The record-union., 1898-08-06
SKATERS ARMY.
Troops Greatly E1ated at the Pros
poets Of Coming Home.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-The War
Department has ordered the regular
fleet of transports at Ponce to proceed
to Santiago to join with the transports
already there in bringing General
Shaffter's army to this country. There
are ten large transports with the fleet
at Ponce, some of them, like the Mo-
bile, having a capacity of 1000 men,
In all they have a capacity of 6,o4O
men. This, with the ships already at
Santiago, will give a carrying strength
of over 1900 men.
| In addition to the transports an
| nounced by the War Department yes
| terday as being ready at Santiago, it
now appears that the Orizaba, capacity
$50 men, is also available. The Yale
will also be brought in the service in
the course of a week or ten days. At
present she is to be utilized in taking
General Grants brigade to Porto Rico,
after which she will return by way of
Santiago and take on a load of
| Skaters men.
| The press dispatches from Santiago
saying that the troops were greatly
elated on the prospect of beginning the
homeward movement to-day, is accept
ed with satisfaction by the war officials
here. They say that the embarkation
has already begun and the Louisiana,
which left day before yesterday with
cavalry on board, is now we'll on her
way home.
With the arrival of Skaters army IN
| this country, every facility Will be
given to the troops to recuperate. This
will apply not only to the sick, but to
the we'll, as it is appreciated that the
] l. L - t,s,r
gone must have taxed the very strong
est There will be no yellow fever cases
brought to this country, as such cases
| can be best handled without removal.
The less serious cases of sickness not
| involving contagion will be brought, II
the patients are convalescing to a
| point where removal will be adyan-
tageous.
| Surgeon General Sternberg has in
view several points for patients and
convalescents The actual hospital sta
| ton will probably be located at Mon
| tauk Point, where a field hospital for
800 patients is being prepared, in ad-
dition to the hospital equipment which
| General Skaters forces will bring with
| them. But in addition to this, Cen
eral Sternberg has in view two fine
| locations, where the5bracing mountain
and lake air will help convalescents TO
| recovery. These points are Fort Ethan
| Allen, VT, and the army post at Platts-
/ burg, n. Y.
| General Sternberg has no purpose of
making these points hospital camps in
the ordinary sense of the word, where
severe cases will be handled, but only
! to make them available for the conva-
! ofraa1y we'll on the xyaV n re-
covery, who need good air and sur
roundings to bring them completely
back to health. Each post will accom-
odate about 500 to 600 men. The order
designating them for this purpose has
not yet been made, but General Stenr-
berg doubtless will make the recon-
mendation for their use
The impression that there is differ
ence of opinion between the medical
officers at Santiago and those at Wash
| ington on the subject of the removal Of
| Skaters army is said to be without
/ foundation. as il is pointed out that
| Surgeon General Sternberg's officers
| have maintained from the first that
| the army should be removed as fast as
i the military situation would permit. 1t
is said, however, that the military sit
4
operations, dominates the medical sit
uation, and that the latter shapes itself
| to the military requirements.
| General Sternberg felt that it would
be disastrous for the troops to remain
| at Santiago through the late summer
/ and early fall months, as these are
most likely to breed serious cases of
yellow fever. In the event that a re-
3 ~ Il. xlxa
military situation, then it was General
/ Sternbergs view that the camps be re-
moved as speedily as possible from
/ points of infection and new camping
ground back of Santiago be established.