The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-12-23

verified by the condition of the troops |
passing through East Hampton on their |
way to Camp Wikoff, pale, emaciated and
feeble, the stronger among them half
and all with one sad, sad story
of Neglect and Incompetent commissarlat.
The women of the village at once organ
lied, and soon there was good meal at
the station for all the poor fellows, while
the needles of the girls we're busy to sup
alarming reports as to the condition of
Camp Wikcff itself, the absence of food
suitable for the SICK, the made quate med
ical staff, and the lack of medicines.
The village at this time was crowded
with summer visitors, many of whom
sustained the charges of neglect and In
competence with indignant fervor, while
others, claiming to be better informed
vigorously contrsdicGed them. The " on
en- with their quick, subtle instincts,
realizing that the misery was only too
real, promptly joined the village people
in their efforts Co relieve the suffering.
At length few of our party resolved
to investigate on our own account, and
encouraged by the TACT that we had made
the acquaintance of several of the Off
GERS whom we hoped to find we started
for the camp, toward the latter part of
August. On the train we met the Yon-
kers man and two Of his daughters, fair
| girls -fairest of the fair-with light
straw colored hair in double piaits, and
innocent blue eyes. l OWNED at once
that they were in search of Yonpy,
| which proved to be the case. Their in
| formation was of the vaguest. A trans
| port mad recently arrived from Santiago,
on which they had heard a rumor that
he had sailed. They knew no one at tine
90 Tho VnnRnre m =, nnnkp EnOlish
| with difficulty, long as he had been in
the country, and the girls were so mex
perienced and diffident that he could not
receive much assistance from them.
| Long before we reached the camp
/ some at least of the causes of the trouble
were apparent enough even to the mex
perienced eye. There was no branch
track from the depot to the camp, which
ought to have been laid st the outset.
Teams of all descriptions were strainipg
and stalling over a common i'll prepared
road, heavy with recent rains, and badly
cut up by constant hauling of many
teams. Piles upon piles of mercban-
disc of every description had accumuia-
ted at the depot, awaiting transp ortation,
material and supplies for which the off.
cials were calling loudly, In vain, while
levery train was bringing more. At the
camp itself there was everywhere the air
OF newness and confusion, of thousands
NJ men disembarked and brought over.
land to barren poiLt, before 81 fficient
preparation had been made for them,
even before the merest necessaries oil
their coalition bad been delivered, and
of additional thousands constantly ar
irving, adding chaos to confusion, rem
derinR the efforts on the part Of the any
ious officials to catch up with the imper-
iOus exigencies OF the situation absolute.
ly hopeless. "They beg ~ at the wrong
lend, said an old veteran, dumped the
men here fret, and then started TO uild
the hospital accommodations and bring
the supplies. They will never catch UP
until half the men are cent away. The
place is good enough, none better per.
haps, but while they are building shell.
ters and Transporting medicines, nurses
and supplies, the men are diving, the
weakest of them, while the stronger are
In danger of pneumonia and pulmonary