The times., 1898-12-08
DIR. CONNER WAS BLOCKED.
Pertinent Questions to Col. Alden

Go Unanswered.
Col. Hecker was the interesting witness
| before the Alger Relief Commission yes
terday. He occupied the attention OF the
members OF the body until noon and
returned for a brief period during the
afternoon session.
The witness, by way of Introduction,
stated that his rank was that of colonel
and quartermaster OF volunteers. He was
appointed July last. In the rebellion
he had about two months experience as
a soldier.
When he began his. duties. Col. Hecker
said. the Government had little or no
water facilities for the transportation of
troops or freight The ships doing Gov
| ernment service previous to his advent
into its service were chartered ones. He
| was in at tie beginning of the purchase
of vessels. He had hand in the pur-
! chase of seventeen craft of different
kinds. These cost from sil,000 to s6Ci. 600
each. In nearly every instance he had
succeeded In scaling thousands of dollars
off Of the prices first asked by owners
The largest sum cut of on single vessel
was $4,000. The smallest sum, 5000
| Seven ships bought from the Atlantic
| Transportation Company cost s4,0o0,0oO. In
this purchase the price held by the COM
pany was cut $4,000 In not one instance
the colonel insisted. was more than the
| actual value of craft paid and the Gov
| ernment got its moneys worth. Only
| two times was 1t possible for third par
| ties to benefit by these purchases. These
were in the deals for the Port Victor and
Scandia. In one case former Assistant
| Secretary of War was an interested
party. Dealings in all other cases were
| directly with the owners of vessels.
| The last purchase of vessels was made
July %. From that time Col. Hecker has
devoted his dime to the transportation of
| troops at Washington. Montauk. Chicloa-.
| mauga and in Cuba At Havana, he said,
| much of the trouble in loading troops
| was due to the medical officers. They OBJ
| jected on the ground that they feared
infection. His division managed the trans
portation Of troops from Tampa to San
tiago. Officers at Santiago assumed these
duties in sending troops home. He could
not say whether all transports were prop
| erly fitted up
His principle work in the moving of SOL
| diers was to fix rates and give instruc-
1 tons to quartermasters. In this connec-
| ton Col. Hecker said he desired to call
| attention to a statement made by Col.
Lee. 1t was that Col Lee had been inter-
fered with in his work at Chickamauga
by 3uniors-volunteer officers. Col. Heck
er assumed that he was the Junior re-
| ferred to-
The statement of Col Lee was that
troops had been hauled 175 miles out OF
their way in going from Chickamauga to
Newport News The unnecessary dis
tance charged was exaggerated. Troops
were taken to Newport News in a round
about way, but not 175 miles out of their
way. The reason for this was that the
Government could save about s. per man
by taking them by the route selected.
There was undoubtedly considerable de-
lay in getting medical and other supplies
to Montauk and other camps. But this
could not properly be charged to the Gov
ernment. The railroads were at fault.
There was also delay in unloading troops,
live stock and other freight at Montauk
Men and horses came faster between Au-
gust 1sand Is than they could be handled.
In the way of supplies there was little
difficulty in getting them to Montauk but
the trouble lay in getting them from the
cars to the warehouses.
| Col Alden, deputy surgeon general, was
the chief witness of the afternoon session.
He was questioned by DR.. Connor With
|
pital depot at Chickamauga Park was
well supplied. He could not say whe ther
or not only co per cent of the medicines
asked for at that camp were furnished.
He did not know that7supplies of any
kind were limited there, He did not see
why it should have been SO. He admit
ted that there were not enough medical
officers there TO properly care for the
sick.
Col Alden was at a loss to- see why
there was a shortage of hospital appii-
ances. such as thermometers. operating
instruments, etc. He could not understand
why there was shortage of strychuine.
Col Alden thought the supply of hos
pital materials at Santiago was ample.
though he admitted that information from
there indicated q deficiency. He had seen
| reports that there was a lack of medicines
and dressings. II they were true the Off
Ger in command was responsible. 1t was
his place to see that they We're secured.
Col. Alden was not qualified to explain
why it was that,the Red Cross Society
could obtain needed medicines. bandages,
instruments. etc, and the United States
Government could not. 1t seemed to him
that the Governments facilities should
have been at least as good as those OF
the Red Cross folks. But the medical de-
partment worked under restrictions. II
| 1t could have followed its own methods
it would have outdone the Red Cross. 1t
was not a question of money. Supplies
could not be obtained. The emergency
was precipitated too suddenly to equi,
for so extensive an organization as the
hospital service.
DIR. Connor wanted to know whether
in the opinion of Col. Alden, there was
not actually a eDlorable lack of medi-
cines and hospital appliances at Santiago
Col. DENLY objected to the form of the
question. II would go out. he said. that
the commission accepted this as an actua
condition of affairs.
DIR. Connor said that he wanted to know
the exact condition there. To his mind il
was as clear that there was a shortage Of
things needed at Santiago as it was thai
there was a camp there.
Col. Alden hesitated and Col DENLY in.
sisted that the question was not properly
put, and 1t was not answered
Paymaster General Stanton testified re-
garding the holdiDg up of the pay of mer
at Porto Rico. He explained that Gen
Miles objected to his assistants going tc
Porto Rico from Santiago. He feared in.
fection.
James E. Smith, private of Troop A
Sixth Cavalry. volunteered his testimony
He said he had plenty to eat and wea,
and was treated well during his service.
A HAT FACTORY BURNED.