The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-21
Camp Of Third Pennsylvania Not
in q Tropical Jungle.
PLENTY OF GOOD WATER
Such Ii the Report OF the Sub COMMITTEES.
Witnesses Say There Was Lack OF
Accommodation for the Sick.
Incompetent Nurses.

\ labors at Jacksonville tonight. and
shortly after 10 o'clock left for Atlanta.
expecting to take up business there.
The committee has spent four days in
Jacksonville, this being the first of the
camps to be visited. II having been
awarded somewhat more of time than
will be given to other points. with the
possible exception Of Chickamauga.
The commissioners are generally
pleased with the results Of their labors
here. They have naturally met with
complaints. but these have generally
dealt with comparatively unimportant
points and in very few. IL any cases.
have they indicated neglect or culpable
mismanagement. Generally one private
or non-commissioned officer from each
regiment has been called. and in many
cases more than one. In the case Of
enlisted men they are selected at ram
dom, the commissioners merely asking
that men be sent to them without any
specification for which they were
called. They have without exception
said that they were receiving enough
to eat and wear. There were occa-
sional complaints Of defects in clothing
or request for a greater variety of
food, but in no instance has a spirit of
fault-finding been developed among
this class Of witnesses. In some cases
a deficiency Of supplies at the begin
ming Of the camps history was shown.
and there has been more or less taint-
ed meat received by the men, but IT
was agreed by all the witnesses that
at first this condition was due to the
congestion at Tampa and the latter to
the climate.
General McCook and Colonel Saxton
returned to-day from their investiga-
tion of conditions at Tampa. They
found that thte congestion that oc-
CURED at that point at the beginning
of the war was due to the fact that
cars were shipped from all over the
country without being labelled and
without forwarding bills OF lading.
Gen. ]. Wilson and Captain Howell,
constituting the subcommittee ap-
pointed to visit and report upon the
conditions Of Camp Fernandina, made
their report to the full committee to-
day. The following Is the important
part Of the document:
I'VE carefully examined the site of
the camp of the Sd Pennsylvania vol
tropical jungle on worthless and un-
cleaned land. Altogether the commit
tee was most favorably impressed with
the site selected. We obtained from the
county clerk of Nashua county maps
showing the land occupied by the
troops and his official certificate as to
the ownership of the land. This GER
tificate states the greater part of the
lands occupied reverted to the state of
Florida in June. 1897. by reason of un-
paid taxes, and no one by the name of
Alger ever controlled any lands in the
county, as shown by the records, and
that the land occupied by the Sd Penn
In Nl..~
the time, the property of the state of
Florida. The water was secured with
out. expense. Being from an artesian
well about 900 feet deep, the supply was
The water had a slight sui
phur taste which. IL is said. some of
the troops disliked and occasionally
used surface water. The location of
the hospitals, as pointed to us, were on
high ground, well drained and appar-
entity well settled.
THE mayor of Fernandina informed
us that Major Hendley. the surgeon in
charge of the camp, had stated to him
Just before the troops left. that the
number of sick was $40.
Your committee therefore has the |
honor to report that in it's opinion the |
camp was well selected, that probably |
the site was equal in all respects to |
any other that could have been found |
on the Florida coast. That from the |
they obtained and from |
what they saw. IL was far from being |
a tropical jungle and that the certif- |
rate of the county clerk shows that no
official was interested in
The land. The amount OF work done in |
the underbrush was no greater
han might have been expected at any
ocality in the South selected for camp
ng purposes: that the site was well |
Trained. the water for drinking and
purposes good and the bath
ng facilities at the sea beach excel
emit"
The war Investigation commission
his morning heard the testimony of
several professional nurses. These
nurses stated at the beginning of the
amp here there was some lack of
rained nurses and supplies scarce. but
steadily improved.
Major James +. Pitcher of the regu-
ar army, department surgeon for the
tn army corps, said since the early
lays of the camp here. there had been
10 difficulty in securing medical sup
lies. He thought the medical staff
vas efficient as physicians. but they
acked administrative ability. To this
DR.. Pitcher attributes the fact that so
much OF the relief society supplies were
sked In preference to those furnished
" the government. He thought that
the physicians had understood their
|
pom the relief associations TO such an
xtent. Still the relief associations
Tere supplied with ready money and
ould supply all articles required i'm
nediately.
DR.. Connor pressed DR.. Pitcher close
7 on this point, saying to him that the
ountry was full of the report that the
MEDICAL department of the government
'as not capable Of meeting the de-
iands made upon IL, and but for the
Id of such relief societies as the Red |
ross. there would have been actual
To this DR.. Pitcher replied
hat such was not the case. and he |
Maintained the efficiency OF the govern
tent to take care of its own sick
Capt. John w. Swatek OF the I'd Illi-
ois complained that on two or three .
ccasions the fresh meat furnished his
len was poor. but said on all other
the food was pure and am