The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-06

service in the course of a week or ten days.
AT present she is to be utilized in taking
Gen. Fred Grants brigade to Porto Rico,
after which she will return by way of Sam
tiago and take on q load of Skaters men.
The press dispatches from Santiago say
ing that the troops were greatly elated at
the prospect of beginning the homeward
move to-day is accepted with satisfaction
by the war officials here. They say that the
einbarkation has already begun and that
the Louisiana, which left day before yes
terday with cavalry on board, is now well
on her way home.
With the arrival of Skaters army in this
country, every facility will be given to the
troops to recuperate. This will apply not
only to the sick, but the we'll as ii is ap-
preciated that the hardships through which
the men have gone must have taxed the
vitality even of the strongest. There will be
no yellow fever cases brought to this coun-
try, as such cases can be best handled
without removal The less serious cases of
sickness not involving contagion will he
brought here If the patients are conva-
lesclng to point where removal will be adj
Surgeon General Sternberg has in view
several points for patients and GONZALES
cents. The actual hospital station will prob
ably be located at Montauk Point. where a
f1eld hospital for SEQ patients is being pre-
pared, IN addition to the hospital equipment
which General Skaters forces will bring
along with them. But in addition to this,
General SternbeTg has in view two fine To-
SdIohs where the Draelng mountain and
lake air Will help convalescents to recovery.
These points are Fort Ethan Allen, YER
mont, and the army post at Plattsburg,
n Y. General Sternberg has no purpose of
making these points hospital camps in the
: ordinary sense of the word. where severe
cases win be handled, but only to make
them available for the cOnvaIescents al
ready well on the way to recovery, who need
good air and surroundings to bring them
completely back to health. Each post will
accommodate some 800 to 500 men, The or
der designating them for this purpose has
not yet been made, but General Sternberg
doubtless will make the recommendation for
their use.
The impression that there is difference
of opinion between the medical officers at
Santiago and those at Washington on the
question<of removing the troops of Shafter' s
army is said to be without foundation, as It
is pointed out that Surgeon General Stern
berg's office has maintained from the first
that the army should be removed as fast as
the military situation would permit. 1t is
said, however, that the military situation in
the common custom of field operations, DOM
mates the medical situation. and that the
latter must shape itself to the military re-
quirements. General Sternberg felt that it
would be disastrous for the troops to re-
main at Santiago through the late summer
and early fall months, as these are most
likely to breed serious cases of yellow
fever. In the event that removal was not
possible because of the military situation,
then ii was Surgeon General Sternberg' s
view that the camp should be removed as
speedily as pos, IDLE from points of infec-
ton and new camping grounds back of San
tiagO be established.