The age-herald., 1898-11-02
WAR COMMISSION
 IN LEXINGTON 'sse'.-ss si.e +ss Chief GOmmiSSary R0iuteS Testimony Oi Lieutenant-C Colonel Mitchell. SUPPLIES WERE FURNISHED When Acquisitions Were Sent Through 2 a~-- the Proper Channe.S. s ssssT ss
 
THE WATER AT cHIcKAMAUGA PARK
Was Contaminated From the Sinks Which Were Not Dug Deep Enough
 Major Clennan Said All the
 Water Contained Bacillus.

 commission this morning be- gan examining witnesses. The first was the chief commissary marshal Of Camp Hamilton who denied in toto the state ments made by Lieutenant Colonel Mitch- ell. f the First Territorials, last night. He said every requsition had been hon ored from the Territorials
 The second witness was General J. C. Bates, who testified as to the Santiago campaign, the camps at Mobile and CHICK amauga He. went to see General Brooke regarding the lack of equipment, clothing and other supplies.
 .'The day before we left Mobile" said General Bates, i've got pretty well sup piled. These were supplies for recruits At Santiago we had bread and meat al- ways
 "Montauk Point was not proper place for a camp of sick soldiers at this time Of year" said General Bates. T learned that the Long Island Railroad company had an exclusive contract to haul the sol- diers to the city. I issued orders to allow other railroads to come in and help take off the sick.
 woefullv Short
 Tn Cuba medical supplies were woefully short. The medical officers said they could not get them. This was especially true at Siboney. In going over we had enough medical supplies, but we were cut down.
 Had trouble in getting ambulances talk en to Cuba. Got one for each regiment and one for the squadron. l think the ann bulances I took were the only ones ashore when the Rough Riders fight occurred on the 24th of June."
 When asked what, in his opinion, was the weakness in the medical-eepartment General Bates said fife thought a great mistake y-ss made in not sending medical ,oillcers in sufficient number with the reg iments ordered to the field. Additional transportation should have been furnished for$medical officers and medical supplies, ambulances and horses.s ,S
 By Dr. .Connors-"what do you think of the propriety of allowing female nurses accompa nying "a n army into the field 2''. :.
 q think it would be perfectly proper to have them at large hospitals, but not in regimental hospitals
 Replying to leading question by Dr. Corners, General Bates said that with mod ern arms, danger in removing the wounded from the line of fire was greatly increased; that it would be difficult for ambulance men and litter-bearers to live in the increased zone of fire. In Cuba 1t was difficult to get oal meal and other delicaces for the sick.
 Excuse Not sufficient
 q think" he continued, "that there is not sufficient excuse for medical supplies being short in Cuba. Better preparation could have been made for transportation. We had no way to shoe horses and mules. have no recommendations to suggest as to im- provement of the war department regula- tions nor regarding the rations. These matters have been subject to consideration of boards and able officers, and l don't care to offer an opinion"
 General Bates was then excused.
 Dr. Edgar .-. Hearns, surgeon in charge of the Gibbs general hospital, Lexington, was asked regarding the sanitary condition of Camp Thomas, where he was brigade surgeon He read a report on the condition of the sites there, which showed they were disease breeders. Though the men detailed from the regiments to the division hospitals were incompetent Dr. Hearns condemned the water supply at Camp Thomas because there was typhoid fever there. The order to boil drinking water was generally obeyed when boilers could be procured.
 After luncheon Major-General John Back man. of the One Hundred and Sixtieth h. diana, was the first witness called by the commission. His testimony indicated that his regiment had fared well in every re- spect.
 Major J. D. Glennan, brigade surgeon of volunteers, was called. Major Glennan was at Chickamauga and Tampa. He later re- turned to Chickamauga as brigade surgeon of the First brigade, Third division, First corps.
 c+ Sickness Among Volunteers
 He said that he found a much larger amount of sickness among the volunteers tan he had been used to seeing when serv- ing in the regular army; that he found the sinks left open and not dug deep enough 10 make the camp healthful, and that the water supply was affected by this. Major Glennan said tlrat he reported on these con- ditions both verbally and in writing and made certain recommendations, but that no attention was ever paid to his reports. He had tried to, get lime, making a requisition on the quartermaster's department. but the officers of that department said they did not furnish 1t. He then made the requisi- tion on the medical department, and Dr. Huidekoper, the corps surgeon, concerning whom sensational charges have been made since, disapproved the use of lime and re- turned the requisition.
 Major Glennan stated that he knew of certain regiments where the sick were kept for weeks because the division hospital had no room for them. He further said that he believed the water in every well in Chickamauga Park contained the colon ba- cillus, which indicated contamination by sewerage. . ss "No matter how many chemical and bac- astrological examinations showed that the water was not contaminated, should still raa tain that if 6t for Iise n de.