New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-07
TOLD BY AN EYE WITNESS.
A NURSE AT CAMP WIKOFF DESCRIBES
SOME OF THE SUFFERING.

WELL MEN ARE ENJOYING LIFE. SHE SAYS BUT
THE STATE OF THE SICK is APPALLING
PNEUMONIA PREDICTED.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir In an article headed Mckinley at Camp
wikon' In to-dey's Tribune paragraph
headed AN Unpleasant Incident" follows:
II was here that ~ the few unpleasant in
cidents Of the day occurred. Mrs. Hugo Lang, one
OF the nurses in the annex. stopped the President
Mr.. President. do you notice that there are
great many vacant beds here"
Wei. sir coniinued Mrs Lang. y want you
TO know that there are men lying out In the grass
in the resimental camps dying and no one VIII
bring them In here"
President. Mckinley said nothing IN reply but
Secretary Ager. He was evidently distressed. but
later. when Mrs. Lang was out Of hearing Il was
morning and had imagined things that were not So
The article also states that the President, like
General Alger. on his recent visit was much pleased
with what he at the camp. and that ut was
the opinion Of all the party that the tales OF suf-
fering had been overdrawn." Elsewhere on the
page is A list OF provisions shipped by the Commits
sary Department to Camp WikQn. in which one
may read OF % ODo pounds Of dried and canned
fruits. besides other uxurcs
our people are pouring out money and provisions
Iavshly through many agencies. and the general
feeling now that suffering is over and that the
conditions at Camp WkoN favorable as ap-
peared to our President. Az also spent the day
there Saturday and many things that the
President did not see. I ask space In your paper
20 comment the Items quoted
II 10 be IAN hysterical woman" is to have some
feeling OF tenderness and pity and capacity
To he moved by dreadful and helpless suffering.
then Mrs Lang is doubtless IAN hystercal woman
But she has been able 10 some facts and ex-
press some truths Of which Army doctors and
officers either ignorant or wilfully blind. Not
desire FOR sensa tonalism, but conscience that
will not let me sleep until have discharged the
duty drives me 10 put in print the bald fact that
on the very day that President was received
by mounted escorts fsted In officers tents listened
cheers and speeches and was taken to the places
whore he would be we'll pleased, with three other
volunteer nurses visited and mlnistered TO dozens
., men in their tents whose wasted forms. waxen
and sunken features. feeble speech and expression
o, intense and hopeless suffering told story OF
long neglect and brutazIng misery.
WHY ARE NOT EMPTY BEDS FILLED
place no blame on any one and have
idea who IL responsible. but II there are hun
dreds Of empty beds in the hospital, why In
tho name OF God are not these men IN
them? And why does not our rich strong
Government provide trained nurses sufficient for
the needs OF the case. instead OF leaving the work
10 volunteers who for very PHYS sake. tramp
miles over the camp carrying heavy cases OF milk.
baskets Of raw eggs. whisky. blackberry brandy
beef tea broth matted milk cocoa and every
form OF LIQUID food for these poor fellows. TOO far
gone 20 take q mouthtul OF solid nourishment
asked one man who looked rs II he was not
long for this world how long he had been H.. and
20, tho answer in e whisper ono word at t'mo'
since July %"
DO YOU wonder That felt indignant that ne
should have been left 10 lie INTENDED and without
proper nourshmcnt for six weeks when there were
empty beds in the hospital His gratitude for a
- ana ~
milk and water fed 10 him with spoon was most
touching and nj. feeble attempts at politeness
when hi- mind not wandering almost unnerved
m. But even IAN hystercai woman can control
herself when she can relieve suffering. though az
wrote ,he postal home FOR him. who's. one sentence
NJ. was able n dictate rel sur. that the turlough
NJ. predicted 10 ne home folks would be for still
longer Journey than 20 Kearney. Neb. ! will In
cidcntnily mention TIM, the in reply TO my In
qulry ~ 10 his trouble said yellow fever" but
~ course he may have been too ignorant to know.
sim M We walked through Ave regiments o, Regu
lars and did no, doctor. officer
In any ~ tho tents. concluded that many
strange things might happen without knowledge
% the authorities. The worst condition was among
the Regulars furthest from the station. whore even
the fcw well mon sat around on boxes in a dull
spathetic manner and looked ms II they Ind utterly
los: heart We overheard say. We'll. there
won't he many Of rs LETT soon.
In and down these lines OF tent. went finding
I'm one regiment one 20 three lying In almost
every tent in all stages ~ dysentery fever chls
and other Ills were too ignorant 70 diagnose.
bu, which the surgeons should have known about.
GRATITUDE OF SUFFERERS.
Every ono Of these sick men should have had
trained nursing and special diet. AZ most were
IN no condition to take solid food and. In fact. had
lost all interest In eating But felt that
could no, go FAR wrong In giving them liquid nour-
lshment. even when they replied In response to our
can do anything FOR YOU" with feeble NO
thank YOU lady" And then 20 the faint return
ing light and hope TO the eyes after few spoon
,uls 81 raw eggs and whiskey milk amply repaid
US FOR our weary tramp the dunes with
heavv baskets The wrecks OF bodies and the
means and mutterings % pain were bad enough,
but the thing that cut us 20 the heart was tho
hopeless expression OF those who had been long III.
As they lay there. dirty. squaiid. their clothes
with the sweat Of days and perhaps weeks. their
cups thick with dirt. their feversh heads often in
the sun because too weak move. their only food
left uniasted because unnt for their weak som-
achs We thought OF all the millions the people
were spending for "our boys.
or two things am convinced that both those
who say that the soldiers living In luxury and
those who say they are In misery are equally
right Undoubtedly the able bodied soldier is liv
ing as he never lived before In hi, ifc, thanks 70
the muniHccncc OF relief associations and the In
nuence Of public opinion the Commlssary De-
pariment | saw In some regiments huge piles or
watermelons lemons. oranges. canned and fresh
vegetables beef. eggs. tobacco etc. The well sol
der never had n better time In his lie. and II IL
quite possible think one has investigated the
conditions there and come away with only the rosy
view. The nearer the regiments to the station the
the condition OF the men. because as rule. they
are the ones who have been the longest back from
cuba and their sick have died. recovered or gone
on turl9ushs OF ,anE the hlsoekhonsc NJ Fl
all and "A o