Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-10-20
HOLD THREE SESSIONS.
War Commission Hears Off
GERS of Seventh Army Corps.
CHIEF SURGEON MAUs TESTIFrEs.

Subcommittee Appointed to Invastigat
Selection of Fernandina a Site Fo
Camp Have Reported Favorabla-Col
onel Wood Chief Commissary of Cam
Libre Also Testifies.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Oct. 19.-Tht
war investigating commission hel,
three sessions yesterday dealing during
the days sessions with the genera
staff officers of the Seventh army corp.
and at night hearing the testimony o
officers and men of the Second Soutl
Carolina regiment. The general officer
examined included the chief surgeon
the chief commissary, the chief quarter
master and the inspector general of the
corps and all gave detailed information
as to their respective departments of the
service. The meetings were held il
General Dodge's private car, but the
moving trains made so much noise that
1T was found necessary to secure other
quarters and hereafter the meetings will
be held in the city council chambers.
The subcommittee, consisting of Gen.
eral Wilson and Captain Howell APP
pointed to investigate the selection of
Fernandina as camp have returned
sand reported their approval of the sell
ection. They made special inquiry into
the report that the camp had been To-
Gated there for the purpose of enhanc-
ing the value of land owned by son of
Secretary Alger, going through the
OIL Onntv rapnr1s a : lort Of tlai,,
They failed to find his name in any of
these documents and their investigation
convinced them that he had never
owned any real estate in that vicinity,
or had been in any way interested in
any.
DR.. Maus Testifies.
Colonel Louis M. Maus, chief surgeon
of the Seventh army corps, was the
first witness to be sworn. He said there
was no suffering among the sick. Still
they did not have luxuries at the begin
ming Of the war that there were il the
Latter days of it.
Nor" added the doctor, "do I think
that the history of the world has ever
seen parallel to our present care of the
sick"
Taking up the present condition of
the hospitals, he said there were 300
trained female nurses now at work
here. He said the employment of these
nurses had proved entirely satisfactory.
Replying to question, DR.. Maus said
that after the first few days there had
} beenAno refusal of supplies and that all
requisitiOns had been filled, with ex-
ceptional promptitude.
As matter of fact the troops had a
greater allowance Of rations than they
could use or dispose6f in any way. He
also said the Bed Cross society had
given ,sonnsHthat it was often not ne
cessary ASK the government for sup
plies. There had been no restrictions
insN.e matter of fitting out the camps.
He though typhoid had been intro
duced into camp by Mississippi and Vir-
ginia troops. Shallow streams and sur
face drains had helped on this scourge,
but he was convinced that the regular
water supply of the city had not been
in any way responsible for it. He also
thought that the flies had done much to
disseminate fever. From the begin
ming strict attention had been given the
sink.
DR.. Maus said he had found it diff
cult to prevail upon surgeons in the
volunteer service to learn the admins.
trative duties of their positions. As a
matter Of fact, these duties We're ex-
tremely onerous, and, for this reason,
the volunteer physicians were not SC
efficient as they should have been.
Colonel Oliver E. Wood, chief com.
missary at Camp Cuba Libre, under
General Lee. was before the commits
sion at its afternoon session. He had
occupied this position since May 2l and
he had been able during all this time
to fully and completely meet all requi
sitions ON him for supplies, and there
had never been any lack of them. AS {
rule also the quality was excellent.
At first there had been trouble will
the bacon and about 10000 pounds O
it had been spoiled and therefore con
demned and ordered destroyed. Their,
had also been weevil in some of tn,
hard bread, but it had never been is
sued when found to be bad. All tn,
fresh beef was brought to the camp il
refrigerator cars.
AS rule this meat was excellent
and in cases where the meat was no
good the contractors had replaced i
without requiring official condemna
Gion. Yet it was necessary either t,
cook refrigerator meat or put it on ic
in order to prevent it spelling in thi
climate. In this connection Colone
Wood read letter he had written t
General Lee in response to q com
plant made by Colonel W. J. Brys;
about the beef. In this letter he sal
that if the beef was spoiled it was ger
orally due to the almost criminal nee
ligence of regimental and other officers
He said also in the letter that the bee
must be inspected when issued, tina
this inspection must be final, and afte
this 10 complaints could be entertained
No Meeting of Spanish Cabinet.
l.. o.