Show I NOTFICIAL DENIAL I I Claimed Tlkt Obdams Passeng i Had a pleasant Trip Washington Oct ItThe war department de-partment last nigfftth0rIzed the pUblication pUb-lication f a letter WhichMas received by Colonel Charles Bird assistantj quartermaster general of the army from C H R Briand first lieutenan and quartermaster of the Fifth Unitecf State volunteer infantry whi was passeIrger on board the Obdam which has just arrived at New York from Puerto Rico Referring to some sensational sen-sational sttemefltS made concerning the tril of the Oodam m New York newspapers Lieutenant Briand said 1 have nQticed in the pa > ers that the reporter again have nade a moin lain out ofan ant hill First lin regad ito i-to the 1re Iwish to state that we 1id returno tiago heiDtainOf the sho ileemed ItadVlsdbld to d o for the Durpose 9f unloading some of the coal used as ballast which had be com 1eated but that it amounted to nothini as It was discovered in time I i myd1f V did not see as much smoke coml out of the hold as one would make smoking a cigar As for the ship gettinj so hot as to caum the paInt to blister or causiJg any damage to ammunition I am-munition on board it is absolutely without foundation I Jh ± shiLWaS well handled bath by the captain and crew and the comfort com-fort of the passengers was looked after in an able manner by Cappin Alh pIn p-In regardVto the sick on oard I wiSh to say that we had two surgeons one assistant surgeon and the ships surgeon sur-geon on board the Obdarn I know that the sick were looked after in a proper I manner ana had aU the comforts there I possibly could be had on a steamshll fne convztlescents were under the orders or-ders of Lieutenant Johnsoq of the i I Nineteenth regulars This gentleman I looked to thbir elfarel as good as any J cantain woud to his own command J I and I never heard a single cornhtint 1 1 exceDt in regard to the delay which I was unavoidable and for the safety of the assengers j V I wish also to state that some of the newspapers had it that we were starvIng I starv-Ing at Santiago on accourtt of being short of rations This was investigated I by General Lawton commanding the department of Santiago and I was informed In-formed by an officer in the commissary I departmenl of Santiagothat over eight million rations were on hand there at that time I myself never saw any I starvation among the troops and we had plenty in fact more than I ever saw any troops having before while on a campaign during my 14 years Ctn tinuous service In connection with the letter of Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Briand the war deDartment made lUblic a list of bills 1f fare of meals supplied to the convalpscents onboard on-board the trans > ort Berlin each day I while en route from Ponce to New York Following is a sample BrealtfastPorridge and syrup potato po-tato and beef stew with onions fresh bread tea or coffee with milk and sugar DinnerVerrceUi coup fresh beef potatoes peas talioca crackers SUlDerCorned beef dry hash tea or coffee fresh bread |