Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-31

! said nothing in their suffering, The word
s9s aaa e k ssTa ns ssvs That T.
dread disease had appeared somewhere In
its midst 1t started at FL Caney, the tak.
ing of which cost many gallant life.
Refugees ResponsibIe.
what caused it7
Refugees from Santiago and refugees
who had been fed on soldiers rations were
first smitten with the disease and spread
1t rapidly. Why were they allowed to go
to Caney? Why were they not sent away
toward Ho1guin?
After ali, the soldiers would have been
satisfied had they been taken north with
in reasonable time, but for long. dreary
days they were kept confined In their
camps, not allowed to once enter the city
they had conquered. and no word from
home given them for days, when each
man had been told there was mail in
plenty at Sfboney.
Traction a Hardship.
Had there been fighting in prospect no
hardship would have been too great to be
endured, and that uncomplainingly, but
every man in Skaters army knew well
that there would be no fighting in eastern
Cuba
twice. While this fever is not dangerous
in itself 1t weakens and prostrates to such
an extent that yellow is but step
away from all who have been sick. Dys-
entery, too has ravaged fiercely.
Mr. Mercier, one of The Stars CORE
spondents here, is in a hospital in Santi-
ago. The physicians say he has yellow,
but Mercier, clipper as a bird, says no
The physician assures him he has passed
through it without knowing it: Again
MERCER laughs and swears ne will resume
his professional duties tomorrow.
The Washington lads could by now
have been miles toward nome. on sne
she was safe. and refused to embark on
her. A board of captains and engineers
from other transports pronounced her safe
and seaworthy, and she has started north
with 45O sick and wounded
Sergeant Page to His Mother.
Sergeant Thomas T. Page of Company
recently wrote his mother detailing his
experiences in camp. An extract from the
letter Is as follows:
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, August IL, 1S',S.
Cuba, as you have no doubt gathered
from the papers, is not a paradise at this
stage of the game 1t is intensely warm
and at the present moment the persprlation
has transformed your tall and slender son
into an elongated waterfall and his 'tously
army shoes into receiving reservoirs. Inc
country is undoubtedly beautiful, but so
are other countries that are not so blamed
hot
There has been more or less sickness
among the regiment of slight nature,
mostly fever called mountain fever by the
doctors. 1t is very weakening, put only
lasts, as a rule, for four days, and there
is nothing dangerous about it. There has
been indication of yellow fever in our
regiment, and with the exception of the
effects of rain and heat we are doing very
well.
You would swell with pride If you could
see your heroic son armed with large
bamboo club trying to impart energy to
a decrepit-looking apology of horse, cap
tured, at great loss of life, from the Span
iards.> and loaded with canteens and flies,
on his way to the spring for water, cover
ing himself with mud and glory.
About all We have to do these days is
guard duty about once a week, eat, sleep
and then repeat the program. There is
nothing to write about, as you can see by
the foregoing, and / should not be sur
prised If We were in the states by the time
you get this letter, as they are getting the
troops off the island as rapidly as possible.
l have been transferred to Company r
and promoted to sergeant-not great deal
but less work and more pay"