Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-08-12

| NE@/ SNS|1 tare OF the Jun
-<--AS1gle, blockhouse
and trench, and that with the fever
this last not fully ended when the camp
broke up. Every narrative Of the cam.
paign, whether from the lips Of private
soldier or those Of a captain, colonel or
general, was prefaced and punctuated
by indictments of the fever as the chief
evil encountered in Cuba. Witnesses
needed squirting in order to bring out
details of BATTLE but the unusual hard
ships of the transports, Of existence in
Cuba and of the fever were staple top
les.
In general the breakdown Of the
troops began Immediately after the sur
render. The heat, the loss of capacity
to relish and digest coarse, fatty ra-
tions, physical strain and malaria,
were reasons for the collapse. The reg
ulars also said that drinking water was
rendered impure by the volunteers, who
washed and bathed in the streams above
camp. Regular soldiers knew better and
carried water away from the streams
for their additions. In every respect the
sanitation of the volunteers was cited
as bad, and Camp Wikof official in
spection records gave evidence Of it.
Weakness duo to heat and the lack Of
nutriment invited fever. Every effort
was made to stem the evil. From the
first cargo of foodstuffs landed at San
tiago Shafter bought several thousands
cans Of condensed milk for the troops.
Cuban wines and all the farinaceous
foods available were also purchased by
the government or from outside funds.
Two officers Of the Sixteenth regulars,
Lieutenant Colonel Mclaughlin and
Captain Mcfarland. expended $3. 900
Contributed by their wives) in getting
supplies for their commands. The Red
Cross led in noble work, and the one
sentiment in the army about this socie-
ty was, "God bless the Red Cross!"
July 22 was the date when the first
alarming list of fever patients was re
ported. Out of 1900 sick $50 cases were
set down as fever. On the Esd there
were 400 new cases and 500 ON the Gath.
This report was misleading, for on the
25th there were over 2, 100 fever cases In
camp, 500 Of them new, and only 2S7
sick Of other complaints. By the 26th
the sick roll had reached 3, ITO, nearly
5000 being fever cases. About this
time there were 600 to 800 new fever
cases daily, and on the 2Sth. with Q
silk roll Of 4,279, over 3, 400 were dowr
with fever. This exhibit refers to the
hospital only. Several hundred fevel
cases were returned from the hospita
TO the quarters each day, but the vic
Tins were not cured, and OH the Sd o.
August, when the round robin took til,
matter up, General Ames of Kents di
vision declared "a full list of the sicl
would mean copy Of the roster Of ev
cry company" in Cuba. Throughou
there were more sick in the quarter
than in the hospital.
The first general relief began abou
July %. That day Clara Barton sen
word to camp that she had supplies a
Santiago dock for the regimental sick
The dole for u regiment was sack o
rice and one of cornmeal. One office
told me that IL cost 81. 80 to get the sup
ply for his regiment to camp, and /
helped all hands. Before the troops lief
Cuba they received rations of vegetable
and of fresh beef The government sup
piled beef to the officers messes at /,
cents pound. Panic prices prevailed il
the markets. An officer said that h.
paid 81 and upward for the canned frui
and vegetables sold by grocers here a
10 to 10 cents each and was glad to &c
them at any price,
On Aug. B the first troops sailed from
Santiago After that steamers left daily
AT rre '9ge 1000 men per diem pour
ed into Camp Wikoff On the 9TH of tn
month there was not bit Of shelte
ready. and the same with about ever,
necessity, so that on the arrival of tn
first troops from Cuba the accommoda
tions were inadequate and never up (
the demand until the very last. BY tn
time tho 900 new arrivals Of a give
day had been provided for fresh de
tachment, half Of whom were sick, dc
manded attention. Yet there was no al
parent lack Of wise and energetic actio
In the uso Of such facilities as the gov
ernECm Provided, with tho exception
perhaps 81 the medical department
Hospitals grew, but they couldn't bea
the pace Of tho tGyuri nurses Oamo foI
ward. but tho fever gave ten new vic
tims 10 tho ono they could save, aud suI
plies EouISd Ia, bai not IN time a. SO
the Tayaging famine VI nourishment VI
ready prevailing,
The cavalry tents were pitched upo