelled 10 buy inferior articles or DO wlthou,
them altogether This particularly true or
tentage Every available tent In the country from
the Atlantic to tie Pacific was purchased lie
made some suggestiOrs as to the uniforms ana
pines expressing the opinion that woollen blous"s
might suffice for the winter months. but that oot-
ton uniforms undoubtedly preferable In the
summer. ,,,
Colonel Moore said that he had not been hand-
canned by his superior officers Every recon-
merdation he had made had been approved by me
Quartermaster- General. He explained the aroi-
trary reduction OF rates the Government had IN
sisted upon at Tampa for water. wharfage. storage
etc. A settlement had been made with MT. pan,
In the short time he was at Tampa he had saved
Government $50