The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-16
AT MONTAUK POINT.
Dreary Spot Not Yet Half Ready
for the TrOOna.
Special in Times-Herald.


Colonel Youngs Second Regiment Volun-
teer Engineers arrived to-day, nearly forty
eight hours out from Chicago. Major Pink
ard reported not an accident on the tedious
trip. His men face work of a tremendous
nature to be undertaken.
Camp Wikoff, at the point, has not as yet
begun despite the active work of the de-
partment, although much has been DONE
and the troops are coming in like sheep be-
fore the blast. sick. battle-scarred home
sick, heartsick for the touch of familiar
hand and the sound of a friendly voice.
Montauk Point probably the healthiest
spot in the. United States this moment is
cerned. The Second Volunteer Engineers
called Fort Sheridan Camp Terror, They
VIII ca ia M Lon aux camp Loneliness
by one railroad that runs but two trains a
day. Jabbed out into the Atlantic as nose
of sand. the point swept by salt winds that
will invigorate every sick body. the place
is the personification of loneliness.
The Second Volunteers are to make this a
trenches, walks, roadways, build hospitals
and use all the strength in their bodies to
get this done.
But this will not make Montauk cheerful
A man with boro-boro would rather die IN
Cuba than try to be cheerful in this jump
ing-on place of Long island.
The area of Camp Wikoff on the point is
AGO acres. Three fresh water ponds are in
the camp grounds. They have an area of
three hundred acres. The number of soldiers
to be eventually stationed in the camp is
twenty-four thousand. OF these seventeen
thousand will be infantry from Cuba and
Florida and seven hundred cavalry.
Some other interesting statistics have been
prepared which will give a fair idea of what
Colonel Turner and his First Illinois are
coming to from Santiago.
Provision has been made so far for the
care of five hundred sick. Tents to the num-
sary will deal out thirty thousand pounds
of fresh beef a day, twenty-seven thousand
pounds of bread, three thousand pounds of
beans, 1920 pounds of potatoes and 4,S00
pounds of onions. Each soldier will be al
lowed four pounds of food day. The feed
ing of the men will cost the government
The care of the sick will cost $4,000 a
month. The entire camp will receive new
of S640OOO. The cost of maintaining the
camp for six months by the government IS
estimated at $lO,OOO,OOO
So the heroes of San Juan, Siboney and
FL Pozo are to have a generous welcome
given them, even II Montauk Point seems so
near to the end of the world.
Rain has fallen almost necessarily at
Montauk for several days past Major Gen
eral Young, in charge of the camp, has been
here since Aug. 5, but the rain and a sudden
outbreak of red tape unset his plans, and
900 men from Santiago and Florida are
now in the camp practically with no pro-
vision made for their reception The re-
naming 10000 are expected to arrive this
week. The First Illinois is expected Thurs
day, but nothing definite as to that is yet
The Sixth and Ninth Cavalry are already
in camp. They came back without yellow
fever, but innumerable ones of them have
malarial and mountain fever or the first
stages of typhoid.
The latter disease, typhoid, is the one
most feared at Montauk. An epidemic of
that disease among the 10000 troops located
in one spot would be terrible in its results
Fortunately the army officials and the local
health authorities are alive to the dangers
of the situation.
The only well so far sunk at Montauk
gives fresh. pure water. Other wells to be
sunk will be carefully watched. DR.. A. III
TNn4x n Norx VnpIr
that all typhoid patients now in the camp
be removed to the local New York hospi-
tails. This act, he insists, would remove all
danger from contagion.
The Red Cross Society wishes to establish
stations in the camps, end this plan is fa-
vored by the physicians. An epidemic of
yellow fever at the camp is not feared by
any physicians. and rumors of its outbreak
may be set down baseiess. OF course
but an epidemic will not result from them
For general health purposes the location