The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-17
Testimony of Surgeons and Army ON
Investigating Commission.
SKATER AGAlN CRITICISED
FOR NOT PERMITTING TROOPS AT
SANTIAGO TO HAVE BAGGAGE.
Camp EquipaEe and Cooking Uten-
siIs Left at Diaquiri by Instruc-
lions of the Commander.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 16.-Major Lagarde
continued his testimony before the war IN
vestigating commission concerning the con-
duct of the war from a medical point of
view. He spoke of the yellow fever hos
pital at Siborey. which was under his
charge, in a general way. He said, however,
that his time had been so fully occupied
with other duties that he had not visited
the institution daily. He was satisfied how
ever, that the hospital was well conducted.
and that the supplies on the whole were
ample. He did not have the complete rec
ords before him, but he was sure that the
mortality in this hospital did not exceed
per cent. There might. however, have been
some suffering in individual cases on ac-
count of the insuficiency Of supplies and
for want of expert nursing.
DR.. Conner asked whether the contingency
of yellow fever could not have been pro-
vided against, asking whether, it, in his
judgment, it should not have been known
by the surgeon general that under the cir
cumstances there would be an outbreak Of
fever.
He should have known that such were
the probabilities, and everybody should
have known that such were the chances in
sending an army into an infected region in
the summer season. said DR.. Lagarde.
Evidently the surgeon general did foresee
what would happen, and his words on this
subject, written before the expedition set
out and giving warning against the inva-
sion at the time it was undertaken, read
like prophecy" The witness said that under
these circumstances he could not under
stand why more complete provision should
not have been made for supplying immune
n nj
corps surgeon had asked for this assistance
in advance; he knew only that they had
not been adequately provided. Apparently,
however, the army depended upon the yell
low fever expert to say when yellow fever
would break CUT However, it must be said
that the yellow fever was very mild, and
it became to be dreaded less then typhoid.
AS consequence the mortality among the
sick in Cuba was less then those left in the
United States.
MORTALITY SMALL.
Returning to the care of the hospital for
wounded soldiers DIR. Lagarde SAID that be-
tween 1900 and 1,40O wounded men had been
treated by the surgeons at this institution.
There were six operating tables, and more
could have been used to advantage. There
were times when forty or fifty men were
waiting outside for attention. OF the
wounded men there were about a dozen
deaths, or less than per cent. There had
never before been war when the mortality
record was so small. This was due largely
to the use of the modern rife and the
prompt methods of rendering aid on the
battlefield to prevent blood poisoning. he
thought that under the old conditions the
mortality would have been ~ per cent.
greater. DR.. Lagarde expressed the opinion
that if the soldiers had been fully equipped
there would have been less sickness among
them, and he thought that much of the
trouble was due to the fact that the SOL
diers were compelled to lie on the ground
Colonel j. w. Jacobs, who was chief quar-
termaster of the Fifth Corps at Tampa and
in Cuba, testified that General Humphrey
had been in charge Of the emDarkation of
troops at Tampa, and that no order Speci-
flying what vessels the different commands
were to occupy had been issued. In reply
to a question from Governor tseaVer he said
the e.nbarkation had been haphaZard af-
Alphabetically So" He also thought there
was great deficiency in the provisions for
Decentralization, as only two lighters were
provided and one Of those was lost on the
way over.
NOT ENOUGH WAGONS.
Colonel Jacobs had charge of the trans
portation facilities at Santiago, and he ex
pressed the opinion that there was not
sufficient number of wagons. He thought
there should have been at least one wagon
to each troop or company in addition to
those at headquarters. General Skaters
first order had been to take only fifty
wagons When General Miles went to Tam
pa he doubled the number, but even this Or
der did not secure sufficient number. He
knew no reason for not sending more, ex-
cept that there was no means OF getting
them from Tampa to Santiago.
General McCOok developed a. quite ami
mated episode by asking ii there were any
reasons why the cooking utensils and camp
equippage CT the troops should not have
been forwarded from Daiquiri to the troops
in the field.
There was no reason" Colonel Jacobs
replied, except that General Skaters Or
der forbade"
Continuing, he said that the order was
not positive. 1t did not specify what should
not be forwarded. but was most specific in
providing that only forage and rations
should be forwarded General Skaters or
ders to this effect were written, and the gen.
eral had given him strict verbal instructions
to see that the orders were observed The
food had been sent to the front cooked, but
he thought the men should have had some
facilities for cooking. The order had never
been changed during the month he remained
at Daiquri.
DR.. Conner asked whether orders had been
given to leave all the hospital equipments
behind at Tampa, and Colonel Jacobs re-
sponded that it was his impression such
was the case. He had personal knowledge
that General Shafter had given such an
der concerning the ambulances.
1T was expected that there would be an
engagement, was 1t not?" asked the doctor.
Certainly" responded the colonel. 1--WE
went down there to fight"
'"Then should there not have been some
provision for taking care of the wounded?"
Il should say that these things should
have been taken along"
Then" continued DR.. Conner, 'the med
ical department was left in the air and the
quartermaster'S department is responsible?'
1.-The quartermaster s department could
not have been responsible. We were acting
under orders. / will swear that General
Shafter told me not to take the ambulances,
though l do not recall that there were any
distinct orders in regard to hospital equip
ments.'
Colonel Jacobs expressed the opinion that
the condition at Tampa was due TO the fact
that the increased business was beyond the
capacity of the railroad running into
Tampa. - -
UNJUST CRITICISMS.
CAPTAIN Jonathan N. Patten. who, as as
sistant quartermaster, had made the con-
tracts for the construction OF the quarter
masters and commissary buildings for Camp
Wikoff at Montauk Point. gave the particu-
lars of this transaction and other occur
rences at that camp. The witness said there
had been a great deal of injustice in the
criticisms in the newspapers concerning the
delay Of sick men at the depots going off
on furoughs There was no neglect In
this matter" he said, land no more dis
comfort than Is necessary in removing sick
men,"
At the afternoon session Captain M w.
garde as surgeon and executive officer in
the Slboney hospital was the hrst witness.
He said that he had gone ~ Cuba on the
Saratoga, but had not been able TO land for
six days, why he did not know. The hos
ptal at Siboney had been sufficiently Well
Supplied for about two hundred patients.
except In the matter of cots, or which there
were not 10 exceed fifty. Patients In excess