The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-29
FOUND GERMS ON FLIES FEET
ER. RAGS EXPLANATION OF THE
SICKNESS AT CAMP THOMAS.

War Commissioners InSpect CbfcI.a-
manga, and the Much Talked of
sinks Are Given Close COnsidera-
ton - Gen. Wilson Not Satisfied
That the Source of Infection Was
From the Sewage of the Camp.
Camps Were Too Close Together.
Chattanooga, Tenn, Oct 2s-The war
investigating commission spent the entire
day in inspecting the site of Camp Thorn
as in Chickamauga Park, under the guild
ance of Gen Boynton, Gen. Stewart a
member of the Chickamauga Park Com
mission, and Mr. f. F. Belts, the engi-
neer of the park commission.
The inspection began at Lyttle station
and covered all points of Interest in the
park and near its borders which have been
IN any way involved in the controversy
concerning the sanitation of the camp
including the Sternberg and Letter hos
pials; the various springs from which wa
ter was secured by the troops, including
the famous Crawfish Springs and the point
on Chickamauga creek. at which the wa
tNii~
Special attention was given OF this lat
ter place because of the criticisms that
nave been made Non this source of the
| camps water supply. They found the in
take pipe submerged about twenty feet
above the mouth of the tributary creek.
fully known as Cave Spring creek. which
drained the camp. The charge has been
made that the water from the tributary
had contaminated the pipe. water being
carried back into 1t by means of eddes,
and in one case by an overlooking freshet.
Gen Boynton and Mr. Belts, both of
whom had been concerned in the location
of the pipe line, admitted that there had
been one occasion when Cave Springs had
overfOwed and broken dam
thus throwing its water into
the main stream above the
intake; but, they explained, this freshet
had occurred at night when the pumps
were shut down and no water was being
taken in. They called attention to the
rapidity of the flow and to the depth of
the stream and urged the impossibility of
infection from this source. The insuec-
tors listened attentively to all that was
said, but naturally they were conserva-
tive in their expressions
Gen Wilson gave especial attention To
the question as an engineering problem
while he refused to allow himself to be
quoted, it was evident from the interest
he manifested and the expressions he
dropped that he was impressed with The
strong improbability, if not the impossi-
bility of infection from this source. If
was also equally evident that a majority
of the committee formed the same opin-
ion.
There were many expressions of com
mendations Of the methods followed at
Sternberg Hospital, and Gen Dodge was
heard to remark that il was a pity to
have to leave an institution so well eouip-
ped. Maj. Glffen, in command Of the hos
ptal said it would soon be abandoned
The commission also gave attention 10
the proximity Of the various camps to one
another and the depth and location OF the
sinks The conclusion seemed quite gem
eral that many of the regiments were
thrown more closely together than thew
should have been, and that his fault could
have been avoided by moving, as there
was, in the opinion of at least some of the
commission, sufficient space that was not
occupied for the accommodation of MANY
tlOuSdHos iiiOIS Ol troops imam was ever
present there.
Many of the sinks were also found to
have been nearer to the tents than proper
ideas of sanitation encouraged, and in
some cases the character of the surface
was found TO be such as to warrant the
convictions that the sinks were shaIlower
than they should have been, but this was
true only Of parts of the camp.
After concluding the inspection of the
camp, Maj. Giffen, who had been before
the commission before, was asked to make
statement concerning criticisms of hos
pital physicians. He denied that diving
men had been neglected.
DR.. Charles F. Craig, bacteriologist Of
the Sternberg Hospital was also examined
He was questioned especially with refer
ence to the water supply Of the camp. and
expressed the opinion that the water taken
from Chickamauga river through the nine
system was purer than that IN the wells
and springs Of the ground
DR.. Craig expressed the decided opinion
that common house flies are capable OF
providing q decided source of disease In
infection and he detailed bacteriological
tests showing that they carried typhoid
germs upon their feet. He said that he
had macerated number of flies which
had been placed In sugar impregnated
with the germ and had produced from
them pure typhoid bacillus culture.