The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-08

related by staff officer After the cap
lure OF the fort that crowned the hnl a
burial party under Capt Allen proceeded
10 inter the Spanish dead, which was done
by laying them in their own trenches. dug
before the breastworks, as was also done
at San Juan. Nearby lay lad of II, shot
through the hips. AS the bodies of his
comrades We're borne behind him he would
turn his head and follow the sad work
with a horror-stricken countenance. The
American officer observed his face and
rightly discerning hts feelings. called an
interpreter and assured the youthful sol
der that no harm would be done him.
Shall l not be buried alive, along with
my dead cOmrades?" was the anxious
query
No, no! You shall be cared for present
iy, and your wounds dressed and tended
as II you were an American"
The youths face was instantly trans
formed. His horror was changed to hap
piness, his fear to friendship. He reached
out his hand to Capt Allen with profuse
thanks and until he was taken to the hos
pital showed his gratitude by shaking
hands with every American who came
near. Poor lad! And he, too, Is a moth
ers son, and some anxous-hearted dame
awaits his coming in distant Spain. May
her love and longing have no disappoint-
ment
The special purpose of my visit as of
my companions who had gone out two
days before, was to inspect the camp hos
pltaIs and see the real condition and wants
OF the sick. One hesitates 10 give the
facts. Indeed, 1t is impossible to tell all
the truth; for none but the sufferers them
selves can know the trials of sickness I'M
der such conditions. The hospital tents
were few, and makeshifts of divers sort
had been tried to piece OUT the precious
space. Unhappily, they could not sue
coed, and the sick were crowded within
inadequate quarters. In all that army of
occupation, l had seen, as late as July 80
only one sick soldier on a cot! Most of
the men lay upon the ground, their rub
Der clothes or poncho and blankets, and
sometimes only the latter, beneath them.
The daily torrential rains had saturated
the earth, which was still damp. The
torrld sun had set 1t steaming but had
not dried Ii.
The prevalent disease is the climatic
malarial fever, with cases of camp dysen-
terry and more rarely typhoid.
What were the facilities for treating
these sick heroes? Facilitiesl The word
is satire. There were none. The ordi-
nary conveniences of field hospitals did
not exist anywhere around Santiago up to
the date of this letter The most impor-
tant medicines were nearly exhausted.
The commonest remedies were lacking.
The little corner that represented the dis
pensary was caricature. The heroic sur
geons and their helpers themselves sick,
half sick or sickening, were engaged in
the most forlorn work of curing men
without medicine and restoring strength
without nourishment.
What! Were these men also without
food? No; they had salt pork, hard tack,
beans and black coffee. Think what lux
urie5'' these must have been to fever pa
TENTS with their dainty appetites and
stomachs already clogged with coarse
army rations. The delicacies that Ill peo-
pie crave and need were absolutely unat-
tainable for the great majority of these
sufferers, and for few or none could an
adequate supply be had.
Think, too, that these private soldiers,
and in most cases the officers Jared no
better, had no change of apparel. They
lay as they came, in their heavy wooden
trousers, shirts and drawers, stained by
weeks of campaigning in the muddy roads
and wet trenches and soied by the neces-
stiles of their ailments. Their mates, with
rude Kindness sought to clean them up
a. bit, but the pitlful inadequacy of their
wel-meant efforts was shown by the
swarms of flies that settled here and there
upon them.
For the most part officers shared little
better than enlisted men. 1 saw one chief
surgeon through whose torn blouse the
naked skin showed He had taken off his
one undershirt to have 1t washed, but hear
lnS lHdl IleulCdl supplies udu dIItNGu lie
'stood not upon the order of his going, ="
but mounted mule and hurried off to San
tiago to get something TO his sick men. A
colonel of the regular army, who has not
seen his trunk since the first landing at
Siboney, lay sick IN his trousers and under
shirt brought him a negligee shirt, two
silk handkerchiefs and fresh night gown.
His languid eyes fairly lightened. MY
Godr he cried, "a clean night gown! 1t
don't seem possible. I shall get out of
these dirty clothes and sleep tonight
Lord; this is luxury Thank you, chap
lain" 1t was amazing and pitiful and en-
barrassing to see such gratitude for so
slight a favor from that distinguished man.
These cases will suffice. There was posi-
lively no exception to the general condi-
ton of things as above detailed up TO the
morning of Saturday, July 50. But there is
pleasant sequel. The hospital supplies
from the Resolute began to be lightered on
Wednesday. BY Thursday and Friday the
surgeons had got word of the rescue and
were thronging the wharf with their re-
quests and acquisitions. With wise human
ity Maj. Summers for once dispensed with
red tape, and the needed remedies and res
toratives began slowly trickling camp
ward.
IN THE RAILROAD WORLD.