Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-17
ON SKATERS TRAIL
Witnesses in the War Investigation Testify
Against Him.
SAYS HE ORDERED SUPPLIES LEFT BEHIND
Colonel Jacobs Defends Quartermaster's
Department,
TITS PREVENTED FROM DOING GOOD WORK
he Alleges Embarkation at Tampa to Be
Hapbasard Affair.
SUGGESTS INCOMPETENCE IN COMMANDER
Several witnesses Furnish Testi.
mony which Tends to Add Life
to the Omn,ission's Pro.
ceedings.
: IS PREVENTED FROM DOING GOOD WORK
he Alleges Embarkation at Tampa to Be
Haphamrd Affair.
INCOMPETENCE IN COMMANDER

WASHINGTON. Nov. 1s.--Additional in
terest has been given to the war investiga-
ton today by the further direct charges
against General Shafter. Colonel Jacobs OF
the quartermaster's department testified
that hospital supplies we're left behind on
positive orders OF General Shafter and that
only nfty tents were taken for hospital pur-
poses OF which General Miles doubled the
number Immediately upon his arrival at
Santiago.
Colonel Jacobs also said the embarkation
Of the troops at Tampa was a haphazard
affair. and the conditions before Santiago
something frightful. He defended his own
department by saying 1t could not do more
for the comfort OF the soldiers in the face
Of General Skaters orders to the contrary.
Major La Garde continued his tes-
timony today concerning the conduct of
the war from medical point OF view.
He spoke frst Of the yellow fever
h .,itsl at siboney. which was under his
charge. In a general way. He said, how
ever, that his time has been so fully occu-
pied with other duties that he had not visited
the institution daily. He was satisfied, how
ever. that the hospital was we'll conducted
and that the supplies on the whole were
ample. He did not have the complete records
before him, but he was sure that the NOR
tality in this hospital did not exceed 8 per
cent. There might, however, have been
suffering in individual cases on account OF
the insuficiency OF supplies and for want
of expert nursing.
Dr. Conner asked whether the contingency
OF yellow fever could not have been provided
against, asking whether IL in his judgment
Il should not have been known by the
surgeon general that under the circum-
stances there would be an outbreak of fever
"He should have known that such were
the probabilities and everybody should have
known that such were the chances in send
ing an army Into an Affected district In the
summer. Evidently, the surgeon general did
foresea what hsppeaed and his words on
this subject written hfore the expedition
set out nndsNyAeE .Fhpins nss.nst the in
vasion at ths,ltasas' e Tas undertaken. read
like prophecy" 8H
The Witness added tina. under these cir
cumstanees he could not understand why
more complete provision should not have
been made for supplying. immune nurses
and he did not know but that the corps
surgeon had been asked for this assistance
In advance; he knew only that they had
not been adequately provided. Apparently.
however. the army depended upon the yellow
fever expert to say when yellow fever would
break out However, 1t must be said that
the yellow fever was very mild and 1t came
to be dreaded less than typhoid. AS a
consequence the mortality among the sick
in Cuba was less than among those left In
the United States.
Death Rate About Ono Per Cent.
Returning to the hospital for wounded
soldiers, Or. La Garde said that between
1900 and 1.400 wounded men had been
treated by the surgeons at this institution.
There were six operating tables and more
could have been used to advantage. There
were times when forty or fifty men were
waiting outside for attention. OF the
wounded men there we're about a dozen
deaths. or less than per cent. There had
never before been a war when the mortality
record was so small. This was due largely
to the use OF the modern rife and the
prompt methods Of rendering aid on the
battlefield to prevent blood poisoning. He
thought that under the old conditions the
mortality would have been 20 per cent
greater. DR.. La Garde expressed the opinion
that had the soldiers been fully equipped
there would have been less sickness among
them. and he thought that much Of the
trouble was due to the fact that the soldiers
were compelled to lie on the ground withou,
cover.
Colonel J. w. Jacobs, who was chie
quartermaster Of the Fifth corps at Tamps
and In Cuba, testified that Genera
Humphrey had been in charge Of the en-
barkation Of troops at Tampa and that NJ
order specifying what vessels they were L
occupy were issued.
IN reply to question from Governor
Beaver he said the embarkation had been
haphazard Enthusiastically So" He ais,
thought there was q great deficiency in tn,
provisions for Decentralization, as only tw,
lighters were provided. and one OF thos
was lost on the way over.
Colonel Jacobs had charge Of the trans
portation facilities at Santiago. and he ex
pressed the opinion that there were not
sufncieut number Of wagons. He though
there should have been at least one wago
to each troop and company in addition I
those at headquarters General Shafter'
first order hail been to take only fift
wagons. When General Miles went to lamp
he doubled the number. but even this orde
did not secure q sufficient number. H
knew no reason for not sending more. ex
cept that there was no means Of gettin
them from Tampa to Santiago.
Makes Reflections on shafter.
General McCook developed an animate
episode by asking II there was any reaso
why the cooking utensils and camp equipag
OF the troops should not have been for
wsrded from BaiQuiri to the troops in tn
Aeld.
There was no reason" Colonel Jacob
replied, except that General Skaters orde
forbade"
Continuing, he said that the order wa
most positive. II did not specify whs
should not be forwarded. but was mos
specific in providing that only forage an
rations should be forwarded. Geners
Skaters orders to this effect were wri,
ten. and the general had given him stris
verbal instructions to see that the order
were observed. Food had been sent to th
front cooked but he thought the men shoul
have had some facilities for cooking. tn
order had never been changed during th
month he remained at BsiQuiri
DR.. Conner asked whether orders ha
been given to leave all the hospital equiy