Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-03
ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
Matters of Interest Cleaned from the
Army and Navy ReRister.

Matters of Interest Cleaned from the
Army and Navy ReEister.
The quartermaster general has author
ized the following improvements at army
posts; Fort Omaha Neb., construction OF
store house for use of the signal corps;
Fort Robinson, Neb, one hay shed. one
quartermaster's shop. one four-troop black
smith shop and four double stable guard
and shop buildings; Fort Bliss, Tex,
| screens for various buildings; Fort Des
Moines, Ia, storm sash for officers quar-
ters; Fort Hancock N. j., repairs TO the
post hospital; Omaha, Neb., construction
| OF store house for the quartermaster' 6
! department; Fort Logan II. Roots, Colo,
construction Of number of buildings for
various purposes; Fort Robinson. Neb..
converting old signal and postofice build
ing into noncommissioned stan officers
quarters.
The proceedings OF the board OF ofhcers
! convened at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
| September l. for the examination OF en-
listed candidates for appointment as second
lieutenants IN the army. have been re-
ceived at the War department. Four
candidates were found qualified: Ser
geants Barlow, Twenty-sixth infantry;
Clarke, Eighth infantry; Boswell. coast ar
tillery and Corporal Hohl Sixth infantry.
These men will be given certificates of
eligibility. Two candidates were found de-
ficient two were not examined on account
of sickness and in another case the pro-
ceedings were incomplete. The last case
will be returned to the board for compile
ton.
During the month of August 2674 re-
cruits were enlisted for the army, OF whom
1889 were obtained in cities and 755 at
military posts and In the field. For the
infantry 1,24O white soldiers were secured;
coast artillery, 4O4; engineer battalions, 81;
cavalry 70S white; field artillery, 76; United
States military academy detachments, s; in
fantry, 30 colored; cavalry. 80 colored:
Indian scouts, l. and Philippine scouts, IS.
The inaccuracies Of some Of the state
ments made by DR.. Louis L. Seaman of
New York, formerly major and surgeon
OF the First United States volunteer
engineers, in a hearing last winter before
the committee on military affairs OF the
house of representatives pn the bill to in
crease the efficiency of the medical de-
partment Of the army, continues to be the
subject of discussion among military sur
geons This week Surgeon Charles f.
Stokes, United States navy, at the meet
ing OF the Association of Military Sur
geons at Detroit, called DR.. Seaman
sharply to account for certain of his al
legged Measurements of facts. Before the
military committee Dr. Seaman testified
that In the Spanish war, in a campaign
lasting less than six weeks, the mortality
from bullets and wounds was 26S, while
that from disease was 1852 or about Il TO
!. 1t is stated by medical officers OF the
n fkaN H., "a.
given by DR.. Seaman is much too large
as compared with the number Of deaths
from bullets and wounds The records do
not show any such wide difference. The
only explanation that can be made is that
Dr. Seaman must have computed the num-
Der of deaths from bullets and wounds
from one corps only, while the number of
deaths from disease must have been taken
from much larger force. On the other
hand, the official figures available show
that in the Spanish war there were $4,000
deaths on the battle field or as a result
of wounds received while in action, and
there were 59,297 deaths from disease DR..
Seaman also stated to the military COM
mittee that in the civil war there were in
round numbers 100000 fatalities, 10000 OF
whom died from disease and only 100000
from bullets and wounds. The most au-
thentic figures available show that there
was no such wide difference in the number
of those dying as result of wounds and
the number of those who died of disease
According to the Official records of the
rebellion, in the union army 1928 were
killed in battle and 1920 died of wounds or
| injuries, making 80, 443 fatalities as a result
| of battle The number dying of disease
was 1926, and the deaths by suicide,
homicide execution and as a result OF
unknown causes amounts to $40, making
total number Of fatalities in the civil
war on the union side 3O4,369.