Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-10-05
HDRE WILL TREATED.
Wheeler Testifes Before In
vestigating Committee.
wIKoFF WAS ! MODEL CAMP.
He Says No trmy WAS Ever SO Abnnd-
nntiy Supplied Little to Complain
About on Baard the Transports Some
Suffering In The Trenches.

WASIfIN(iTON, OCT. o.--LlG war 1uyGS-
tigating commission began the taking
of testimony yesterday and Major Gen
eral Joseph Wheeler was on the stand
the greater part of the day. There was
a full attendance of the commission,
and the doors of the room in which the
inquiry is conducted were for the first
time opened to representatives of the
press.
General Wheeler's testimony covered
the case of the soldiers at the two i'm
portant points of Santiago and Wikoff.
He said with reference TO the conduct
of affairs at Santiago that there had
necessarily been some suffering in the
trenches, but that General Shafter had
exercised the utmost effort to protect
his men. There had been, he said,
shortage of land transportation facili-
ties for time and there had been no
tents for week The roads were very
fair.
Speaking of the sleeping apartments
of the transports, General Wheeler said
they were quite warm and there was
some discomfort. He had often gone
down among the men at night and
little complaint except from the heat
Coming back from Santiago to Mon
tauk he had sailed on the Miami, hay
ing chosen it because it was said to be
the worst. lie had found it very cont
Portable, and when they landed there
were only "a sick, and only 3 or OF
these We're too i'll to stand up for III
spection. There was plenty of water
on the vessel and sufficiency of Ice for
the sick, though not for others. After
the destruction of Cervera's fleet the
army was more abundantly supplied
than any army in the field had ever
been.
For the future he recommended that
the men should be kept off the ground
and be well sheltered from the rain by
good tents. There should also be much
care in regard to transportation facili-
ties and as to medical and commissary
supplies.
He said III reply to a question that
the tents had been left on board the
transports so no time should be con
sumed ia removing them. I'VE were
there for business. he said, and we
felt that prompt Decentralization and a
speedy movement to the front would
impress the enemy more than anything
else we could do.
After u recess General Wheeler de-
voted his testimony chiefly to his ex-
perlence at Camp Wikoff, Montauk
Point
The general contended that Wikoff
was model camp, the climate salu-
brious one and the accommodations
quite exceptional i'll character. He
considered the hospital capacity equal
TO the demands upon it, and that no
military camp in history was ever so
well supplied in all respects as was this.
Red tape methods were entirely abol-
ished and the demands of the men were
met as soon as they were properly
voiced.
The president on giving him COM
mand there had ordered him to spare
no pains OF expense to make the men
comfortable.
The surgeons, at his request, had
made a list of special articles to be pur-
chased for the sick. This he had asked
them to do in obedience to the presi-
dents directions The people came
with many kinds Of food, ''and I un-
dertake to say he declared, '.that no
army on earth was ever so abundantly
supplied with necessaries and luxuries. -
The general location and the trans
portation facilities of the camp were
Door.
AS rule, when the parents or other
relatives came to visit the soldiers they
expressed satisfaction at the care the
men were given. He knew of no COM
plants from relatives.
Upon the whole, he thought the fact
that there had been no spread of yellow
fever from the camp was quite marvel
Gus. One of the greatest difficulties he
had encountered was to properly con-
troll the removal Of sick soldiers by their
relatives in cases where sympathy and
affection often acted instead OF discre-
ton.
He had read to the regular soldiers
the assertion that they had been in an
almost starving condition and they
laughed at the report. "There were, ;"
he said, undoubtedly individual cases
of suffering and of neglect, but they
We're the exception"
General Wheeler resumed his testi-
mony today. General Fitzhugh Lee
has notified the commission that he will
not be able to appear before Thursday.
Ample Care For Sic,