The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-02
sHAFTER ON AMERICAN SOIL.
ur AND HIS STAFF ARRIVE AT
MONTAUK ON THE MEXICO.

NUN AA ~ Wv AAAAH
Con. wheeler Orders Il Salute in
Honor of the Returning COmman-
dpr-Gen. shafter and STAFF Taken
10 the Detention HOSpitnI-The
General Glad to Get Home and APP
,,eors to BE in Fine HeaIth-SOrry
to Hear of the Death of So Many of
His Men at Montauk-SurgeOn
Three Died a Day.
never Talks About the Allegheny.
New York, Sept. THE transport
Mexico. with Gen. Shafter on board, was
s,ebted off Montauk Point at $40 a. an. to-
dav and an hour later dropped anchor
IN Fort Pond bay.
The City of Mexico had on board, beside
Gen. shafter the members Of his staff.
As soon as Gen. Wheeler was notified of
Gen. Skaters arrival he ordered a sa-
ute Of fifteen guns to- be fired and Troops
NJ b. c, H, and X of the Second Regu-
lar Cavalry were detailed to escort Gen.
shafter into camp, when he should land.
cen. Shafter and his staff were landed
from the City of Mexico shortly before l
o'clock at FLOATING Dock" some dis
tapce from the quarantine pier.
The coming ashore of the commander
and his staff was unexpected. Gen.
Wheeler had the cavalry escort drawn up
All tie quarantine pier and the guns wait
ing to salute Gen. Shafter. He was not
aware that Gen Shafter was on shore
until Gen. Shafter and his staff had been
driven to the detention hospital in car
rages
Gen. Wheeler was a little put out when
he learned that Gen. shafter had landed
Gen. shafter appeared in good health
when he came ashore.
on the City of Mexico, beside the gen.
eral and his staff, came one company of
the First Regular Infantry.
Gen. Wheeler, when informed that Gen.
shafter was ashore, ordered the salute Of
fifteen guns fired and these were sent off
after Gen Shafter had actually passed
hearing distance.
1t is difficult to get near Gen. shafter
al detention camp, but the commander
Of the Santiago campaign sent word to
the correspondents that he was glad to be
on American soil once more, but was
sorry 10 learn that so many of his men
had died and were still sick at Montauk.
He said, however, that had the troops re-
maiaed in Santiago they would have Jared
much worse.
Surgeon Meyer, who came North on the
Allegheny had something to say to-day
as 20 the condition of the transport. II
was on that vessel that fourteen Ninth
Massachusetts men died
Surgeon Meyer stated that when the
Allegheny left Santiago there were but
twelve sick men on board but illness de-
Yeloped quickly on the vessel and when
out a few days, deaths occurred at the
rate Of three a day.
Gen. Shafter is now, strictly speaking.
by reason of rank, in command of Camp
Wikoff, but he will not assume the reins
Of control until his term in the detention
camp is finished. In an interview this aft
ernoon Gen. Shafter said: Il enjoyed the
tip North on the Mexico greatly, but
more SO on account of the ship being a
prize. From a casual observation l like
Camp W.koff. Ii seems just such a place
as ] should have selected. I will soon ac-
quaint myself thoroughly with all the de-
tails of the camp
II knew nothing of the Miles-Alger con-
toVersy until l was shown a newspaper
ON my arrival here I will not discuss il
noiw that ] am unfamiliar with the phases
of the case, morn viii / enter the cOntro-
versy at any time. Secretary Alger and
Gen. Miles can take care of themselves
and so can l.
The Red Cross and other nurses did
good work al Santiago, but the front is
hardly the place for women There wac
never any real scarcity Of food in Cuba
bat there was no transportation facilities
TO set supplies to the front other than
pack trains.
The army and sick in hospital down
there Jared as well as possible in such a
climate"
When told that it had been denied that
there was yellow fever in the camp at
Santiago, Gen. Shafter said it was non
sense. as there was yellow fever there
ana the doctors in Santiago. who knew il
Ike a book, said il was yellow fever, and
u9f hing else.
Santiago was on the mend, the general
said, and the sanitary measures taken by
the Americans were having good effect
When asked if it would not be almost as
Wcl to allow the men now sick 1t San
udgo to fully recover in Cuba, now that
the wet season is almost over he said
lle best place for every man who could
ser there was home, and that, while the
Wet season was nearly over, Cuba was not
a good country for sick men to I've in
anu lAe conditions would remain poor IOl
two months at least. In ana around the
Guy there had been two armies in camp
ana armies did not leave the places where
they had been in the best of condition
For a few months, he continued. things
would not be at their best near Santiago
bnt nature in time would work out her
own rehabilitation.
-e-as-~
REPORT on PENSIONS.