The evening times., 1898-09-05
MISERY AT MONTAUK.
What Mrs. Julian Hawthorne Saw mt
Camp WikoT.

Camp WikoR.
Since taking her own son from Camp
Wikoff. where he was kept on duty. al
though very sick. Mrs. Julian Hawthorne
has spent as much time with the sick
soldiers she could spare from her own
boy. Over her own signature she tells OF
some of the scenes she has witnessed, and
her recital does not bear out Gen. Whee-
ler's cheerful statement She says that
the regiments encamped along the main
road from the station have received cots.
This Is the part of the camp that was
shown to the President-'but the Third,
Twentieth Twenty-secoHd and Eighth In
fantry are lying on the ground" How
many more are in the same condition she
does not know In one battalion of the
Twentieth Infantry, there were ninety
nine ON the sick list. Almost every tent
had one or more men lying on ponchos
rubber cloths on the ground Some tents
had all four of their occupants ILL.,
ChiIls and fever, and fever alone. of pre-
sumably some malarial ctype, were the
commonest complaints. Almost all had
been i'll in Cuba but some said they got
lying on the decks In ,the rain. Many
have dysentery, "apd their condition is
not improved by the fact that they have
to walk or totter half mile or SO to the
sinks" - 90
Where the blame lies 7 do not know.
l only know the men are dying for lack
of milk. and yet those having money can
buy 1t! The regulars said: We have had
no money since July. If the Government
would only pay US we could have what
| we need
.One or two had straw wrapped up in
their blankets for a bed. But they have
to bring the straw from the station,
| which must be four miles from this part
| of the camp, and few able to walk
that distance. much less carry straw
back
'All have the peculiar trembling about
the mouth and hesitating. halting speech
that is the sign of utter want of back
| bone and lowered vitality. They had all
| been strong men, never sick in their lives
and could not understand how they could
| feel SO weak and hopeless and as If all
manhood were gone.
In the morning, all men who are not
| well must go to the surgeon for inspec-
| ton when the sick call sounds Here a
| pill or dose of castor oil is given them
In the army in normal conditions, those
who are really Ill, are sent away to the
| hospital. But here there is no room in
| the hospital for these men, therefore they
remain in the regiment and must lie in
! their tents uncared for and undoctored
until the next mornings sick call. when
| they must again drag themselves to the
! surgeon or be reported for duty"
The surgeons do not visit these men
who have no proper medicine. There was
| no quinine for them. One with a long
attack of dysentery was getting castor
! oil.
the ground; they thought they could
| shake off the fever If they could only
| have cots. They also longed to get tC
! their posts and ! put new life in many
! by saying that the President was going
! to break up the camp and send them
! home.
The other regiments were in the same
! condition. / can only tell of the great
need of milk among the regiments / Wis
/ tied, which are the farthest from the sta.
/ ton. l was also told by the men thai
| they were but two days in the detention
camp, and then turned out to make room
for new arrivals from the TRANSPORTS
| They say they were well cared for In thai
camp, but that Uncle Sam had forgotten
| them where they We're now and did no
supply them with either wood or water
and they had hard work TO get either.
| THE physician with me said many o
! the new arrivals were not in nearly q!
| bad condition as the men We had seen
! But the newcomers were volunteers anC
apparently their friends are feared