Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-01
cHicxAMAuaA's WATER.
Mosl d me Physicians Attribute the Typhoid
10 That Cause.

Camp Poland, Knoxsville. Tenn,
Oct. 31,-The war investigating COM
mission concluded the work OF Its
Southern tour here. at s O'clock to-
night, left for washington. It IL the
present Intention that the commission
shall 60 to Camp Meade soon after Its
arrival at Washington, and Ex-Gov.
Woodbury. will proceed to Vermont as
a subcommittee there to take testi-
mony.
The commission devoted the forenoon
to inspecting the camps and the AFTER
noon to taking testimony. 1t found q
division OF troops here under the COM
mand of Col. Kurtz of the End Ohio.
and while the soldiers had no personal
criticisms to express against him, some
of the commissioners expressed the
opinion that the command was TOO
large to be entrusted to an officer be-
low the rank of brigadier. The trans
fer of Col. Kurtz to the command OF
the division leaves the brigade OF
which his regiment is a part In COM
mand of Col. Young. the colored col
onel of the srd North Carolina.
The first witness before the COM
missioners was DR.. John C. F. Martin.
a contract surgeon from Ohio, who was
at Chickamauga. He repeated his ex-
pressions of opinion that the water IN
the pipe line system at Chickamauea
was contaminated by the water from
Cave Spring creek. He said that AFTER
he had first expressed this opinion,
saying that at the same time the facts
in regard to the existence OF typhoid
were being suppressed, he had Deen
summoned by Gen. Sheridan and told
that he must retract Immediately or
submit to a courtmartial. He then
wrote a letter of retraction. hut he
declared he had done this to promote
discipline and not because he had
changed his opinion as to the poliu-
ton Of the water.
DR.. Park l.. Myers. a contract sur
geon from Ohio. who was engaged IN
the hospital Of the End Division OF the
list Corps at Chickamauga. differed
with most of the physicians in his es-
innate of typhoid. He said that while
many believed 80 per cent. Of the sick
ness at the camp to be typhoid. he did
not believe that to exceed 20 per cent.
was of that character. He also look
issue with those who charge typhoid
to the agency of flies, attributing 1t to
the water He thought most OF the
disease at Chickamauga park were
miasmatic. He said ii was true that
on some occasions ii was necessary to
have patients at the hospital lie on
the ground for much as 10 hours un-
til provision could be made for them.
Col. G. X. Hutches. division superln-
tcndent OF the Southern Railroad, gave
the commission information as to the
trouble encountered in moving troops.
He said that as a rule the soldiers had
o-operated in the work of the rail-
road, but there had been some disor-
der at times. He mentioned one in
stance in which Co. F of the 5th Penn
syivania had broken UP all the fur
niture Of two cars near Lexington, KY,
on the plea that the cars were not mt
for soldiers to travel in.
Col. VIM. A. Pew, Sth Mass, was
among the witnesses examined here. to-
day The principal complaints he made
were of the difficulty his regiment expert
enced at Chickamauga park in securing
medical supplies. Col. Pew said that his
regiment had difficulty in securing its
wagons at Chickamauga park. He said
his camp grounds were very poor