The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-17
JACOBS BLAMES
GENERAL SKATER
The Colonel Criticizes
His Superior.
CAUSE OF SANTIAGO DISTRESS
SOLDIERS HAD NO COOKING
UTENSILS.
Camp Equipage Left Behind in the
Advance on the Positive Order
of the Commander of
the Army.
CAUSE OF SANTIAGO DISTRESS
SOLDIERS HAD NO COOKING
UTENSILS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Nov. Is. - Colonel
Jacobs, who had charge of the trans
portatiOn facilities at Santiago, was
before the War Investigation Commits
sion to-day He expressed the opinion
that there was not a sufficient number
of wagons. He thought there should
have been at least one wagon to each
troop and company in addition to those
at headquarters. General Skaters
first orders had been to take only fifty
wagons When General Miles went TO
Tampa he doubled the number, but
even this order did not secure suf1-
cient wagons. He knew no reason for
not sending more, except there was no
means Of getting them from Tampa to
Santiago.
General McCook developed quite an
animated episode by asking if there
was any reason why the cooking uten-
sis and camp equipage Of the troops
should not have been forwarded from
Baiquiri to the troops in the field.
There was no reason" Colonel ia
cobs replied. Except that General Shat
ters order forbade
Continuing, he said that the order
was most positive. Food had been sent
to the front cooked, but he thought the
cooking. The order had never been
changed during the month he remained
at Baiquiri.
DR.. Conner then asked whether Or
ders had been given to leave all the
hospital equipments behind at Tampa
DR.. L. Nj. Munson, who for time was
on duty at Tampa and in Cuba, said
he had understood that acquisitions
were promptly approved and that all
the difficulty in getting medicines ana
supplies was due to lack OF transporta-
ton. Each regiment had been expected
to take the supplies that would De nee
essary. There were no orders TO leave
any of the medical supplies, except the
ambulances at Tampa. He had under-
stood that the medical supplies IN CuDa
were short. They were taken on the
transports, but it was impossible TO get
them landed.
army before Santiago was Iamentaole,
owing largely to the fact that the men
were without tents. For the hrst Two
or three days, also. there were practl-
cally no supplies on shore. 30 lar as
he could determine the quartermaster
Genarfment had made no effort to assist
the medical department, leaving 1t en-
tirely to it's own devices. he thought
there was sufficient dressing Tor the
wounded, sufficient medicines and SUI
fcient surgical instruments, Out lheie
was a lack of tents, cots and suitable
diet. The actual necessities were thus
met by the medical department but IL
the fighting had continued for several
days he did not believe 1t would have
been possible for the department to
have taken care of the wounded, at
least not until the arrival Of the Relief
on the 8th Of July.
Colonel W. H. Forwood who vas the
chief medical officer at Montauk Point,
testified that his instructions Were to
have on hand at all times tents, beds
etc, and representations that they
were not there were incorrect. There
was, however, some lack of transpoIta-
ton facilities and there was difficulty
in getting supplies from the station,
this fact being due largely to the lin
tied capacity of the railroad depot. h
asserted that mot for a minute hao
patients remained outside the hospi-
tails without some protection. Dr. For
wood said that much of the crowding
of the hospital was due to the fact that
many soldiers sought admission as a
means Of getting furlough home. This
condition might have resulted in keep
ing deserving men out.
DR.. Dodge announced at the close Of
to-day's session that the commission
would leave here at II o'clock for New
York. The first meeting would be held
there on Friday