Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-02
ON A TOUR OF INSPECTION
Surgeon. General Gorgas of Uni.
ted States Army in Town.
Coming to Burlington from ORicers'
Training Camp at Plattsburgh.
He VIII visit Fort Ethan
Allen To-day.

Major-Gen. William Crawford Gorgas,
surgeon-general of the United States
army. the man who made possible the
building Of the Panama canal and freed
Havana from the yellow fever scourge,
arrived last evening in Burlington. and
to-day will inspect Fort Ethan Allen
The members Of General Gorgas' party,
who spent the night at the Hotel Yer
mont, were Col. c. Devecle Of the French
army. Major w. H. WEIGH, NJ. r. c.,
U. s. A.. and Major c. L. Furbush
NJ r. c., U. s. A.
The party Of distinguished officers
arrived on the afternoon boat from Platts.
burgh, N. Y, where yesterday they in
spected the officers training camp. They
will inspect Fort Ethan Allen this morn.
ing. particularly the Post hospital and
the sanitary conditions at the reservation
The party will 90 from Burlington to
Madison Barracks. N. Y. where they will
inspect the officers training CAMP It IL
probable. however. that they will be
forced to remain tonight in Burlington
because Of inability to make required
rail and water connections. In that case
they will leave Burlington early Friday
morning.
General Gorgas dined on the roof gar.
den of the Hotel Van Ness with the
other members Of his party and retired
at an early hour. leaving call for 63t
o'clock this morning. His So years sit
lightly upon him and he showed no effects
of his hard days work nor of the intense
heat.
In an interview with a Free Press rep.
resentative General Gorgas said that he
had promised the officers at Plattsburgr
to look into the polomyelitis situation in
Vermont. but declined to state whether
or not the quarantine would be lifted
SO that the men at the training camp
could enter Vermont. He expressed a
desire to do this II 1t should prove con.
sistent with his views regarding what
was best for the health of the men at the
camp.
His trip, he said, was a part of his
regular duties. He had found everything
at Plattsburgh in very satisfactory
condition and the men bearing up well
under the intense heat. His inspection al
Fort Ethan Allen would occupy only a
few hours, he thought, but because OF
an apparent inability to make the proper
travelling connections he would probably
have to remain in Burlington another
night.
General Gorgas spoke very pleasantly
of his previous visit to Burlington about
two years ago, when he lectured at the
high school building. concerning the
building of the Panama canal. This lee.
ture was under the auspices of the State
| Medical association, which was holding
| its annual convention here at that time
The beauty of the city and the charming
people whom he had met had always beer
! pleasant memory, said the general.
1t was as chief sanitary officer Of the
Panama canal that General Gorgas gained
| his greatest fame, after he had rid
Havana Of yellow fever. few year.
previously. He was made major-genera
| and surgeon-general of the United
States army on March 4, 1915. Genera
Gorgas Is a recipient of the Mary Kings
ley medal from the Liverpool School o,
Tropical Medicine and the gold media
OF the American Museum Of Safety. H.
| is permanent director of the interna
| tional health commission Of Rockefelle,
Foundation.
| DISTINGUISHED FRENCH OFFICER
Colonel Devecle of the French army 1.
distinguished officer. who, after beinf
severely wounded during the presen
war. came to America with the, French
| commission. As he had not completed,
recovered from his wounds, he remained
here In an advisory capacity on Genera
Gorgas staff. Colonel Devecle is an Off
Ger Of handsome person and intrepid bear
ing. while his many medals and wound.
bear eloquent testimony to his valor.