The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-15
COL. RAYS HEROIC TREATMENT.
said to Be Keeping Down Disease
Among His Wen with QuinIne.


The news that comes from Santiago and
New York 10 the effect that Maj. Frank
Gordon Of Col. P. H. Rays Third Regi-
ment of Volunteers, was forced to resign,
caused no surprise here. II was under
stood when the regiment was Ia camp
here prior to its embarkation for cuba
that Col. Ray was entirely dissatisfied
with the conduct OF Maj. Gordon, as well
as that OF Col. Reaves. and considered
neither Of them fitted for a position OF
such responsibility.
While here, Mai. Gordon was relieved
from duty all the time. He knew nothing
of the regimental plans spent little time
at the camp, and it was evident without
Hitting the curtain very high that Col.
Ray would get rid Of him as soon as the
opportunity offered. Mai Gordon's ad-
diction to drink is given as the chief cause
OF his resignation.
Col Ray is keeping up his old time repu-
tation as disc.plnsian of the strctest
type. A good story comes from Florida
as TO the way in which he breaks up fever
and keeps his men free from the yellow
plague. As soon as a man shows symp-
toms of illness, complaining of headache,
backache and with fever, he Is compelled
SO the writer says. to take a handful of
salts. followed by thirty grains of auinIne.
the dose OF quinine being repeated if nee
essary. The treatment, while heroic, is
said to be evry effective, and no one COM
plains II il restores him to health. If he
dies his last hours are consoled by the
fact that fun military funeral Will be
accorded him, Col. Ray having issued or
ders to that effect. Despite his strictness
the men are said to have much faith in
the rn'nngl M Ia baI
his ways are for the best.
Col. Ray is said to have always been a
Sucker for the execution of orders Just
as he gives them. Seventeen years ago
when he was Lieutenant Of the Eighth Uni
ted States Cavalry he was designated TO
command a polar expedition sent out by
the United States under act of Congress
to work in unison with expeditions repre-
sentlng other governments. Point Barrow
the most northern point of Alaska, was
where the expedition from this country
was located and there Col. Ray remained
for three years, ruling with quite an IRON
hand, not losing man of the expedition
which accomplished much on the lines set
down for it. Stories reached the signal
service men at home which showed that
ne was not a man who would allow his
orders to be trihed with
among his instructions was one that no
report should be altered. If a man in
Wruhg made mistake, instead of eras-
ing OF scratching it out he was to prick
pin point In the place where the error
was and go on with his work. One signal
service man thought he could beat this
rule and when the lieutenant was not
about, carefully made an erasure. sInooth-
co the place over with his thumb
nan and wrote over &c. At a casual glance
the erasure was not observable. But
Lieut.. Rays chances were not of an or
binary kind. When he came to 20 over
the days reports Of observations. etc. The
culprlt waited to see the result. II came
In the loss of a months pay. the lieuten-
ant having instituted a system of heavy
nnes for violations of orders. 1t was aft
erward found that in examining the paners
the officer always held them so thar The
hght would strike the surface and show
any change in the surface finish, and in
this way detected the erasure
Lieut.. Rays voluminous report on the
three years work in the Arctics is in the
hands of weather observers all over The
country and is of standard value to anv
one interested in meteorological and other
conditions In those regions. Observer
Boyer says that from the stories now told
or the colonel and those he heard of him
When lieutenant in Alaska, his charae-
ter has not in the least changed by years