The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-14
UNEASY FOR A WHILE
War Leaders in Council Con-
corning Yellow Jack,
DREAD VlSITANT IN CAMP
But the Surgeons Claim to Be
Able For Him.
DREAD VlSITANT IN CAME

Washington, July l3-The war depart
ment received dispatches today from Cen
eral Niles and General Shafter. At the
same time the navy department received
| dispatches from the feet off Santiago. The
| contents Of these several dispatches were
not made public up to noon. They had the
effect. however. of srousing officials. both
military and naval, TO unusual activity,
and coupled with this was an undercur-
rent Of apparent anxiety throughout Of
fetal quarters. The advices speedily led
to war council at the White House. at
which Secretaries Long and Alger and the
members Of the war board were present
Adju tant General Corbin was also al the
White House Before Secretary Alge:
went to the White House he had a con-
ference with Surgeon General Sternberg,
who had also received dispatches from
the surgical corps near Santiago. Al
though no word of any of the dispatches
was given out, those in position 70
speak intelHgently of them said any ap-
prehension which might rise was not Gu
to any change in the military prograr
but rather to the severe conditions 81
rounding our soldiers, as a result OF Il
rainy season and the severe storms of the
last few days. To what extent our SOL
diers had suffered the authorities would
not disclose.
Although the dispatches were thus
guarded, it was stated definitely that no
fighting was N progress up to the time of
the last report. 1t was also stated that
the fears that the enemy might secretly
draw off some of their forces in the noun
tains to the north of Santiago had not
been realized. The city was still sur
rounded it was said, and there appeared
to be no apprehension on the part of the
officers in command that the enemy would
get away.
Much anxiety had been created at the
war department by press report to the
effect that Brigadier General Duffield was
sick in the hospital. General Duff1e,d is
a fellow townsman of Secretary Alger and
one of his closest personal associates. The
dispatches of Generas Miles and Shafter
made no reference whatever TO General
Dufields being in the hospital, 50 that the
press report was Inaccurate, as it was felt
both Miles and Shafter would promptly
report if General Dufield was incapaci-
tated by wounds or Illness.
1t was nearly o'clock when the war
conference broke up. Members OF the
cabinet. when questioned as to the pur-
pose of the cabinet, said it was called 10
discuss the situation at Santiago Tele-
grams had been received from Generals
Miles and Shafter, and while they were
not alarming, they showed the condi-
ton to be unsatisfactory 1t was believed
that yellow fever prevailed to slight ex-
tent in the city Of Santiago. Under these
circumstances, the president called a con-
ference of the members of his cabinet and
the war board with view to reaching
some conclusion as to what should be
done.
It was learned that the situation among
the troops before Santiago was, that there
were fourteen suspicious cases of fever
among he employees of the quartermas-
ter's department of the American army.
Pending the determination Of the exact
character of the fever. these men had
been isolated in the valley near Siboney
and placed under the care of immune doc
tors and nurses. who had been provided
in anticipation of just such an emergency
as the4present. Confidence was expressed
by the medical officers of the army and
navy in Washington, in the ability Of
our surgeons to stamp out the disease.
While the war council was in progress