The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-17
by SHlPTER'S ORDERS.
Reason Supplies We're Not Landed
at Santiago.
REFUSED USE OF LIGHTER TO
LAND MEDICINES.

DR.. ForwOod Chief Medical officer at Mon
tank Endeavors to Explain Conditions
There-Com mission Going to New York
Today.
Washington, November 16.-Major LIE
Garde continued his testimony before the
war invest cation commission today, con-
cerning the conduct of the war from a
medical point of view He spoke first Of
the yellow fever hospital at Siboney
which was under his charge in general
way. He said. however, that his time
had been so fully occupied with other
duties that he had not visited tho inti-
tuition daily. He was satisfied that the
hospital was well conducted and that the
supplies OIL the whole were ample. he
did not have the complete records before
him, but was sure that the mortality in
this hospital aid not exceed s per cent
DR.. Conner asked whether the oontin-
geney of yellow fever could not have been
provided against, asking whether in his
Judgment it should not have been known
by the surgeon general that under the
circumstances there would be an outbreak
of fever.
ssHe should have known that such were
the probabilities and every body should
have known that such were the chances
in sending an army into an infected re-
gi OIL in the summer season.
The witness added that under these cir
cum mstanoess he could not understand why
nsors complete provision should not have
been made for sup lying immune nurses
and he did not know but that the corps
surgeon had asked for this assistance In
ad vance; he knew only that they had
not been adequately provided.
Returning to the case of the hospital
for woundsd soldiers, Dir. Latinrde said
that between 1900 and 1400 wounded mon
had been treated by the surgeons at this
institution. Thera were six operating
ia bles ard mere would have been used to
advantage. There were times when ~
or 80 men were waiting outside for atten-
tion. OF the wounded men there were
about dozen deaths, or less than one
per cent. Dr.. LaGarde expressed the
opinion that if the soldiers had been
fully equipped there would have been
less sickness among them and he thought
tnat muchFof the trouble was due to the
fact that the soldiers were compelled to
lie out on the ground without cover
Col W. j. Jacobs, who was chief quar-
termaster of the fifth corps at Tampa, and
in Cuba, testified that Gen. Humphrey
had been in charge of the embaTkatiOn
of troops at Tampa, and that no order
specifying what vessels the different
commands were to occupy had been Is
sued. In reply to question from Gov.
Beaver he said the embarkarion had been
hap.hazard affair. He also thought
thers was great deficiency in the pro-
visions for disems arkation as only two
lighters were provided, and one of tnoss
was lost on the way over.
Col. Jacobs had charge of the transpor-
tation facilities at Santiago and he ex-
pressed the opinion that there was not a
sufficient nuini or of wagons.
Gen MoC0ok developed quite ami
mated episode by asking ii there were
any reasons why the cooking utensils
and camp equipa ,e of troops should not
have been ferwarced from Baiquirl to the
troops in the field.
"There was no.reason," Col. Jacobs re-
piled, "except that Gen. Skaters order
forbade
Continuing, he said that the order. was
most positive. 1t did not specify what
should not be forwarded, but was most
specified in providing that only forage
and rations should be Forwarded.
DIR. Conner asked whether orders had
been given to leave all the ospitalnequlp-
ments behind at Tampa, and Ool5Jscoos
responded that it was his Impression that
such was the case He had personal
knowledge that Gen. Shafter he'd given
such ansOrier concerning the nmbulances.
cit was expected that there would be
an engagement wasiit nota" asked the doc
tor ~ - 1sY
Certainly responded the colonel.
eve went down thera to fight"
ssThen should there not have been some
provision for taking onre Of the wound
edf''
81 should say that those things should
have bean taken along.
ssThen," continued DR.. Conner, the
medical department was left in the ar
and the quartermaster' department. l.
responsible" :,
'fThe quartermaster's department could
not have been responsible. We were act
ing under orders. "
CAPT. Jonathan N. Patton, who as as
sistant quartermaster made the contracts
for the construction of the qusrtermas-
Wiokff, gave the particulars of this tran
saction and other occurrences at that
camp. He said the camp was not entire
Iy ready for the troops when they hogan
to arrive, the time not being sufficient.
Capt. Patton said that all requisition,
except possibly trivial matters, were
promptly filed. The witness said there
criticisms in the newspapers concerning
the delay OF sex men at the depots going
I of on furloughs. a
4 There was no neglect In this matter, :
fhe said, and NO more discomfort than
T is necessary in removing sick men. ~
Transportation papers had been fur
nished promptly by mis- Office and II the
men had to stand in line for hours IN
order to get these documents he had no
knowledge Of the fact.
DIR. Connor read letter from Dr.. For
wood to the surgeon gonerai complaining
of the delay in getting lumber for the nos 70,
pitfalls, but the witness said he knew noun
Ing of such condition of affairs -,
At the afternoon session Capt W. y.
Ireland, who was ass ciated With Dr
La Garde as a surgeon and executive ON
car in the Sinoney hospital. said that e ne
had gone to Cuba on the Saratoga, W
had not been able to land for six day $:
why. he did not know. The hospltai az
Siboney had been sufficiently well sup
piled for about 200 patients except IN tne me
matter of cots, of which there were ~ nol
to exceed So Patients in excess OIL opi
a nrna