The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-07

| had had them suppned as promptly as
| possible.
| There had been difficulty in getting
| the troopships to lie as near the shore
| as was desirable, rendering it difficult
| to get at supplies promptly. The mas
| ters of the transports claimed to have
| their authority from the quartermas-
ter's department. but he thought the
| commanding officers had acted inde-
| pendently as to how far out they
| should lie
| referring TO the sleeping apartments
on the transports General Wheeler
| said they were quite warm and there
was some discomfort. He had often
| gone down among the men at nigh:
| and found that there was compare
! lively little complaint, except for the
heat.
THE CAMP AT MONTAUK.
Coming back from Santiago to Mon
| tauk he had sailed on the Miami, hav-
| ing chosen ii because it was said to
be the worst. He had found il very
| comfortable and when they landed
| there were only thirty-four sick and
| only three or four of these were too
| i'll to stand up for inspection. There
| was plenty of water on the vessel and
| a suffucuency of ice for the sick,
| though not for others. After the de-
| struction of Cervera'S fleet and there
| was no danger from navigating the
| sea, the army was more abundantly
| supplied than any army in the field
| had ever been. The various societies
| had, he said, responded most liber-
| ally to the needs of the army.
| Asked if he thought there had been
| any neglect in preparing for the cam
| paign, he said he had been so busily
| occupied that he had not given the
matter great attention, but he had not
| though at the time that any precau-
1 hn1
He said in reply to a question that
! the tents had been left on board the
| transports and this had been done be-
cause of the feeling that no time
| should be consumed in removing them:
| I'VE were there for business" he said.
| and we felt that prompt disembarka-
| ton was and speedy movement to
| the front would impress the enemy
| more than anything else we could do"
| But if they had had the tents they
| would have used them. There was
also shortage at this time of trans
| portation facilities toward the front
| His own illness had been caused bv
| exposure and he had not himself beer
| supplied with a tent. Il was more
| shifty than some of the soldiers" he
| said. Il stretched a little old cloth
| from tree to protect my face from
the dew, but any soldier could have
| done the same thing"
|
| there should be we'll trained teamsters
| regularly enlisted and employed.
| During his examination General
| Wheeler stated that previous to the
capitulation Of Santiago, General Shaf-
| ter had written him a letter asking his
views in regard to changing the base
| and attacking the forts in front of
! Santiago, but he said he had advised
| strongly against this course as it
would have eft San Juan hill, which
he considered invulnerable, to be re-
taken by the Spaniards. General
| Wheeler denied that there had been an
ambuscade at Guasima.
The entire afternoon session was de-
! voted to the explanation Of conditions
at Camp Wikoff, on Long Island. The
general contended that Wikoff was 4
| model camp, the climate a salubrious
| one and the accommodations quite ex-
| ceptional in character He considered
the hospital capacity equal to the de-
mands upon it, and that no military
| camp in history was ever so well sup
| piled in all respects as was this. Red
| tape methods were entirely abolished
and the demands of the men were met
as soon as they were properly voiced.
| Washington, October 5.-General
| Wheeler completed his testimony be-
fore the war investigating commission
today and was followed by General
| 4. V.
stand when the days session closed.
General Wheeler's statement of today
dealt entirely with the conditions at
| Camp Wikoff and General Boynton' S
with those of Camp Thomas, where he
is now in command.
| General Wheeler's examination was
on the line of The New York World
charges. He said if there were any
camp horrors on the 9th of Au-
| gust as charged, the commander of
| the camp was responsible, for he had
full power to furnish relief. There
| probably We're individual cases of suf-
fering, but as a rule he knew the SOL
diers were we'll cared for. There Vas
certainly no lack Of food. He explain
ed the circumstances concerning the
death of Private Parrot. He said
Major Beach had investigated the oc-
currence and had made a report. MY
inquiry said he, developed the fact
that DR.. Tabor was a little gruff to
. | the men, but it also developed the fact
, that he had proved SO efficient in the
; field that they We're devoted to him
| and had petitioned for his retention ir
the army" He said that the charge
|, ! was that the man was not sent to tht
, hospital when he had complained Just
before his death. This, he though, was
. lect, and he thought it was to be ex.
| planned by the fact that DR.. Tabor
was probably i'll himself He foun.
this to be true in other cases. He saiC
it was true that many soldiers would
| fall on the streets. He thought tha
, | ali of them had been weakened b.
their experience in Cuba and most o.
them had the germs Of fever in them
| The general took up a statement at
| | tributed to DR.. Sem concerning tn
sinks. He said the sinks were cover
ed every hour with earth or lime. H
had examined the ground and founC
that the soil was not porous. He ais
= 9und that other physicians did no
yree with DR.. Sem as to the DANCE
/ from typhoid fever. The wells were ;
) lC.g distance from the sinks and th'
e ! soil was very compact, effectuall!
, | avoiding the danger OF contamination
r | There was no outbreak Of fever as DR.
Sem had predicted; hence 1t was
e false prophesy.
He admitted in reply TO a charge at
| tributed to DR.. Cyrus Edison that
n ! small percentage of the men In hOspi