The age-herald., 1898-10-19
HOSPITAL AT
 MIAMI CAMP Nrs. W. W, Gordon Makes Some
 Sensational Charges NURSE BECAME INTOXICATED And Set Fire to Bed, Burning
 the Helpless Patient. FLIES IN MOUTHS OF THE DYING Investigation Commission Examined Witnesses at Camp Cuba Llbre. SURGEONS OF VOLUNTEER ARMY Were Incompetent to Fulfill the Onerous Duties of Their Position. Declared Dr. Mans -DWelt on Exaggerat-
Investigation Commission Examined Witnesses at Camp Cuba Llbre.
SURGEONS OF VOLUNTEER ARMY
Were Incompetent to Fulfill the Onerous Duties of Their Position. Declared Dr. Maus Dwelt on Exaggerat-
 ed Newspaper Reports.

Jacksonville, Fla October 1S.-The war sions today dealing during the two days and sessions and with the general officers of the Seventh corps and at night, hear ing the test 'mony of officers and men of the Second South Carolina regiment. The of- ficers examined included the chief surgeon, the chief commissary, the chief quarter master and the inspector general of the corps, and all gave detailed information as to the.r respective departments of the ser vice.
 The subcommittee consisting of General Wilson and Captain Howell, appointed to investigate the selection of Fernandna as a camp, returned tonight and reported their approval of the selection. They made spe- cial inquiry into the report that the camp had been locaated there for the purpose Of enhancing the value of the land owned by son of Secretary Alger, going through the county record as part of their work They failed to find his name in any of these documents and their investigation con- yinced them that he had never owned any real estate in the vicinity or had been in any way interested in any.
 Colonel Lewis M. Maus, chief surgeon of the Seventh army corps, was the first wit ness sworn before the commission. He 's a regular army surgeon, and has occupied the position of surgeon throughout the his- tory of the camp. He said there was only a small field hospital when he arrived in May, and there was very few sick men. Sickness developed very slowly, and there T,,lx
 Delay in Getting Tents
 He said that when the order came for the establishment of division hospitals there was some delay in getting supplies, such as tents. He made his acquisitions on Tampa, but found that all efforts there were directed to getting the expedition off. After this the acquisitions were sent to Washington and properly filled.
 There was no suffering among the sick. Still they did not have the luxures at the beginning of the war that there were in the lattetr days of it. "Nor," added the doctor, "do I think that the history of the world has ever seen a parallel to our pres ent care of the sick.''
 Taking up the present condition of the hospitals, he said there were 300 trained female nurses now at work here. He said the employment of these nurses had proved entirely satisfactory.
 Replying to a question, MT. Maus said that after the first few days there had been no refusal of supplies, and that all requisi- tions had been filled with exceptional promptitude. He had never seen such utter disregard for expense in caring for sick soldiers.
 As a matter of fact, the troops had greater allowance of rations than they could use or dispose of in any way. He also said the Red Cross society had given so much that 1t was often unnecessary to ask the government for supplies. There had been no restrictions in the matter of fit- ting out the camps.
 Shallow Wells Caused Typhoid
 He thought typhoid fever had been intro- duced into the camp by Mississippi and Virginia troops. Shallow wells and surface drainage had done much to increase the scourge, but he was confident that the reg ular water supply of the city had not been in way responsible for it.
 He also thought the flies had done much 10 disseminate fever. From the beginning very strict attention had been given to the sinks. He had never in his life seen such attention gwen lo SdHltdtlOn III camp put despite this care typhoid fever did break out, and has become the principal sick ness here.
 It was difficult to prevail upon surgeons in the volunteer service to learn the admin istrative duties of their positions. As a matter of fact, these duties were extremely onerous, and for this reason the volunteer physicians were not so efficient as they should have been. Often, also, in the early history of the war, some of the volunteer regimental surgeons had been found negli- gent in the matter of inspection, but later on. sanitation became the principal duty of everybody about the camp. Much trouble had been experienced in keeping the pub lie from the hospitals, and in many cases they had surreptitiously carried food to the sick. pr. Aiaus also dwAit nnA'a .''-