The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-11-11
WAR INQUIRY TESTIMONY.
Dr. Griffith of Kansas City Says Red
Tape Is to Blame.
ARMOUR BEEF UNFIT TO EAT.
"Peace for Thirty Years" Had Inoapac-
Hated for War-Men Detailed by
RegimentaI Commanders as Nurses
Generally Unfit.

CINCINNATI, ONO, NOV o.-Ine wal
investigating commission had an in
teresting session yesterday. 1t hao
among the witnesses four officers who
served in the Santiago campaign, one
Of them being General H. c. Egbert
who as lieutenant colonel of the Sixth
United States infantry, was shot down
ut San Juan hill by bullet piercing
his chest. The general appears en-
tirely recovered. Lieutenant Colonel
Miner, now in command of the Sixth
infantry, was another interesting wit
ness.
Perhaps the most suggestive testi'
mony was that given by Major Griffith
of Kansas City, who was in charge OF
the Third division hospital of the
First corps
Lieutenant Colonel Miner command
ing the Sixth infantry, testified to the
movements of his regiment from Port
Tampa to Santiago and return. He
regarded the Tampa camp as excellent.
There was difficulty in getting trans
portation from Tampa to Cuba. The
transport Miami, in which his regi-
ment went to Santiago, was not lit for
troops. The men would have died in
their quarters if the voyage had not
been mild, so that the portfolios were
open and air thus supplied.
Speaking of the attack at San Juan
hill he said he found when they
reached the summit that Colonel
Egbert had been wounded and he was
in command. That night no supplies
came, and the men were without food
or blankets, except such food as they
had in their haversacks.
The witness said the command be-
gan to break down about the 14th
They had dug trenches at night and
lay in the wet bitches all day. The
hot sun and the wet weather broke
the men down. When march of three
miles was made not more than one
fourth of the men kept up, but all got
in by night. The morning after the
surrender, the witness took the regi-
ment to higher ground and kept them
In camp. BY personal appeal to Gen
eral Kent he secured one wagon and
cooking utensils, and a change OF
clothing for the men. Capitalization
was the trouble. Capitalization in
staff departments he meant. Ii the
witness could have got one wagon after
the surrender he could have kept his
regiment supplied. But nothing could
have prevented the sickness that fol-
lowed the exigencies of the Cuban
campaign.
Being asked about the diet, he said
be would recommend pickles and vege-
tables for Cuba. "The canned beef, !"
he said, twas nauseating, and the
men, who were almost starved, woul
not eat it. 1t seemed to be beef that
had been boiled for extracts and was
as free from nutriment as chips. The
canned corn beef was good, but we did
not get it. The Armour and Libbey
beef was absolutely unfit for use when
we got it,"
General II. G. Egbert, now brigadier
of volunteers and colonel of the Twen-
ty-second United States infantry, had
no fault to find with the camp at Tam
pa or the supplies, or even with the
transport Miami, except with the
ventilation. He found troops abund-
antly supplied for the campaign. The
witness received excellent care at the
hospital,
Major Griffith, of Kansas City, testi-
fed regarding the camp conditions at
Chickamauga and the hospitals He
had difficulty in getting enough tents,
and when he secured the proper num-
Der he found the last ones were of poor
quality. From private and stale
sources the regiments were supplied
with hospital tents. AS a rule, the
men detailed as nurses were unfit.
He attributed the failure at the
Camp Thomas hospitals to red tape"
and "peace for thirty years." which
incapacitated the department for ex-
pansion for emergency. One great
difficulty in getting supplies of drugs
arose from passing acquisitions from
the division surgeon to the corps sur
geon and the surgeon-in-chief. This
required week.
He asked the corps commander, on
June 20, to have the typhoid patients
isolated. The epidemic could thus
have been avoided, but no attention
was given to the request.
He regarded flies and water as causes
of the infection. The beer drinking
and the unwholesome food assisted in
developing typhoid germs. The NOR
tality from typhoid fever in this hos
pital was sixty-six out of 1887 cases.
War Souvenirs Sell High Even in Manila.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5.-Head boards
have been erected over the graves of
the dead of the Astor battery, who lie
in the native cemetery in Manila The
effects have been sold at auction, bring
ing large sums. A coat belonging to
Private Dunn brought $50 and tobac-
co pouch Sl2. The money will be sent
10 relatives.
Priests Against Aguinaldo.
MANILA, Nov. Sit is reported here