The record-union., 1899-05-25

WASHINGTON, May 24.-Surgeon ].
E. Page of Admiral Dewey's flagship,
the Olympia has arrived here on leave.
He came ahead of the Olympia to avoid
the long delays of the sail via the Suez
Canal. Surgeon Page has been on the
flagship ever since Dewey took COM
mand, seeing him daily, and having
general charge of medical affairs, SO
that he is in a position to give an intel
ligent view of the Admiral's health and
general condition. He said to-day:
Admiral Dewey is in no sense sick
man, but is as well as any man could
be after spending a year in the tropics.
/ was on the Olympia at the time he
came aboard, and from that time to the
present I do not believe there has been
any appreciable change in his appear
ance, weight or general condition. Any
one who thinks he is a physical wreck
should hear the Admiral on the quarter
deck when he gets aroused
He is the gentlest man living, and
yet he expects very man to do his eX-
act duty, and when there is any short
comings the Admiral will be heard from
IN no feeble or sickly manner. OF
course everyone in the fleet has suffered
in health more or less during the year,
owing to the terrific and long sustained
heat and the enervating climate. It
takes all the life out of a strong man,
and undoes his energy and ambition In
that Dewey suffered with all the rest of
US. 1t was particularly arduous during
the blockade duty when for long
stretches no man could get ashore"
Surgeon Page, asked if Admiral
Dewey's responsibilities had weighed
heavily on him. a answered:
L think not, and 1 believe it will be
found that he has just as much nerve
as the morning he fought the battle of
Manila Bay. He is a man who carries
responsibility lightly, and does not let
1t break him down. On the morning of
the battle he was perfectly cool. and
only once throughout the action did he
show signs of anxiety. That was when
the head gunner reported that our am
munition was running short This was
about the time we pulled off for break
fast, and it had a depressing effect. But
1t was quickly offset when the officer Of
the deck reported that the Reina Chris
tina and Castillo We're afire. That was
the turning point, and. the Admiral had
no anxiety after that
ASKED II he had prescribed for Dewey
of late, Surgeon Page said:
No; he has had no need for nre
scriptions. During the last year he has
not once asked for a prescription or
taken medical advice, except in a cas-
ual way. If he wants anything he sends
down to the ship apothecary and gets
IT, His habits are so regular that he
needs little or no medicine His smok-
ing and drinking are in perfect modera-
tlon He eats we'll and sleeps well. and
IL IS one of the recognized offenses on
poafdshlp to tramp heavily over the
ADMIRAL s. cabin after he has retired.
1t has needed a. pretty calm man at
the mead of affairs said Surgeon Page
When asked as to- the reports of friction
with the German naval officers. "I
Know nothing of any differences. but we
| all felt that much reliance was to he
placed on the AdmiraPs tact and con-
serVatism as a means of avoiding anv
possible difference. Throughout the
heet he was universally admired. NOT
only as naval commander. but for his
craftsmanship and discretion