Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-04
MARINES FOR PANAMA.
SECRETARY wHiTnsYs ORDERS.
Extensive Preparations AT New York
and Washington Navy Yards
Plenty OF Volunteers

Nxw Yozk, April s.-The einbarkation OF
the first detachment OF United States troops
sent. 10 = foxeign country for service since
ISIS took place to-day. The Paeitc mail
steamship City of Para" has swun. al her
anchorage Ia the lower BAY ever since she
received orders 10 take Government troops
10 the Isthmus OF Panama, and her officers
and men greeted the dawning OF the day of
her departure with unmlxed pleasure. The
steamship has taken 10 herself a new dis
unctICn. She WAS no longer a mere vessel
OF merchant service, bat United States
transport. There had been sounds of pre-
paration all night. Heavy American chests
dragged here and there. cases of cntlasses
and small arms were slowed away for the
Use OF the United States sailors who will fol-
low the marines. Boxes of clothing. the
kite of the soldiers great bundles
OF canvass for tents, cases and barrels of
provisions and all the manifold evidences of
preparations for voyage which might have
anything but peaceful termination, we're
scattered about the docks. The busy little
navy yard tugs have been steaming along
side the long black hull of the steamship all
night with naval stores, and the energies of
the men were taxed 20 the utmost. But as
morning progressed the docks were gradual
Is cleaned, the hum of busy preparations died
away and the steamship was ready
70 receive the marines. Meanwhile there
had been bat little sleep at the Navy Yard.
Preparations were going on continually.
Despite the rules governing the hours of
sleep and rising, the barracks were places
where gossip was rife last night. Ii was the
nrst chance for service many of the men had
ever had, and the selected ones were envied
By their less fortunate companions. IL l.
said every man at the post volunteered TO 90
on the expedition. Large crowds of ladies
and gentlemen from this city and Brooklyn
were present To witness the departure.
Promptly at 1920 the line formed on Morris
avenue and Col. Haywood drilled the bat
talon few moments IN the manual of arms.
AdJutant II. G.. Ellsworth equalized the bat
talon into four commands of twenty files.
The men then stood lat place rest" until
20 o'clock, when they wess again called
Attention Delay was caused on account
of detachment of eighty men under
Capt. Reid. which arrived from
Boston, having To be conveyed
IN tug from the pier of the Old Colony line.
When these troops arrived the battalion was
quickly formed and the order Right for
ward. fours right, given by Col. Haywood,
drums began 10 roll. bugles sounded and the
crowd shouted They are OFF" Commodore
Ralph Chandler was salnted as the men
passed him and the line of March was taken
up To the tug moored to the dock. There
the men quickly embarked amid many good
hyes, and the waving of handkerchefs.
The officers in command were Coils.
Charles Hsvg)Dl. Ait. II g.
Ellsworth. Capts. Meeker, Pagan.
Cochran. Reid and Lents. Kelton, Berry
man. Nicholson, Dennig, Fellete, Jackson
and Turner. As the line WAS cast off, the
tug moved quickly out into the stream and
the 20 soldiers on board broke forth In pro
longed cheers. and the cheers were repeated
ly answered by the people on shore. The
tug headed down the bay to transport the
men to the steamer "City of Para The men
all seemed in excellent humor and
were fine looking body. All were
clothed in heavy marching order"
and carried breach-loading rifles with
bayonets. About O'Clock the gangway of
marched on board in double file. They were
Immediately assigned TO quarters. At 2
O'Clock the steamship weighed her anchors
and dropped down the bay. As the tugs
bearing the troops steamed toward the ship,
the vessels In the harbor dipped their flags
and the tugs answered the salntes by whist
ling. Commander Chandler will send down
another detachment on the Acapulco 1t
will number about two hundred men. Capt.
Reid, of the Boston Navy Yard, who il going
on Monday, says: " j have spent a good deal
of time in Panama, and hardly think there
will be any heavy fighting The elements
there are rough, and are composed of the
rag tag and bobtail of everywhere. As soon
a. any one gets enough money TO hire a
sufficient number of men he starts "A revolu-
ton"