New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-09
MAIL FACILITIES AT CAM? WlkOFF.

SICK SOLDIERS UNABLE TO GIT 1HFlN ''Hi f>'N'
A REFORM BADLY NET En-
To the Editor Of Tho Tribune.
Sir. have spent eight days nj Camp Wikon
among the soldiers. and desir" to express pun
ucly my convictions on one or two matters
Much criticism and distortion have been INDUCED
In With regard 10 tho supply ~ food. IN" nfdca'
aid and the sanitary conditions Let me say 81
these things in passing that. however bad they
may have been for time. they now ar" prac-
,ically complete There is no lack ~ attentive
nursing and of devoted medical skill 50 far as
can be Judged by an ordnar7' observer
There is however. condition Of things that
has prevailed and that still exists which is. per
hans more hurtful than lack ~ delicacies or
tender nursing refer to the inadequat" mail
facilities at the general hospital when III"
hospital was established the accumulated mail
was DUMPED into tent. and the chaplain. IN
addition 10 his pressing and regular duties
among the sick and dying. was detailed To ar
range for the asserting and distribution OF me
large number Of letters. This he has done. ana
has wrought day and night 10 accomplish H.
with the result that now every conValesceht
vho nrosents his name or the name OF a friend
nj the postofice receives his letter But this
is not enough MANY Of the men cannot walk
or crawl to the postofiice. and have no ono 10
send for their mail Hence there are many let
tiers in the pgeon-holes that ought TO be In the
hands Of our sick soldiers. where they would he
like water to thirsty sou!
During my stay of four days at the general
hosptal | wrote some letters for men too weak
IN write for themselves. and In few cases
stated that the letter was dictated. and gave
nv namo and address 7 have just received n
letter from Ohio. part If which quote
for boar Ing N
this soldier boy At the close Of the letter in
reab,e handwriting he adds, please write me-
II Is this that prompts me 10 write 10 YOU az we
have written him many letters we DO NOT nh-
derstand this. hut infcr that the SICK are not
given their mail
This last statement is largely true. Much OF
the accumulated mail al the general nospi'al
belongs to on furough or 10 th3se VINO nav
died. But there Is still great NUMBER OF ie''erS
that could he placed In the hands OF men 10
whom they belong. where they would 90 IN
calculabe good. One reason why inc disuipu.
ton is more difficult rs because "l .he ~ '1iH'
I'D to the presen, time tSepiemher y. afte.hoohl
there has been no index or catalogue maui W
the patients in the wards; ~ Is eHSeutis,S
difficult and sometimes wellnigh Impossible tn
find any one who has been too SICK 10 sehu
word OF his Location or 10 have u sent LOT MN,
Every day wives and mothers arrive III cdlnp
and have to spend hours III truit'tss star"
for relatives. II people at home hav" heeh hoti.
fled by telegram or mall Of the hospaaI Whrn
where the sick one is located they can find them
very readily but IL they come with nothing to
guide them. then they must wander through
the wards and seek 10 recognize n loved one hls-
gused by emacation. bearded and perhaps 100
sick TO speak
asked Surgeon General Sternberg Yesterday
whether there had been list. alpha beticaI or
otherwise. prepared. and he said he did not
know. He had not asked about that point!
Why could there not he detail of men TO make
and keep in order a complete list Of every pa
ticnt and his location, noting the changes made
daily or even hourly. and also detail 10 de-
liver every letter lying in the postoffice into the
hands OF the man 10 whom II is addressed. II he
/ he alive a. d.