The herald., 1898-08-20

1000 men. But General Garcia Of the Cuban
forces, with about 5000 men, was watching
this advance, and tearing up railroads and
otherwise obstructing Pandos movements.
Pando was said to be due at Santiago on
the morning of the 4th.
Working my way to the front on the af-
ternoon of the Sd. climbed on a wagon
to cross the San Juan. BY the careless
ness Of the driver the wagon was over
turned, and, with another man, found
myself under the load Of forage, rations,
etc., from which crawled with badly
injured knee and hand. The man who
was on the wagon with me had his back
injured so that he could not stand.
| I walked to the front line, a distance of
about two miles, but had to be carried to
the rear on pack mule, and was unable to
visit the city of Santiago afterwards. At
ter being at division hospital for three
days was given seat with the driver of
an ambulance and sent back to Slboney.
Attacked by Fever
| Here, two days later, I was attacked
with yellow fever, and with twenty-five or
thirty other officers. sent to the yellow
fever hospital, which had been established
In the hills about one and half miles
from Siboney, and beside the narrow gauge
railroad running from that place to the
Iron mines in the mountains.
| 1t was known to one or two persons that
there were a few cases of yellow fever as
early as the first day of the month. Little
preparation. however. had been made to
| meet the emergency. Most of the medical
supplies had been needed for the sick and
wounded who had been brought back from
| Santiago. At the camp to which we were
sent less than half a dozen tents had been
put up. and into these the sick were crowd
ed. ten men being placed in one hospital
| tent. Medicine and food were scarce, al
though the latter was not much needed.
| The sick were fortunate In falling under
| the care of DR.. Rafael Echeverrla, Cuban
by birth, who had made speciality of yell
low fever for twenty years. His attention
was unremitting, and won the grateful APP
probation of every one who passed under
his hands. The number kept increasing,
the railroad being utilized to bring them out
to camp some able to walk, some to SIT
up, others helpless, in the last stages of
the disease. Very few immunes could be
| found to act as attendants, either as nurses
or cooks, but men totally unacclimated
came forward and offered their services,
although they knew the risks they ran.
Their action developed one of the noblest
| traits of human character.
| DIR. E. NJ Lesser of New York, surgeon
of the Red Cross society, with six nurses
| Of that organization. had given aid In their
! line to the sick and wounded at Siboney,
until they were themselves stricken down
| with the disease and sent to the hospital.
Fortunately, all were spared. The per-
centage of dead was comparatively small,
not exceeding II per cent. We were COM
pletely isolated, except when one man came
up with the train from Siboney bringing
the additional sick and such necessaries
for the camp as could be secured.
Among the Sick
| The number increased rapidly, and in q
! few days 26O sick were on the ground. Other
surgeons were sent to aid in the work, Dr.
McNairy being placed in charge. Every
thing was done that could be done with the
appliances at hand for the benefit of the
sick, but much remained undone for want
of proper facilities.
| Cut off from the camp we knew nothinR
| Of what was going on, Letters were denied
to us, and we could send none out. Careful
as were the medical attendants, the recol-
lection Of the time spent there seems q
kideous nightmare.
At length, on the afternoon of July 22d
about fifty Of US were declared GONZALES.
cent, and after a thorough disinfectior
sent to Si'boney to take passage for the
north. We were kept there over night
and the next day eighteen officers and 161
men were put on the steamer Concho fol-
shipment. The steamer was even In worse
condition to receive sick persons than was
the camp when we were sent there. The
water then in her tanks had been carried
ever since she left Tampa, early In May.