Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-09

dition of things remained until after the
fight at La Quasina, at which time there
Were absolutely no dressings. hospital
tentage or supplies of any kind on shore
within reach OF the surgeons already
landed.
THE news of the Quasina fight being re-
ported to the chief surgeon. he was final
ly able TO get on board the Olivette and
send her TO Siboney. where she received
the wounded. Within the following day or
so. the transports carrying the reserve
and First divisional hospitals We're found
and unloaded of their hospital contents.
the latter hospital finally obtaining linn
tied transportation to the front.
After a couple of days duty on board
the Olivette, / was directed to put the
lr:ouois in condition to receive patients
and take the full capacity of the ship on
board. While doing this, / was able to
set ashore considerable hospital tentage
and supplies found aboard of her and, hav-
ing control of her boats. was able to yisit
other transports in the harbor and land
medical supplies from them. While sub
sequently Quitting the Cherokee and
Breakwater, this work was continued as
well as opportunity and limited facilities
permitted. getting supplies from perhaps
a third of the transports composing the
Meet. Outside of this. it is believed that
no other regimental medical property was
ever unloaded up to the time of my de-
parture with wounded on July 10.
Appealing on several occasions for the
use of a lighter or srra,I staam.r 70 oo,,aot
and land medical supplies, I was informed
by the quartermasters department that
they could render no assistance in that way
and the medical department was compelled
to rely entirely upon its oun e,srr;es on5
improyise its own transnortation fasl
justified In saving that a, tho tive of nv.
departure large ouantities of mad;ooI sun.
plies urgently needed on sbor. stiu "a
manned on transports. a numhar of which
were under orders to return IN the Irnited
States. Had the medical densrtm.,, 90
ried along double the amount of s,nnIias
IL is difficult to SEQ how with the tnt.rI,,
Inadequate land and water transnor,.,ion
provided by the uuartermaster,s 5anart-
ment, the lamentable conditions on sbnr.
could have been in any wav imnrovsd
The Quitting of transnorts for The "a
ception of sick and wounded is duty do
manding thought and experience ard
should never be intrusted To anvone sxcent
a regular medical officer IT incIudas tho
proper policing of the portions of rho shin
to be used by the wounded the removal
of hunks and partitions tn give snsca and
air, the utilization of the sbin,s bI.n,a,s
doormats, rugs and CARPETS to render the
hunks more comfortable. the securing of
extra supplies, such as canned soups. lime
juice and oatmeal; the establishment of a
mess and laundry, and the assignment of
convalescents to specific light duties which
materially relieve the overworked hospital
corps. Usually it is necessary to overcome
passive resistance and opposition on the
part Of the crews and a tendency on the
part Of the captains to disregard or mod
ify orders In several instances in my own
experience. this action of the crew amount
ed almost to mutiny, and was only to be
dealt with by threats show of force, and,
in one instance, by the use of the irons.
while executive officer at the general
hospital, Fort Monroe. l learned officially
that. the captain Of the steamship Seneca
positively refused to obey the orders ema-
mating from your office. given him by the
contract surgeon in charge to proceed TO
New York-he remaining nearly an addi-
tionai day at Hampton Roads with sick and
wounded, and asserting that he would obey
no orders given by the medical department.
A similar experience of my own at Dali
quiri, which had to be settled by force, en-
phasizes the fact that no one should be
placed III charge OF such ship who is not
aeouseoineu 10 eonnmaho men ana enforce
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;. -, sIu ~ .iS neu Sross society,
~ "ou.u seu as IL 'he loity purposes OF
,,aI;,ias .-p'I on tiie sah.iaso eA-
wrhi,o ~ Ta,rra ~, W C. -uai interests.
of Texas - forra,II,. 80, sup S'a'e
control ~ IN. oh,af s,,roio,, ~ .ile