The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-09-05


cANP w1KoFF. Montauk Point.
Sept. i.-ePresldent Mckinley spent I'VE
hours "a the camp yesterday. bare
headed most OF the time. visiting the
slclS Ia the hospitals and inspecting the
wen in their cantonments. He made
speech TO the assembled infantrymen.
resleRed the cavaIrVmen, expressed his
oplnion OF the camp to the reporters and
ISSUED an order directing the regulars
to feturn to their stations east OF the
aiissisgippi
with the President were ylce-Presi-
dent Hobart, Secretary OF War Alger,
Attorney General, GrlggS, Senator Red
held Proctor. Of Vermont; Brigadier
General Eagan, commlssary OF the
army; BrlgadIer General LuddlngtOn,
duaCtermaster OF the army; Col. Henry
Heckpr and the secretaries 20 the Pres
ident, Porter and Cortelyou. The la
dies OF the party were Mrs. Alger and
Miss Hecker, daughter OF Col. Hecker.
General Wheeler, his stan and nearly
every ofieer of prominence In the camp
met the President at the station, except
General Shafter, who Is still In deten-
tion, and General Young, who. fell and
broke his arm last night.
After greetings and lntroductions on
the. railway platform, the President
took General Wheeler's arm and went
10 d carriage. Col. Theodore Roose-
welt, Of the Rough Riders, was among
q group Of horsemen nearby. Mr. Nc
Kinley' saw him, and got out OF the car
riage to speak to him. Colonel Roose-
Nr1aalAH
With q gauntlet for fifteen seconds, so
that ungloved he might shake hands.
The column of carriages wound up
NM, escorted by the Third cavalry reg
inienf and the mounted band OF the
Sixth regiment. The party paused q
moment on the hill, and the President
looked out on the wide, undulatinR cape,
vater-b bound on either side, and whiten-
+ ed ON the levels and hllltops bH the
tents Of 1900 men. laid out in geometrlc
lines.
Nj. Mckinley drove to Keneral Shat
ter's tent 10 the detention camp. The
general, who was flushed and weak
from mild case Of malarial fever, was
in fun uniform. sitting at the door OF
the tent. He tried 90 rise, but Mr.. Nc
KInleY said:
"stay where you are, general, You
are entitled TO rest"
The President congratulated General
Shafter on the Santiago campaign. and
after a few minutes rest proceeded to
the general hospital. The soldiers re-
Gently arrived pm transports and detain-
ed IN the detention section OF the camp,
lined up irregularly on each side OF the
road and cheered. Mr.. Mckinley took
OF his straw hat then, and scarcely put
II on for more than a minute or two at
4 time during the remainder Of his pro-
greSs through the camp. Miss Wheeler,
q daughter OF the general. happened to
be.ln the first row OF the hospital tents,
and she showed the President through
her division. General Wheeler an
nouneed In each ward:
Boys. the President has come TO see
V0u," or Soldiers, the President OF the
United States"
some Of the soldiers slept on uncon-
sclouS;9 Come llstlessly raised upon their
ei66Ws; others feebly clapped their
hands. Mr. Mckinley gently shook
hands with many, and at every cot he
paused an instant. and II he saw the
sick man looking at him he bowed In a
direct and personal way.
in the second ward the President en-
tered Sergeant John A. Alexander,
Company D. First Illinois who has fe-
yer. was rather startled by hearing
General Wheeler announce the Pres!-
dent. The sergeant half-raised up on
MS cot. Mr.. Mckinley, attracted by the
movement, took AleXander's hand ard
said:
II an sorry to see you so sick. hope
-
Thank you. think ] shall get well.
"Do you wish for anythinG?" inquired
General Wheeler.
'No; have everything good for me.
] guess" Alexander replied, YEARLY,
Sbut / wish l were home"
~ hope that we NAV soon get Eou
there" said Mr.. Mckinley.
He had many such bits OF talk with
the men. and seemed to be in no hurry,
he almost outwore the patience OF all
his party bg his slow-goinG through
ward after ward. When seemingly all
the wards OF the general hospital had
been gone through, and the President
was about to get into carriage, Attor-
ney General Griggs detained him.
Miss Wheeler has told me-" he said.
OF a Lieutenant Prado who Is In tent
back here To himself, and he is In dy
ing condition. He has asked about VOur
coming, and Miss Wheeler has promised
that you shall see him"
Certainly. Let US go TO him." Mr..
Mckinley said.
The Others OF the party discreetlg re-
manned outside Of the tent. The Presi-
dent appeared with the nurses moment
later. His eyes were moist and down
cast.
As II was incOnvenlent to go back
70 the doors OF the long tents, Mr., Me-
Kinley would go through the frame
work at the end OF the tents and jump
down. The general hospital Is on a
slope, and the height OF the floors from
the ground Increased with each ward.
At Ward F the jump was nenrly six
feet President Hobart, who is
bulky man, hesItnted.
~ balk here. Can't 80 over this hur-
die Neither would Secretary Alger.
who had taken nil the jumps until then.
But General Wheeler sprang lightly
down The day was hot Mr.. McKin-
Icy wore n black frock coat with waist
coat. The Precipitation Ftrchmed from
his face. glass OF Opolllnarls was
offered to him. but he declined to drink,
saying that he was too warm lie pro-
ceeded to the infantry plain, as It Is
called. The men OF the Ninth Massa-
chnsctts. the First Illinois. the Eighth
Ohio, the Thirteenth. Twenty-nrst.
TWenty-sccond and Tenth regular in
fantry were assembled without arms.
About 5000 men stood in close order.
General Wheeler said:
1.-THE President o. our great country
has, come here 10 greet the soldiers that
matched 80 gallantiF M San Juan hill
on July /. He comes here to express