Bad Site Fob A Permanent Camp

BAD SITE FOR A PERMANENT CAMP.

What Gen.Frank Declares with Reference to Chickamauga Park.

Anniston, Ala., Oct. 24. - The war investigating commission began its work here Saturday by making an inspection of the site of Camp Shipp in the forenoon and then devoting the afternoon to questioning General Frank, commanding officer of the camp, and hig chief surgeon, Major Henry F. Hoyt. Both were identified with Camp Thomas at Chickamauga, General Frank having been in command of the First division of the Third corps at that point, and Major Hoyt, his chief surgeon there, is here. General Frank said he considered Chickamauga a good site for a temporary camp, but not for a permanent camp for a large army. The chief difficulty was in putting sinks down deep enough, owing to the rock formation near the surface. He thought the camp should have been moved as early as July. The hospital tents were not floored when he went to the camp early in July, though there had been sufficient time to have furnished flooring in the entire camp. General Frank said that his corps commander had never made an inspection of the camp with reference to sinks, drains, etc.

Dr. Henry F. Hoyt said the increase in sickness above the normal had begun about the middle of July. He thought much of the malaria had been due to the fact that the men were compelled to sleep on th ground. He attributed the increase in typhoid to the sinks, to the flies, to the fact that the wells were infected and to the carelessness of the men. The command used water taken through pipes írom Chickamauga river and the pipe was located only a few feet above the mouth of the stream which drained the camp. The doctor thought that some of the water from this tributary stream had been forced into the pipes by means of eddies.