The Dalles weekly chronicle., September 07, 1898, PART 1, Image 1

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THE DALLES. WASCO COUNTY. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1898.
VOL. VIII.
NUMBER 45.
CONDITIONS
NOT SO BAD
AS PAINTED
General Wheeler on the Sit
nation of the Armv.
BLAMES THE NEWSPAPERS
He Says the Soldiers. at Camp Wikoff
Are Perfectly Contented ana Well
Treated.
Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, N. Y
Sept. 2. Major-General Joseph Wheeler
gave the following to the Associated
Presa today.
"Headquarters United States Forces,
Citmp Wikoff.Long Island, Sept. 1. The
following ia a sample of the letters which
are conetantly received regarding the
soldiers in camp : "
" 'In regard to my stepson, we feel
very uneasy about him on account of the
newspaper reports of the privation and
suffering inflicted upon the privates.
Although he has never entered a com
plaint since he has been in tho army, we
hear from other sources of the croel and
horrible treatment inflicted npon our
soldiers under tbe pretenee of humanity
for our neighbors, and the whole coon'
try is in a state of terrible excitement,
I should not be surprises if the teeling
should lead to a revolution of some kind,
for I assure you I bear on all sides the
most vk'lent and bitter denunciations
of the war department and the adminis
- tration. It is, indeed, a great pity that
the glory of our triumphs should be
dimmed by such a shameful thing as
the ill treatment and starvation of our
brave soldiers, while the Spanish pris
oners have tbe best treatment that the
country affords.'
"It will be seen that this letter says
that not a word of complaint has been
received from the soldiers, and so far as
my investigation goes, no complaint has
been made by any of the brave soldiers
who have added glory to our arms in the
Cuban campaign.
"A great many anxious fathers, moth
ers, brothers or sisters, arrive here from
all parts of the United States to look
after their relatives, whom they say the
papers tell them are Buffering, and many
of them have heard that their relatives
are in a condition of starvation. Most
of these people are little able to spend
tbe money for eucb a journey, and tbey
are surprised when they come here to
find their relatives eurrounded with ev
erything to eat which can be produced
by money, and, if sick in the hospital,
they are gratified and surprised to find
that they are given every care that is
possible.
"In reply to a direct request that I
give the exact facts, as I see them, I
will state: '
'"Every officer and soldier who went
to Cuba regarded it that he was given a
great and special privilege in being per
mitted to engage in that campaign.
They knew they were to encounter yel
low fever and other diseases, a9 well as
the torrid heat of the country, and they
were proud and glad to do so. They
knew that it was impossible for them to
have tbe advantage of wagon transporta
tion, which usually accompanies an
army, and yet officers and men were
glad to go, to carry their blankets and
their rations on their backs and be sub
jected, without any shelter, to the sun
and rains by day and tbe heavy hazes
by night. They certainly knew that tbe
Spanish had spent years in erecting de
fenses, and it was their pleasure to as
sault and their duty to capture the
Spanish works. :
, "They were more than glad to incur
these hardships and these dangers. They
went there and did their duty, each man
seeming to feel that American honor
and prestige was to be measured by his
conduct. - The brave men who won the
victories did not complain of the neglect
of the government, but, on tbe contrary,
they seemed grateful to the president
and the secretary of war for giving them
the opportunity to incur these dangers
and hardehips. Tbey realized that in
tbe hurried organization of an expedition
by a government whicb'bad no one with
any experience in such matters it was
impossible to have everything arranged
to perfection ; and they will testify that
under tbe circumstances, the conditions
were much more perfect than any one
would have reason to expect, and that
tbe president and eecretary of war and
others who planned and . dispatched
these expeditions deserve high com
mendation. "One reaeon why our army was lack
ing in some respects in 'equipage was
that a telegram was received from Ad
miral Sampson stating if the army
reached there immediately, they could
take the city at once, bin if there should
be delay, the fortifications of the Span
iards would be perfected, so that there
niieht be great difficulty in taking it.
On receiving this dispatch fiom Admiral
Sampson, the war department directed
the army to move at once, and as all
connected with the army will recall, the
ord'-rs were received after dark, and the
armv was in motion, had traveled nine
miles and was on the ships at daylight
"Winn the expedition eailed for Cuba
it went there escorted by a large fleet of
warships. M that time, it was regarded
as impossible for a merchant ebip to sail
on tbe ocean safely from any American
port to Santiago, but as soon as the
fleet was destroyed, so that it was possi
ble for unarmed bbips to sail safely to
Santiago, the generous people of tbe
United Slates subscribed money without
limit and dispatched ship after ship
loadod with luxniies and delicacies for
the Santiago army, and everyl hing that
could be accomplished for their comfort
was done by the president and eecretary
of war.
"After the surrender had been com
pleted and arrangements perfected for
transporting the Spanish army to Spain,
tbe president and eecretary of war sent
shipping to .Santiago and transported
our army to cne of the most healthful
locations in the United States. The
point selected by the secretary of war
was so situated that tboroug'i protection
was given to the people of the United
States from the danger of yellow fever
contagion. The soldiers, upon their
arrival at this place, received every care
and bounty which could be procured by
money. The president and secretary of
war directed that their health and com
fort Bhould be cared for without refer
ence to expeuse, and in addition, the
people within a circle of 100 miles vied
with each other in shipping to them
carloads and steamboat loads of luxuries
of all kinds. -
I have just finished my daily In
spection of the hospitals. With rare ex
ceptions the sick are cheerful. . I have
nurses and doctors to care for them, and
in all my tours I have not found a single
patient who made the slightest com
plaint. It Is true there has been great
suffering. The climate of Cuba was
very severy upon all our soldieis, but
instead of complaining, the hearts of
those braye men are filled with gratitude
to the people for the bounteous gen
erosity which has been extended to
tbem.
There is no doubt that there have
been indivual cases of suffering and pos-
ib!e neglect among the soldiers, not
only in Cuba, but since their arrival at
this place. Nearly 20,000 men were
brought from a yellow fever district to
the United States. It would have been
crimnal to have landed them and
allowed them to go promiscuously among
the people. It has been stated by the
physicians that if it had been done, yel
low fever would have spread through
many of our states. ' "
"To avoid such a catastrophy a point
which is more thorougoly isolated from
tbe people than any other locality which
could be found was selected. By these
wise means the country baa been saved
from a scourge of this fearful disease.
Every one will realize that to land 18,000
men and put them on bare fields, with
out any building whatever, could not be
done without some hardships. Over
5000 very sick men have been received
in tbe general hospital, and as many
more sick have been cared for iu the
camps, and yet only about 60 deaths
have ocenred In these hospitals."
Ordered Mastered Out
Washington, Sept. 2. The following
troops have been ordered mastered out :
First, Second, Third -and Eighteenth
Pennsylvania; . Fourth Wisconsin;
Seventy-first New York ; First New
Jersey; Thirty-second Michigan ; First,
Eight and Third Ohio; One Hundred
and Fifty-eight Indiana; Second North
Carolina; First and Second Alabama:
Third California ; Second Massachu
setts; First Sooth Carolina; and two
squadrons of tbe First Ohio Calvary. "
Rebels are Active. '
Manila, Sept. 2" Several shiploads
of insurgents have invadgd the South
ern islands with a view of seizing every
thing possible prior to the settlement of
peace conditions; -- General Bios, the
Spanish commander, with a flotilla of
gunboats, is acting energetically, but tbe
insurgents bavo captured the outlying
islands of Roableon and Palawan, where
tbey foqpd treasures to the amount of
$42,000.
TRAIN STRIKES
A NEW YORK
TROLLEY CAR
Appaling Disaster at Oohoes,
New York.
THE DEATHS WIRE MANY
Eighteen Passengers Killed and More
of Them Will Die Happy Pick
nickers Suddenly Hurled Into
Eternity. -
Cohoes, N. Y., Sept. 5. An appaling
disaster occurred in this city tonight.
Shortly before 8 o'clock a trolley-car of
the Troy City Railway Company was
struck by the night-boat special of the
Delaware & Hudson at a crossing at the
west end of the Hudson river bridge,
which connects the city with Lansing
burg, and its load of human freight was
hurled into the air. - Eighteen of tbe
thirty-five passengers are dead, and at
least ten mora will die.
The cars entering the city from Lar.B
ingbnrg were crowded with passengers
from a picnic at Rennsaelaer's Park, a
pleasure resort near Troy. It was car
No. 192 of the Troy City railway that
met with disaster. It came over tne
bridge about 7 :30 o'clock ladened with a
merry party of people, fresh from the
enjoyment of the day.
The motor car was struck directly in
the center by the engine of the train,
which was going at a high rate of speed.
The accident came without the slightest
warning. The car was upon the track
before the train loomed in eight, and no
power on earth could have saved it. The
motorman evidently saw the train ap
proaching as he reached tbe track, and
opened his controller, but in vain. With
a crash that was heard for blocks the
engine struck the light car. The Effect
was horrible. The motor car parted in
two, both ends being thrown into the
air in splinters.
The mass of humanity, for the car was
crowded to -overflowing, waa torn and
mangled. Those in the front of the car
met with the worst fate. The force of
tbe colision was there felt the worst, and
every human being in that section was
killed.
Tbe ecene was horrible. Bodies had
been hurled into the air, and their
headless and limbless trunks were found
ia some case as far as fifty feet from the
crossing.
The pilot of tbe engice was smashed,
and amid the wreckage were the maimed
corpees of two women. Tbe passengers
experienced no injury, except the shock.
The majority of the passengers on the
trolly-car were young- people, most of
them being women.
RETRIBUTION NOT
QUITE COMPLETE
Cuban Commissioners Will Make an
Attempt While in Havana to Fer
ret Out the Persons Who Des
troyed the Maine.
Washington, Sept. 2. Avenged but
not forgotten is the Maine. , At present
the full attention of the administration
is occupied with matters more immedi
ately pressing, but the determination is
general in official circles that when the
proper time arrives, tbe manner of the
destruction of tbe Maine must be posi
tively learned if the thing be possible,
and that tbe personsresponeible there
for shall be brought to justice. '
Members of the American commission
to superintend the evacution of Cuba
were fully informed regarding the pur
pose of the government in this matter at
the time instructions regarding the work
to be done in Cuba were given them.
It was decided that the American com
missioners will discuss nothing with the
Spaniards that is foreign to tbe manner
and time of evacuating Cuba, but while
tbe commission is sitting at Havana it
will investigate on its own account the
blowing up of the Maine. '
When General Fitzbugh Lee was in
Washington recently he went over the
evidence he had collected in Havana,
and expresses the opinion that after tbe
evacuation of the Spanish army many
people in Havana would open their
mouths and give testimony that would
show the crime to have been committed
by officers connected with the Spanish
army. . -
The refusal of Captain-General Bianco
to serve on the military commission and
his apparent desire to hurry away from
Havana is taken to indicate that he
fears there will finally be an expose, and
he does not want to be around at the
time it is mode.
The names of a dozen men have been
obta'neJ by tbe United States govern
ment, and the American military- com
missioners will interview the witnesees,
who will doubtless hasten to confess all
they know as soon as the dreaded Span
ish soldiers are out of the city.
HIS SKULL
CRUSHED.
Horses He Was Driving Ran Away
' His Companions Escaped Prac
tically Unhurt.
. Astoria, Ore., Sept. 3. A special to
the Astorian from Ilwaco, says:
A runaway accident, which will pro
bably result in the death of Orrin Belk
nap, of this place, occured today. Mies
Anna Belknap and Mrs. Ross bad been
in the country, visiting Mrs. Belknap.
Today Orrin Belknap started for town
with the women. Ween about four
miles from town tbe horses hociine
frightened, and the efforts of the driver
to control them were unavailing. They
dashed along the road at great speed,
overturning the carriage and throwing
tbe occupants to the ground. Belknap
lit on bis head. His skull was crushed
and his shoulder broken, and be suffered
other injuries. Mrs. Ross received a
deep gash over tbe right eye, but was
not otherwise hurt. Miss Belknap es
caped without injury. Belknap was
brought to his home here for treat
ment. His injuries are very serious,
and it is thought by the attending physi
cian that he cannot recover. .His ekull
is frightfully crushed, 'and he is suffer
ing from concussion of the brain. The
fall rendered him unconscious, - in
which condition he etill lies. Tbe in
jured man is well-known 'here. Miss
Belk sap and Mrs. Ross are teachers in
the pnblic schools.
ARMY SENSATION
AT CHICKAMAUGA.
Prominent Citizen of Chatanooga De
mand That. He Be Court-Mar-.
tialed fur Causing the Death of
an Injured Sergeant.
Chickamaug'a, Sept. 2. General
Frank, commander of the Third army
corps, accompanied by his staff, left this
morning for Anniston, Ala. Tomorrow
the headquarters of the Third and
Second brigades and Fourteenth New
York will go. " -
Six prominent Chattanoogans, four of
them . leading physicians, hava pre
ferred charges against Major Hubbard,
surgeon-general of the Ninth New York.
They charge him with being responsible
for the death of Sergeant . Frank, who
was struck by a train a few days ago,
and with conduct unbecoming an officer
and gentleman. It is claimed Hubbard
caused the removalof Frank when his
life mirht have been saved, by keeping
him quiet, and say that when the other
physicians expostulated with him he
used language unbecoming a gentleman
and an officer. A court-martial is de
manded. '
To Gather Dp Sick Soldiers. ;
"Columbus, O., Sept. 2. The Ohio hos
pital train left this morning for the
South to gather up and return the sick
Ohio soldiers. The train goes direct to
Fernandina, Fia., returning via Hunts
ville, Ala., Chickamauga, and Knoxville,
Tenn. The trip Is expected to occupy
six days.' '
Borne For Muster Out
. Camp Meade, Middleton,' Sept. 2.
The movement of the troops which have
been orderded to be mustered out will
begin Sunday. The troops will be given
30 days' furlough before being mustered
out. Two hundred sick soldiers were
transfered to the hospital at Philadelphia
today. ' ; ', .
THE DAYS OF
ITS USEFULNESS
ARE NUMBERED
Wikoff to Be Abandoned in
Twenty Days.
DISPOSING OF THE SOLDIERS
State Troops Are Now Being Sent to
Their Homes From the Several
Large Camps.
Camp Wikoff, Sept. 3 -Thegreat camp
will dissolve daring the three coming
weeks, and by October 1st it will have
shrunk to elender pioportions. The
well men, according to the war depart
ment's designs, will leave the camp as
fa3t as transportation can be convenient
ly obtained, probably at the rate of three
to four thousand a week. The con vales
cent from hospitals, instead of again be
ing 6f nt into camp, will go at once to
their homes.
The president, Secreretary Alger end
General Wheeler had a talk about it,
and although General Wheeler thought
tbe men would do well in camp until
October 1st, it was determined to con
tiuue sending tliem away. The regulars
taken from the posts east of the Missis
sippi will, according to the present di
rections, be eent where they were before
the war. The war department has not
transmitted the order to General Shatter
yet, but it will no doubt be received by
Tuesday.
Tbe Eighth Ohio and First Illinois
will break camp Tuesday. The rough
riders will muster out toward the end of
the week probably, and will not parade.
QUESTION OF
ANNEXATION
Is Favored By All with the Exception
of Aguinaldo.
New York, Sept. 3. A dispatch from
Manila says:
- One of General Aguinaldu's connMen
tial advisers says that tbe purpose of the
leading Philipinos at present is to peti
tion the United States, asking for an
nexation. The educated natives realize
that they will never attain stability and
prosperity under Tago rulers. Aguinal
do is not a party to the scheme ; still he
dreams of a republic under an American
protectorate. Piapillar, the southern
leader, and Puah, the chieftain in the
Malabo's district, show stronger inten
tions daily of breaking away from the
central dictator.
IT IS AGAIN
UNDER GUARD
Maine Wreek Again Guarded By Order
of tbe Spanish Authorities at Ha
vana Consider the Matter Still
Open. . ;
New York, Sept. 3. A Tribune spe
cial from Havana says:
: Within the last few days the authorities
have reinstated the system of "patrol
boats about tbe Maine ' wreck as main
tained before the war, intending to show
the commission their intention that
American properly shall be fully 'pro
tected, and incidentally that they, do
not regard the cause of the . disaster ns
determined and Intend to give no op
portunity ior the manufacture of evi
dence. -
Yellow Fever in the South. -Key
West, Fla., Sept.' 4. State
Health Officer Porter issued a proclama
tion today stating that he believes no
yellow fever exists in this city, nor bas
there been any here this summer. ' The
present quarantine will be kept on for a
few days as a means of extra- precaution
to avoid the possible error of ' last year
on the Upper Gulf coast. . :
Royal make the load pure,
wholesome and delicious.
POWDER
Absolutely Pure
ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK.
BEGINS SITTING
THIS WEEK
Fifth Member of the American Board
Will be Appointed at Once and
Organization Will Follow
' Promptly.
New York, Sept. 5. A special to the
Herald from WathInton says: .
It is stated by administration officials'
now in Washington that the fifth mem
ber of the Amer-can peace commission!
will be chosen the early part of t he
present week, and that tha first session,
of the full body would be held in the
state department in tho latter part of
the week, to stu iy tho important work
before it and tj receive instructions
from the President. i
Preeident KcKinley will be in Wash- .
ingtonon Tuesday and the cabinet meet
ing to be held on that day will un
doubtedly consider a drr.ft of the in
structions which the president and
Secretary Day . have been considering,
sinca they left Waehmgton.
Acting Secretary Moore expects to-
have ready for commission to the com
mittee all the data relating to tbe pro
positions which it is possible to obtain
and a statement of the c'aima arising;
from personal injuries or property losses
in Cuba which have been submitted by
Americans.
It can be elated cn excellent authority
that Justice Whito has not officially ac
cepted the appointmt-nt as a member of
tbe peace commission. The question is
still open, and this would seem to indi
cate that there is a chance of the justice
accepting .membership en the commie- ,
sion. It is known, however, that Mr.
McKinley has several prominent men.
iu view in case Justice White declines.
It is eaid that the French embassy;
bas not yet informed the state depart
ment of the appointment of the Spanish
commissioners. It is not expected that
the Madrid government will transmit
this information until the receipt of the
names of American representatives, .
which will be sent on Tuesday. In de
laying tbe announ-ement of tbe names
of her representatives, Spain, it is said,,
desires to show that deference which,
should properly be paid to the victor by
the vanquished. '
MORE TROOPS
ARE ARRIVING
More Santiago Heroes at Wikoff The
Hospitals are Now Filled to Their
Full Capacity.
Wikoff, Sept. 5. The transport Rou-
mama, which arrived yesterday wiin
600 troops from Santiago, was a means
of an additional test on the capacity of
the hospitals in tbe detention camp.' Of
the 600 men on the Roumanis, about20Q
were so sick that they had to be put ia
the hospital. Officials were obliged to
put matresses on the floor. Conse
quently it is possible some will have to
lie on the floor several days. While the
sick were being taken from the Rouma
nia, two of them died. Brivate Dorga.
Broomer, Twenty-Bret regular infantry.
and Private Albert Pickwortb, Thirty
third Michigan volunseer?.
Short In His Accounts.
St.' Cloud, Minn., Sapt. 2. L. T
Troutman, Secretary of the St. Cloud
Building and Loan Association, accord,--ing
to a report which ha teen presented
to the directorj of the afsociation by an.
expert accountaut, is mora than f 30,000
short in his accounts. It is thought a
settlement will be jnada. .. '