The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-06

-~@0NAo IAS%AA444Cy eAA40 114SCLs
Washington, Oct. 5.-GeneraI Wheeler
completed his testimony before the war
Investigating commission today, and
was followed by General H. V. Boyn-
ton, who was still on the stand when
the days session closed. General
+ Wheeler's statement of today dealt en-
tirely with the conditions at Camp Wi
koff, and General Boynton's with those
at Camp Thomas, where he Is now in
command. General Boynton described
in detail the provision for supplying the
Z Georgia camp with water, and told
many interesting facts about the lOca-
ton of the troops and the precautions
Ataken to care for and protect them,
whether sick or well. He said the men
wasted more food than the army of the
Cumberland consumed during the civil
war in the siege of Chattanooga and
he eulOgized the supply methods of the
var department throughout.
General Wheeler resumed his testi-
many before the war Investigation
commission today. The examination
on the line of the New York World
charges was resumed. He said If
9Th of August, as charged, the com
mander of the camp was responsible
for it, for he had full power to furnish
relief There probably were individ-
Ual cases of suffering. but as a rule,
he said he knew the soldiers were well
cared for. There was certainly no lack
of food General Wheeler admitted
that in many instances there were men
i'll in their company quarters. Often
men not very ill preferred not to go to
hospitals, and the hospitals were too
crowded to make room for them
Some time was spent on the charge
that General Wheeler had said that
General Eagan, chief cOmmissary OF
s Subsistence, had cOuntermanced an or
der of his for supplies. This occurred,
he said, but it was due to miscon-
s.ruction of general orders.
General Wheeler also explained the
circumstances concerning the death OF
Private Hugh Parrett-
MY inquiry" he said. developed the
fact that DR.. Tabor was a little gruff
to the men, but it also developed the
fact that he had proved so efficient
in the field that they were devoted to
him. and had petitioned for his reten-
ton in the army"
This. he thought, was one of those in
dividual cases of neglect, and he
thought it was to be explained by the
fact that DR.. Tabor was probably i'll
himself He found this to be true in
other cases, and had demonstrated with
physicians for being irritable with pa
tie7ts.
General Wheeler said it was true that
many soldiers would fall on the streets
He thought that all Of them had been
weakened by their experience in Cuba,
and most of them had the germs Of
fever in them. IT was not Strange,
~ q had fall
len to the ground at Wikon.
DIR. SEM MISTAKEN.
The general took up a statement at
tributed to DR.. Sem concerning the
sinks. He said the sinks were COW
cred every hour with earth or lime. He
had examined the ground and found
that the soil was not porous.
He also found that other physicians
did not agree with DR.. Sem as to the
danger from typhoid. There was no
outbreak of fever, such as General
Sem had predicted; hence, II was a
false prophecy. He admitted also, IN
reply to a charge attributed 10 Or.
CYRUS Edison, that a small percentage
Of the men in hospitals were lying on
the floor on Aug. 20. They were, how
eI er. supplied with beds and IN no case
was there complaint on this account
The fact is that the surgeons ana
other officers and men conducted them
selves most heroically, and II Is pam
full to me to see the effort to make II
appear that they were complaining
wien they were not
DR.. Myron had also predicted an IN
crease of typhoid, but the prediction
had not been verified
DRINKING WATER PURE.
General Wheeler said he had seen
fO effect
that the drinking water was contain
mated. He had had an examination
made, not only by the surgeons, but oy
Colonel Smart. a noted expert, and they
had informed him that the water was
pure He considered the water supply
adequate and pure and we'll distributed
While it had been considered very de-
sirable to weed the sick out and send
such as could go to the city hospitals,
ne had cautioned the surgeons against
sending men not able to leave, and had
interfered TO see that some were not
sent. He admitted that before the
steam laundry was put TO Work there
was a scarcity of clean bed linen for
typhoid and other patients He had
encouraged the closest inspection from
visitors and had asked newspaper men
to visit the hospitals and report the
complaints of men, with view TO re-
lieving their wants, if they had any
Replying to criticisms by DR.. Heber
Newton, referring especially TO the
failure TO have the camp at Montauk
provided previous to the war, General
Wheeler said he could not account for
the criticisms, unless it was true that
DR.. Newton was not used to the ccndi-
tions which generally prevail at mill
tary hospital. 1t was impossible TO
foresee that the troops would return
at so early a date. General Miles had
predicted that they would of necessity
remain in Cuba for year or two 1t
would not. therefore, have been ex-
pedient to build a hospital in advance,
as DR.. Newton had said should have
been done.
WHY TABOR ESCAPED.
Mr.. Howell asked why there had not
been a courtmartial investigation OF
the charges against DR.. Tabor in the
Parrett case. General Wheeler replied
that he considered that after the re-