The times., 1898-07-20
POISONING CASES IN CAMP
Fifiy-Fiye Soldiers Are Ill and
Twelve May Die.
CAMP KETTLE WAS C0RR0DED
Members of the TwfTy-SecOud
Kansas Regiment Ate Hash Cook
ed I'm IA UteDsfl Lined with Tin,
and Now They Are in the Hos
pitaI Desperately sick.

Nearly three score men were poisoned
at Camp Alger yesterday by eating food
prepared in a correded camp kettle. They
belong to the Twenty second Kansas Reg
iment and were hearty. strapplng fellows
until they were taken sick.
The men were brought into the camp
early in the day and placed in the hos
pitaI under the care of DR.. L. c. Duncan,
the surgeon in charge.
They had eaten A quantity of hash for
breakfast, the meat used in which was
cooked in kettle lined with tin. The in
side of the vessel was corroded. This
probably rendered the meat unfit for use.
1t was eaten, however, and after the boys
had scattered over the camp they Were
attacked with violent pains. The men
affected belong 10 Company A and their
sickness has been diagnosed as being ptO-
maine poisoning
A dozen of the more severe cases are
not expected to survive. The others will
probably be well and ready for duty in
several days time.
When the effects of the poisoning were
first noticed scouting parties had to be
sent over the camp to see that all the
sick men were gotten 10 the hospital as
soon as possible.
In all, fifty-five men were victims of the
poison and all of the cases are more or
less severe.
There is sad need of a veterinary sur
geon at Camp Alger The interesting
fact is brought TO light that less than
half dozen veterinary surgeons are en-
listed in that capacity in the whole volln-
teer army. The Second Army Corps
boasted of one who was enlisted in the
Eighth Ohio, and his services became so
valuable that he was commissioned as
brigade veterinary surgeon and departed
with the Second Brigade. Since then
Camp Alger has been without anyone 20
care for the horses and mules.
There are now over fifty sick horses in
the Pennsylvania cavalry and the pink
eye" has become epidemic. A regulation
animal doctor will either be enlisted at
once or several of them transferred to
the Second Army Corps. as there are
thousands OF horses and mules to be
cared for here.
Ammunition was issued TO the Fourth
Missouri Monday for a fiye-days' practice
march.
The troops will leave here either Friday
or Saturday and will be given a systemat-
ic course of rife practice a the Ordway
ranges. Col. Corby has number of good
detailed to instruct the recruits.
Furloughs were discontinued this morn
ing in the Seventh Ohio. Lieut.. Col.
Burch expects moving orders by the be-
ginning of next week and wants his full
command on hand until further notice.
Private Best. of Company D, Seventh
Ohio. bears the distinction of having
bearded Gen. Butler in his office and
given the latter orders without being
court-martialed. Private Best was feeling
very jolly Monday-too jolly for his own
good-and thinking that Gen. Butler
might like drink he marched to First
Division headquarters and demanded an
audience After some parleying he was
permitted to see the general, who thanked
the private, but declined to take anything
Best then became communicative and in
formed the general that certain peddler
was selling the whisky and as the stuff
was bad the sale ought to be stopped
Very WELL" said the general, ''Tll see
that it is stopped"
Yes" said Private Best. ''but stop it
nowi Don't wait-stop it now! Do you
hear me? l demand that you stop it at
once or have drink and then stop it,
Gen. Butler fortunately took in the hu-
NOR of the situation, and when Private
Best was called out of the guardhouse
yesterday morning there were no charges
against him.
Two more deaths have occurred from
typhoid fever. The uhfortunates were
Private Lewis Mitchell.E Company I. Sec
ond Tennessee, and Private Herbert r.
Griffith, Company 3. Third Virginia
Both soldiers died at Fort Myer.
The Second Division geourt-martial has
made public the findings in the cases of
PriVates l.. B. Marshall Company M; E.