The times., 1898-09-02
GAN THIS Be DENIHD??
A Narrowing Tale By an Of
ficer of the Navy.
TRUTH ABOUT MoNTAUK
What Ensign MiddlebrooS Saw Him.
self in an Investigation Into the
Suffering of Our Soldiers at Camp
wilSOff-sIen Neglected by a Drum
ken Surgeon-sIany in IA StupOr.

There have been many denials of the
tales of neglect and suffering at Camp
Wikoff. at Montauk Point, almost in
sight of New York. Here is letter writ
ten by an ensign in the United States
navy TO a gentleman in Hartford which
bears out all the newspapers have charg-
ed about the conditions there:
''Of Camp Wikoff. Montauk, n. Y,
Aug. 2S, lS9S.-We have, through insist
ent solicitations from the department.
been ordered to the camp OF detention of
the United States army mere, and lie at
anchor in Fort Pond Bay, with everyone
of our 10 men in perfect health. But the
object of our coming here is, in the sad
sense of the mighty truth, fully realized.
After a visit to the camp. where there
are at present upwards of 10000 troops
from Cuba, both regulars and volunteers,
the horrors of starvation, without the
slightest exaggeration, are inconceivable.
Our officers 10 a man all agree to the
vast amount of suffering that is unneces-
sarily allowed. The sights of young fell
lows barely eighteen years Old in the hos
pitfalls (without medical aid and with in
competent men nurses), to say nothing of
the lack of drugs and proper medicine, is
a fact that should be known to people
OUTSIDE OF the service.
Dying for Attention.
"I have personally visited the entire
lines of over five miles hospitals and all
and return aboard this ship tonight
with heavy heart to stand my watch,
knowing that ashore there are men who
left luxurious and comfortable surround
ings from a patriotic motive entirely,
who are actually dying from lack of at
tention. Past Assistant Surgeon Nc
Evitt. Z. S. N. of our ship, has been
ashore all day. voluntarily, working with
a might, trying TO alleviate the suffer
ing, and this evening makes the most re-
markable statements concerning his own
experiences. The location, however. is
delightful, and the large converted ocean
and coast line steamships lie at anchor
here, six or eight of them at a time
waiting a chance to disembark the poor,
miserably fed soldiers who have suffered
everything for the glad tidings you have
read in the papers about the chain OF
victories won in Cuba and who now are
unable TO march to their tents.
stencil of the Transports.
"In going alongside OF one of the trans
ports today to deal out provisions and q
few medical supplies to the soldiers, with
our launch, the frightful eagerness for
bread as they swarmed and pushed one
another aside, through the cargo ports
was simply staggering to ones senses
the stencil from the transports being
discernable from our little launch while
within fifty feet of the gangway. Upon
DIR. McEvitt's application TO Col. For
wood. senior surgeon of the camp, for per-
mission to render his services to the sick
he replied that he was very glad that
there We're men patriotic enough to do as
he desired. and that he would give him g
letter TO Major Ebert. chief surgeon OF
the detention hospital, and upon pre-.
sentation to Major Ebert of this letter
he stated he was badly in need of sur
geons, and that he had telegraphed fol
surgeons and for fifty nurses as well
which he hoped would be allowed soon
Our surgeon was then asked If he coulC
take charge of three division tents, con
tanning some forty-fve patients, and tool
him over and showed him what was TO bt
done. The mon were found in their cot:
with their uniforms on. some of then
with their shoes on, and, upon going Il
their bedsides they complained that they
had received no medical attention anC
were suffering from want OF food, medi
cines, and attentions of all kinds Their,
were no conveniences whatever for tn,
needs of nature. They We're unable L
walk outside their tents, and there wa.