The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-10-05


that there was comparatively little COM
plant except for the heat. He recon-
mended that in the future hammocks
should be used instead Of cots for the
transportation Of troops. Coming hack
from Santiago TO Montauk, he had sailed
on the Miami having chosen II because
1t was said to be the worst. He had
found II 10 be very comfortable. and
when they landed there were only "a
sick. and only three or four of these were
too Ill to stand UP forinspection. There
was plenty Of water on the vessel and
sufiiciency OF ice for the sick, though
not for others. h, 'N,kt3
At Camp Wikon the surgeons at his
request had made list Of special articles
to be purchased for the sick. This
he had asked them To do In obedience
to the presidents desire. The list Of
articles included evaporated fruits,
green corn in cans, sugar cured hams.
oatmeal, fish, ice. canned peas. prunes,
soups, pickles. lemons, oranges, eggs,
tea, milk and many other articles In
addition TO their regular rations. The
people came with many kinds a. food,
and 1 undertake to say" he declared,
that no army on earth was ever 30
abundantly supplied with luxuries.'
The transportation facilities of the
camp were poor. There was but one line
OF railroad, and that a single track and
without adequate terminal facilities.
The camp could have been supplied by
water. but unfortunately there was
contract with the railroad company
owning the land which gave II the con-
troll OF all transportation except on gov
ernment transports. This contract had
been made, he understood, In return for
the use of the land. He did not know
who had made the contract.
He stated that visiting ladies had
made frequent complaints to him of
specific cases in which sick men were not
properly cared for. but he found upon
investigation In each case that the
physicians said the ladies were mis-.
taken. AS a rule when the parents or
other relatives came TO visit the sol
diers they expressed satisfaction at the
care the men were given. He knew OF
no complaints from relatives. General
Wheeler explained that the reason there
was so much complaint about the burials
was tEat the burial ground was so near
and so plainly In view. Only 260 OF the
men had died in the existence Of the
camp. He knew nothing OF the details
OF interments. and could not say wheth-
er any bodies had been buried without
clothing. Upon the whole he thought
the fact that there had been no spread
of yellow fever from the camp was quite
marvellous. One Of the greatest diff
ficulties he had encountered was prop
erly control the removal Of sick soldiers
by their relatives in cases where sym
pathy and affection often acted instead
OF discretion. He had no medical di-
rector, but gave his orders to various
physicians. who seemed to be equally ir
charge. General Wheeler considered
the hospital facilities ample after the
erection of the division hospitals. There
were times when they were crowded for a
day or two. but, on the other hand there
were many times when the buildings
were not filled.
Replying to DR.. Jenkins, as quoted In
The New York Worlds specifications
General Wheeler said that il the SOL
diers had not been landed at some iso-
lated place, such as Montauk point, the
fear of yellow fever would have caused
a general outcry. The experts had diff
fered in opinion as TO whether there had
been any yellow fever.at Wikoff. Even
at Santiago he had found that the ex-
perts were unable TO determine wheth-
er patient had yellow fever He
thought IL would have been cruel to haxe
sent the men home within five days
after their landing, as DR.. Jenkins had
suggested. AS a matter Of fact many
OF them were sick men and needed at
tention in the hospitals. They would
have fallen sick on trains and attracted
general attention TO the situation. The
distress was due TO the typographical
or climatic conditions. Ninety per-
cent had the fever in them, and the
officers suffered as much as the men.
Montauk point, he thought. was neces-
sary for quarantine purposes.
lie had read to the regular soldiers the
assertion that they had been in an al
most starving condition. and they
laughed at the report. The men as
serted that the only trouble was that
they had too much. and as a matter OF
fact no soldiers had ever been so well
supplied. II was true that some Of the
eflDlOyeS Ddu uSeu dTIGleS lntenueu
the sick, and he had been told by some
ladies that physicians had used some OF
the articles. including appollinaris
water, provided for the hospitals. He
had issued an order for the arrest Of
those engaged in such a practice. He
had himself seen boy distributing
oranges among his fellows. There
were undoubtedly individual cases OF
suffering and Of neglect. but they were
the exceptions" He had investigated
the charge that the hospitals were over.
crowded and he was satisfied that such
was not the case. He made almos,
daily visits TO the hospitals. and IL he
had found them overcrowded the de-
ficiency would have been made good i'm.
mediately.
1--WE had no redtape about this or any
other matter" said the general, but
we ordered a thing done, and II was
done. Our aim at Wikoff was TO supply
the necessities OF the men, and we at
tempted To do so without resorting q
A.. q