The herald., 1898-10-06
WnfflfR TfSTIfIfS
BEFORE WAR INVESTIGATION
COMBUSTION
IS FOLLOWED BY BoYNToN
Management Of Camps Wikoff and
Thomas Alleged to Be Good
Military Models

Military Models
Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-General Wheeler
completed his testimony before the war in
yestigat.ng commission today and was fol-
lowed by General II. v. Boynton, who was
still on the stand when the days session
4 closed. General Wheeler's statement Of to-
day dealt entirely with the conditions at
Camp Wikoff and General Boynton's with
those at Camp Thomas, where he Is now In
command. General Boynton described in
detail the provisions for supplying the
Georgia camp with water, and told many In
teresting facts about the location of the
troops and the precautions taken to care
for and protect them. whether sick or well.
He sWid the men wasted more food than
the Army OF tho Cumberland consumed
during the c!v.l war in the siege of Chat-
tanooga, and he eulog.zed the supply
methods Of the war department through
out.
Wheeler's Testimony
WASHINGTON, Oct h-General Wheel
er resumed his test.mony before the War
xnVeBtlBaunB COHInlSSlOu tOudy. Inc OK
animation on the hne Of the New York
World charges was resumed. He said II
there were any camp horrors en- the 9th
Of August, as charged. the commander Of
the camp was responsible. for he had full
power to furnish relief There probably
were individual cases Of suffering. but as
q rule he knew the soldiers were well cared
for. There was certainly no lack Of food.
General Wheeler admitted that in many
instances there were men Ill In the!r COM
pany quarters. Often men not very Ill pre-
ferred not to go to the hospitals. and the
hospitals were too crowded to make room
for them.
Some time was spent on the charge that
General Wheeler had said that General
Eagen. Chief Of Commissary and Substst-
ence. had counterma nded an order Of his
for supplies. This occurred, he said. but
It was due to a misunderstanding of gener-
ai orders.
General Wheeler also explained the cir
cumstances concerning the death Of Private
Hugh Parrett.
my inquiry" he said. developed the fact
/. that DR.. Tabor was little gruff to the men.
but 1t also developed the fact that he had
proved SO efficient in the field that they were
ucNOtcu " H. III anu ndQ DetltlOneQ or MS
retention in the army
This, he thought was one of those ind!-
viduaI cases Of neglect and he thought it
was TO be explained by the fact that Dr.
Tabor was probably i'll himself. He found
this 20 be true in other cases and had re-
monstrated with physicia rs for being irrt-
able with patients.
General Wheeler said it was true that
AO1I
He thought that all of them had been
weakened by their experience in Cuba,
and most OF them had the germs Of fever
in them. 1t was not strange. therefore, II
some of the men had fallen to the ground
at Wikoff.
The General took up a statement attri-
buted to DR.. Semi concerning the sinks.
He said the sinks were covered every hour
with earth or lime. He had examined the
ground and found that the soil was-not
porous. He also found that other ply
eicians did not agree with DR.. Sem as to
the danger from typhoid There was no
outbreak Of fever such as DR.. Sem has
predicted, hence It was a false prophecy.
He admitted also In reply to charge at
tributed to DR.. Cyrus Edison, that q small
percentage Of the men in hospitals were
lying on the floor on August goth. They
were, however, supplied with beds and in
no case was there complaint on this ac-
count.
1.-THE fact Is that the surgeons and other
officers and men conducted themselv
most heroically, and 1t is painful to me to
see the effort being made to show that
they were complaining, when they were
not. Dr. Myron had also predicted typhoid
fever but the prediction was not verified"
General Wheeler said he had seen state
ment from DR.. Smith, to the effect that
the drinking water was contaminated. He
had had an examination made, not only
by the surgeons, but by Colonel Smart,
q noted expert, and they had informed him
that the water was pure. He considered
the water supply adequate and pure md
well distributed. While II had been con-
Adered very desirable to weed the sick out
and send such as could go to the city hos
pitals, he had cautioned the surgeons
against sending men not able to leave, and
had interfered to see that some were not
sent. He admitted that before the steam
laundry was put to work there was a
scarcity Of clean bed linen for typhoid and
other patients. He had encouraged the
closest inspection from visitors, and had
oShSu HcWSPdpcA iuci " ViSit Tie HOSpItaIS
and report the complaints of the men, with
the view OF relieving their wants, II any.
General Dodge asked the witness for a
general expression of his opinion as to the
conduct Of the various bureaus of the war
department.
Replying. General Wheeler praised the
work OF all the supply departments, saying
they were actuated by zeal and character
lied by intelligence. He had found the
medical department from General Stern
berg down. to be efficient and anxious to
promote the best interests Of the depart
ment The same was true Of the other de-
partments.
General Wheeler spoke Of the mortality
among the Spanish soldiers, saying that
It was quite equal to that among the Amer
lean troops.
Gen. Boynton's Story
General H. v. Boynton took the staIpa in
the afternoon. Since the Sth of July he
had been on duty at Camp Thomas Re-
Gently his especial duty had been that Of
looking after the supply of that camp. and
still more recently and at present he was
in command Of the camp. which was en-
tirely within the limits of Chickamauea
park. He thought $1,000 the largest number
Of troops that had ever been quartered in
the camp at any one time.
General Boynton described at length the
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