The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-30
DISCIPLINE VERY SLACK
GENERAL NEGLIGENCE OF
CLEANLINESS AND SAM
TATION.
THF SAD CASE OF SERGEANT FRANK
Train Load Of Sick Without Surgeon or Medl'
cal Supplies Relief Societies to the Hes
cue Much Drunkenness, no Effort
10 Close Saloons.

to Close Saloons.
Chattanooga. Tenn, Oct. 29.-Malr
Edward II. Comegys was the first W.T.
ness before the war investigating com
mission today. He was medical pur-
yeyor here during the life OF camp
Thomas. He accounted for the sickness
in Camp Thomas by saying the men '!ld
not know how to take care of them
selves. He thought the colonies and
regimental surgeons were to blame.
Lieutenant James M. Arrasmith. who
acted as chief commissary of subsistence
for Camp Thomas, said that while III
the beginning there had been some con-
gestion on tie transportation INES tEeic
had never been any shortage OF supplies
There was constantly on mana an aN
erage of 100000 rations. Inc ratlohs
were the best he had ever seen ISSUED
IN many years experience. He thought
tbe principal trouble in regard to the
rations was in the matter of cooking.
Lieutenant Arrasmith also said the sinkS
were very badly cared for, and that the
stencil near the camp at night was
SlIUluy AAN "A'N "'
was very slack.
The witness considered Chickamauga
a natural camping site, but thought there
were more men in it than there should
have been. Some of the volunteer regl-
ments never took down their tents dur
ING their entire stay and there was gen
eral negligence of cleanliness and sans
tation. He did not accept the theory
that the formation of the ground was
snch that the sinks could not be made
deep enough There was, he said, Il
general improvement in the camp after
GENERAL Breckenridge took command.
DISEASE RESULT OF HABITS.
Doctors Baxter and Boyd, local ply
sicians, were called to testify in regard
to the case of Sergeant Frank. who died
here during the summer as the result
of railroad accident. Dr.. Baxter
said that Notwithstanding the man was
in state of profound shock after the
accident. DIR. Samuel ID. Hubbard, sur
geon of the regiment. insisted upon re-
moving the wounded man to Chicka-
manga Park. The man died ON the Way
out. as he (Baxter) predicted he would.
DR. Baxter told of one train load OF
Wisconsin, sick, which he had seen on
its way home without a medical officer
or medical supplies. The commission
closed its sitting here tonight by hear
ing the testimony of some residents,
stating the conditions ut the park
while the troops We're there and giving
conclusions as to the causes of the sick
ness Of the soldiers. They defended tho
climate as salubrious and healthful and
generally attributed the prevalence of
disease to the habits of the volunteers.
At midnight General Dodge's private
car was detached from the special train
to permit the train to depart for Knox
vile with all the commissioners
on board except General Dodge, Colonel
Sexton and DIR. Conner. These three
members of the commission remain in
Chattanooga until tomorrow night,
when they will leave for Lexington, KY,
proceeding thence to Cincinnati, Chica-
go and Detroit and taking testimony at
each place in turn. The majority of the
commission expect to spend two days at
Knoxville and then proceed to Wash
ington direct.
Edward Belts, engineer of the Chick
amauga Park Commission, gave the par
ticulars Of the establishment of the water
supply system of the park for the army.
He said there was an ample supply of
water for the troops at all times. and
there would have been space for 10000
more troops on the pipe line.
j. G. Howell railroad station agent
told of an instance in which % sick
men, being part of a Wisconsin. conf
mand, had been placed on train and
started to their homes without medica
supplies or physicians and without fur
loughs or transportation papers. They
were taken off the train at Chattanooga
and their wants administered to by mem
beers Of the relief societies.
Ira J. Haines. private, acting as {
member Of the hospital corps who sait
he had been practicing physician il
Louisville. Ky, for eight years, was ex
amined on the lines of a communication
he had sent to the commission. In thi
communication he had charged that pa
tients has been treated for typhoid feve
when they plainly had pneumonia.
Upon being pressed he modified hi
statements, saying that he had no con
situations with the physicians as t.
their line of treatment. He said, how
ever, that he considered some of TIT
physicians incompetent. He also charg
ed that appointments were made in thu
hospital upon political influence.
DIR. Stapp, a local physician detailed
visit to the hospital Of the Second di
vision of the Third corps in August
saying he had found it overcrowded ant
dirty, and with no physicians in attend
ance at the time. DR.. Stapp said h
had seen a great deal of drunkenness
among the soldiers in the city, but tina
he had never heard of any special effor
to close the saloons and other places o
vice. He had seen drunken soldier
lying in the streets, and he was sur
much of the sickness at Camp Thoma
was due to the habits of the men.
Mr.. Craddock. Of Lynchburg. who ha'
an exhibit at the State Fair was Gale,
home by the death of Mrs. Craddock
She was n sister of Mrs. ]. Il. Ferral
and Mrs Willingham of this CITY, VIII,