The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-19
HELD THREE SESSIONS
Commission Investigates Condi-
tions at Jacksonville.
ALGeR OWNED NO LAND
At Least His Name Did No. Appear on
the County Records-Maus Says No
Country Ever Took Better Care
OF Its Soldiers.

investigating commission held three
sessions to-day. dealing during the two
day sessions with the general stan Of
ficers of the 7th army corps and at
night the hearing OF testimony of off,
GERS and men Of the I'd South Carolina
regiment The general officers exam
ined included the chief surgeon, the
chief commissary. the chief quarter
master and the inspector general OF the
corps. and all gave detailed informa-
tion as to their respective departments
OF the service. The meetings to-day
were held I'm General Dodge's private
car. but the moving trains made so
much noise that IL was found neces-
sary to find other quarters and here
after the meetings will be held in the
city council chambers
| The subcommittee. consisting of
General Wilson and Captain Howell,
appointed to investigate the selection
| or Fernandina as camp, returned
tonight and reported their approval
OF the selection. They made special
inquiry into the report that the camp
had been located there for the purpose
OF enhancing the value of land owned
by a son OF Secretary Alger. going
through the county records as part of
their work. They failed to find his
name I'm any OF these documents and
their investigation convinced them that
he had never owned any real estate in
that vicinity. or had been in any way
interested I'm any.
The war investigating commission
began the examination of witnesses
here to-day. Colonel Louis Maus
chief surgeon of the Seventh army
corps testified. Speaking of the
camp here. Colonel Maus said: Sickness
developed slowly and there was very
little OF IL until July" He said when the
order came for the establ shment OF divis-
ion hospitals there was some delay in get
ting supplies. such as tents. Replying to
questions. Colonel Maus said that after
the first few days there had been no re-
fusal OF supplies and all acquisitions had
been filled promptly. He had never seen
such utter disregard of expense I'm caring
for sick soldiers. He also said the Red
Cross society had given so much Il was
often unnecessary to ask the government
for supplies. There had been no restric-
tons In the matter OF fitting out the
camps He thought typhoid had been in
troduced into the camp by the Mississippi
and Virginia troops. He also thought the
flies had done much to disseminate fever
From the beginning strict attention had
been given the sinks. He had never seen
such attention given TO sanitation In any
Nahps bub h'Spitt typnolu DFOke
out and became the principal sickness
here.
DIR. Maus said he had found Il difficult
TO prevail upon surgeons In the volunteer
service TO learn the administrative duties |
of their positions. DIR. Maus also dweit
upon the newspaper reports of the suffer- |
Ing In the camp. saying they had gener- |
ally grown out Of exaggerated statements |
from themselves.
DR.. Maus was questioned in regard to the |
camp at Miami He said he had found IL |
unsuitable on account of impure water
He also thought Tampa unsuited for a |
large camp.
Col. Oliver r. Wood. chief commits |
sary at Camp Cuba Libre, under Gen.
eral Lee. was before the commission
at its afternoon session. He had, he
said. fully and completely met all
plies. and there had never been any
lack OF them. At first there had been
trouble with the bacon. and about Il, 900
pounds OF IL had been spoiled and
therefore condemned and ordered de-
stroyed. There also had been weevils
in some Of the bread and some OF the
hard tack. but IT had never been issued
when found to be bad.
As rule the meat was excellent, and
In cases where II was spoiled the con-
tractors had replaced II without re-
quiring official condemnation. Yet IL
was tllntf 10 consume refrlg- /
orator meat at once or put IL on ice
In order to prevent II spelling In this
climate. In this connection Colonel
Wood read letter he had written TO
General Lee in response to a complaint
made by Colonel Wood.
Capt. Chauncey ". Baker. chief quar-
termaster, was also examined during
the afternoon session. He had been in
Jacksonville from the beginning OF the
camp on the LIST OF May but at that
time was Quartermaster for the sec
ond corps. He said that when he ar |
rived. the command was short Of all
kinds of stores and that he had been
unable in the beginning to meet all
requisitions for supplies when made by
The regiments until they arrived. Cap
tain Baker said he attributed whatever
delay had been experienced to the ne
,essity OF eIuipping so large an army |
IN so brief a time
Captain Baker was followed by Col |
Curtis Guilford. jr.. inspector general
Df the corps. Colonel Guildford said he
had found the officers of the volunteer
'orces willing TO accept suggestions as
10 sanitary precautions and In many
Eases he had been thanked for them. e
He had made frequent inspections of
he hospitals. In the beginning there
vas a lack Of government supplies for
hese institutions. But the deficiency {
lad been supplied by the Red Cross
testified to the devotion OF the I
medical department and said that he q
lad never found a case OF deprivation i
iue to the failure OF the government TO ]
urnish proper supplies. He was also d
Unable to recall a case in which there a
lad been any suffering in a hospital on a
recount Of neglect. Colonel Guilford o
n an official report. had expressed the
opinion that one attendant to six pa
tents was not sufficient. and he said s
his opinion was based upon the in
lamed condition of the public mind. but q
le believed that as a rule the atten- a
iants could not give the proper atten- o
ion. r.
Asked IL he was still of the opinion a
hat there would have been a shortage "
4 supplies for the sick but for the G
'reat activity Of the Red Cross. Col a
mel GuIlford said he had changed his | Il