Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-22

scribing the railroad confusion in gettin
the wal munitions TO Tampa, and pointe'
out the lack of government storehous
facilities there. He said that when tn
transports were loaded it was found i'm
possible 10 put more than 1000 mel
aboard. and they were equipped as wei
as possible under the circumstances. 81
was most fortunate" he said, that The
transports had good weather. If they
had encountered a severe storm, the loss
OF life, or the suffering, at least, must
have been fearful. AS il was, with fair
weather, the men below, crowded in with
the mules and supplies, could get on
deck, which would have been impossible
otherwise"
SUPPLY OF BARGES INADEQUATE.
The commissary stores taken, he said,
were sufficient, but the medical supplies
were inadequate. He had left the load
ing, except for general directions, TO the
corps commander, General Shafter. He
found Just before sailing that there were
a number of pontoon-boats being taken,
which would be utterly useless for the
purpose. and he himself had secured W
barges from the owners there and had
taken other steps, but the supply of
such boats taken was very inadequate.
"The expedition" he continued, "should
have been furnished with launches (naph-
tina or steam, or tugs, for towing barges
from the ships to the shore. He relied
largely on the engineer officers and the
engineer department for these. In the
second expedition TO Porto Rico these
were furnished, but they arrived too late
10 render much assistance
At Santiago the supply OF tentage and
food was very limited.
WARE the medical CnnnnpC AZ that
time sufficient for the needs of The com
mand?" he was asked.
SCARCITY OF MEDICINES.
In reply he read a dispatch from Gen
eral Shafter, on August 4th, which re-
ferred to "a chronic scarcity of medi-
cines," and hat four men had just died
for lack Of medicines. There was at no
time. said General Miles. sufficient medi-
cines for the troops. He remembered
seeing one train for the sick in a drench-
ing rain, with no covering over the
wagOns.
General Beaver: From what you learn
ed and observed while there. do you think
there was at any time a sufficient medi-
cal supply?
General Miles: OF medical men and
materials?
General Beaver: Yes.
General Miles: No. sir
The witness stated that the ship accom-
mOdations were only of a temporary
character. He said that the shelter
tents did not shelter.
Questioned as to the character of the
facilities for transporting the wounded,
he said that the wounded were taken in
wagons.
General Beaver: Do you know II any Of
the wounded were lying exposed 10 the
General Miles: Some were exposed in
being sent down TO the hospitals. I saw
one train of wounded men driving along
the drenching rain with nothing to
shelter them.
SKATER TO BLAME.
He had taken measures personally to
correct matters. and on July 18th had
%.elegraphed for a well-equipped corps of
n bridge-builders, etc, n had
ordered places burned. General Miles said
he transportation facilities were used to
AIRY supplies to some $1,000 to 10000 refu-
gees from Santiago and about 5000 Cuban
roops. ''This,' he stated in answer TO
| question, "was not expected, because
had cautioned General Shafter to keep
IFS men out Of Spanish buildings Of every
n TO keep the men away
rom the natives. Had he not done as he
lid the army would have been much bet
er supplied"
His army in Porto Rico, he said, had
)een supplied in a way with quartermas-
ers and commissary stores, but not in
best way. At Porto Rico he had asked
fixed rations be sent. but instead
he rations were sent down in bulk, with
nut invoices or bills of lading, and in
many instances stores were spilled in the
lold and thrown away. This caused great
l--..a-..wA ap1 loco 90 asapnc pnl
the troops of food to which they
we're entitled. He asserted that the scar
lily of food largely caused the distress OF
he troops.
THE BEEF IAN EXPERIMENT."
He had advised against the shipping Of
,eef TO Porto Rico, both because there
vas abundance of it on the island, and
because of his belief that IL was defective.
lie characterized the refrigerator beef,
# which there were 327 tons sent, as "em-
,almed beef" and said the canned
resh beef, of which $4,000 pounds had
,een shipped there, was condemned by
Ulcers whose commands used ii.
who fixed the beef as an army ra-
"You will nave to ask some one here
n Washington. You had better ask the
ecretary Of War or the commissary gen.
raj. 1t was sent as food. If they
taken II they would have had TO
o hungry. If they had sent paymasters
own there, as L asked, we could have
ought food, but they did not do that"
General Miles suggested that the food
as sent 10 his large army, under pre- I
nee Of an experiment. {
General Miles called attention to the |
lct tina good fresh beef could be bought
Porto Rico for 8 cents a pound, Ameri- q
an money. and he suggested that it L
light be Interesting to compare this with I
ie cost of the refrigerator beef, to- l
sther with the expense Of transportation. i
: MEAT sMELT LIKE "A CORPSE.
said h did not know but that the Y
used In treating the beef were c
sponsible for the great sickness in the e
merican army. Reports which he had
ceived concerning it were to the effect 1,
at this beef had an odor like that of an a
Qbalmed dead body. D
Howell: Were these reports Il
er brought to the attention Of the COM
issary-eeneral?
General Miles: Reports were frequent
sent In TO him, but he seemed 10 In ~
It that the beef should be used. -
Howell: Was the matter ever -
ought to the attention of the Secretary n
War? -
Miles: We requested that no >
pre- be sent. II a supply OF II were
nj TO the men In this country. / would It
ohibit their use OF Il. i am having an
made now OF the matter. CO