Evening star., 1898-12-03
Two Transports Described to the In
vestigating Commission.
TALE OF The SENECA'S TRIP
Sanitary Rules Ignored in Chicka-
mauga Camps.
LANDING MEDICAL SUPPLIES


an executive session for nearly an hour
this morning. and it was IL o'clock before
the taking Of testimony began. Captain
Mckay, who was the stand yesterday
evening, resumed his evidence. He de-
scribed In detail the arrangements for the
transports which took General Skaters
army to Cuba. The troops were all put
aboard In accordance with previously pre-
pared plans. When reports We're made to
General Shafter that certain ships were
crowded Shafter ordered a board to exam
Inc and report its opinion. There were
some changes made in accordance with
the suggestions of this board. Arrange
ments for landing the troops in Cuba were
made before they left Tampa
Condition of Transports.
Witness said he had charge of the en-
barkation of all the troops which left San
uago de CUBA for this country. He called
attention to the stories published about the
conditions of the ships used TO bring SOL
diers to America. All the ships We're in
spected by a medical officer before being
used, and not until the report of such of
ncer was made were troops allowed to so
aboard. The Concho was not inspected as
she left before the system of inspection
there was working Some of her sick were
taken on at Siboney. Referring to the
AZ
leghany, witness declared that Dr. Ma
gruder had declared in witness presence at
MCntauk that the Allegheny was as clean
a snip as ever came into port. Witness sad
l. was one OF the best ventilated ships he
ever saw, and was not cattle ship. as
claimed, but as a passenger and freight
vessel.
Asked If there was a supply of ice at San
tlago, witness replied there were two
schooners with Ice there. Every boat leav-
ing Santiago was supplied with ice some
as much as fifty tons where they had stor-
age capacity.
Distress on the Seneca.
Witness stated that he had come up to
Hampton Roads from Siboney on the SEN
eca. He was examined at length about the
conditions of the Seneca There were not
sufficient staterooms on the boat to accom-
modate the sick. The cabin floor was used
for some of the sick and about twenty or
twenty-five We're put into hunks or berths
between decks. The Seneca did not have
any ice for two days, as there was no ice
at S1boney. A ton was secured from the
Red Cross. The government had no provi-
sion for ice at either Santiago or Siboney
The Red Cross had ice there and witness
believed a supply was sent by private
gentleman in this country to General Shat
ter. There was plenty of water on the
Seneca, but it was low in the tanks The
latter were situated in the hold where IT
was close and hot. The rolling of the ship
caused the sediment in the water to be
stirred up. The water was unpalatabe
The cabin was clean. but one part of the
snip, under the direction of the crew was
rot clean; about half the crew was sick
The sick who occupied the cabin iioor lay
IN some instances on mattresses and in
others on blankets. Soldiers rations was
the food supplied. Witness had seen the
Red Cross supply soups. jellies condensed
milk and other atIcles to the Seneca at
Slboney but witness did not know whether
they We're sufficient or insufficient
Capt. Mckay did not know whether the
steward of the Seneca had sold food to the
soldiers, but he had seen him sell beer TO
ofhcers and others. He had a store room.
from which the beer was taken Asked
about medical supplies on the vessel, Can't.
Mckay said there were plenty of quinine
Pills, as he himself sometimes took as high
as thlrty-five grains a day. Witness sug-
gested that DR.. Irwin Byrd, now of Tam
pa, who was contract surgeon and aboard
the Seneca, would make a most efficient
witness.
Red Cross nurse, Miss Jennings, came
up on the Seneca, and was indefatigable in
her attentions to the sick. Did not know
Whether any army nurses had been assign
ed 10 the Seneca or not, but understood
hfteen or twenty men had been taken
aboard to attend to the sick
Medical Supplies Promptly Landed.
The witness was then examined as to the
difficulties which medical officers heretofore
examined claimed they were confronted
with when attempting to get medical sup
plies from the transports in Cuba
Capt. Mckay said that he was authorized
by Gen. Humphrey to Immediately comply
with all demands for such supplies, and
that he had always done so. A demand for
such supplies was always met by the land
ing of supplies within tWenty-four hours
Witness could not tell whsther the medical
officers knew this or not.
10
such requests Were made they were COM
phed with. Gen. Humphreys orders were
to this effect, and We're carried out
When additional testimony regarding the
failure of the medical officers to get sum
plies was read to Capt. Mckay he said the
Olivette, one of the two vessels under the
medical officers. had eight metallic and one
wooden boat. Each of the metallic boats.
he believed, would have been able to carry
a ton of supplies ashore.
In reply to a question whether he had
been given plenty Of time to load the
transports at Tampa, he replied that there
was considerable hurry.
"Why?"
Because it was understood that the ad
mral was cabling to have the army sent
What admiral?"
Admiral Sampson"
Where did you hear this?'
Gen Humphrey and others told me such
was the case"
In the opinion of the witness there was
an abundance of everything when the ex-
pedition left Tampa to carry the army
through. The trouble was that there was
no quiet harbor where the lighters could
have been laid up aside the vessels without
the stevedores being compelled to hold on
to something while working
Sanitary Rules Ignored.
Lieutenant Colonel G. w. Goethel, chief
of engineers upon General Brooke's staff,
who was next sworn, testified to his service
during the war. He was In a position to
observe the conditions of the camp at
Chickamauga. The camp was particularly
dirty. Men did not observe the sanitary
rules. During the two months witness was
at Ohckamauga the conditions continued
There was not proper policing. Describing
the situation of General Brooke's head
quarters witness said that his own camp
was a hillside.
The sinks were on the crest of the hill:
the kitchens came next down the hill: then
the mess tents and then the sleeping tents.
When the heavy rains came the sinks over
flowed. The volunteer troops were largely
cafnped i'm the timber. witness supposipg
this was done in order to give the open
ground for drill purposes. The regulars.
however, camped in the open ground
About all the volunteers were "a mined IN