New-York tribune., 1896-05-29
RUMOR OF WAR IN AFRICA
THREE BIG CARGOEs OF GRAIN RE-
GARDED AS SIGNIFICANT.

THE BOERS-OTHER SlilfflNu Nb"S'
An apparently wel-grounded rumor yesterday
sent a thrill Of excitement through shipping CIR
cles OF the Brooklyn water front IL was ho 'e''
than that England is hastily making prepaia
t,ons T., hepin war on the Beers in South AFRICA
In support Of the rumor the fact was ci'eu ."''
several big steamers with South African destna-
tions are loading corn, wheat and oats at Diooh
lyn warehouses They will leave BrooKiyh a'
about the same time Their cargoes OF grain are
IN baes suitable for transportation In land' anu
this method of shipping grain. to South AFRICA Is
said TO be absolutely without precedent /"
usually going in bulk. The baggeo graiH' inc
reticence of the sailing masters as TO their pre-
else destination and the present STRAINED reia'
lions between England and the Transvaal are
regarded as highly significant by shipping peo-
pie.
Never before did go large and varied careoes
of grain go to South Africa as Will leave brooN-
lyn in a few days the great freight steamship
Westmeath description OF which was puohs"eu
in The Tribune of last Sunday. Her immense
cargo of grain will be carried in sacks not IN
bulk. with several tiers of sack grain on top TO
nrevent shifting. as grain cargoes are usually
slowed. In order to do this the expense OF load
ing Is largely increased The grain is all welghed
IN the hold and this requires six scales, SIX
uefshmasters and Axty-siX 'lonSshoremen. dl-
vided into three gangs of twenty-five men each
besides foremen. ..... ......
The Westmeath's cargo consists Of 10000 sacks
of white corn, of 200 pounds each; 2,ooo SACKS
of wheat of 200 pounds each. and l'ooo SACKS
of oats weight not known, but they VIII prop
ably average 100 pounds each at least Ihese
figures would amount 20 1S,62o,OOJ pounds OF looo
material loaded this vessel. The corn Is oi
the white variety, which IS much mere highly
ds
corn for domestic purposes If 1t is only IN
tended for the Kafirs, il is not likely that muci
thought would be given to the selection OF the
corn
The Westmeath Is bound TO Capt Town for
orders. One of the officers said yesterday that
she would probably touch at two or thre 0tner
ports If she were to discharge at capt loWh
there would be no need to bag the gram as u ,,
are excellent facilities at lndt port lOi 'ii0 "'
charging OF vessels 49, po,,
At Port Natal. Delagoa Bay and Algoa bay
the case is entirely different. Ihe east coasa |,e
of Africa is about the worst in the world ! ne
,nbroken sweep Of the mountainous waves tia'
come tumbng In before the southeast eaie'
have left the bones OF more ships on .na' o.f tha
coast than can. be found. on any otner IN s ,is
world perhahps, the general volume Oh traue anu
recent settlement being taken INTO cohsiueia
ton Most of the ports are open roauslsaus
and landing is so difficult that the passengers on
the Peninsular and Oriental steamers, ano III
fact on all vessels trading on the coasl, are
put and off in huge baskets baskets or r. sa the boom
ends This Is necessary because of the ceaseless
rolling of vessels at anchor
WHY THE GRAIN is IN BAGS.
This bagging of the Westmeaths cargo Is clear
" indicative Of the fact that 1t Will be dlscharged
at some port where there are no ordinary iacih-
ties for the dscharging Of grain. The sailors say
that II will have to be taken into the interior on
the backs Of mules
The ships small amount OF general cargo IL
such as usually goes to South and East Africa
organs, clothespins, corned beef, pumps Stoves
mining machinery etc. Of which, however, there
Is only 2I5 tons. 49,.
Nor is this all There are at least two other
eteameps loading grain here for South Africa one
of these is the Tevisdae loading at the Excelsior
Elevator Atlantic Dock. and third steamer 10
loading at the United States Elevator just nortn
of Hamilton Ferry Never before. 1t Is said, did
so much grain leave this port for South Africa.
1t is impossible to get away from the feeling
that these carsoes look uncommonly ike prepara,
tions for war. as they contain all that is needed
for the support Of men and horses, or mules
rather as horses lives worth little In South
Africa where disease and the ravages OF the
tsetse fly put an end to them in short order. Nor
Is IL likely that such extensive food preparations
would be needed If there was no other trouble on
hand than that in Matabeleland. The whole af-
fair would 10 point TO the fact that President
Kruger and his Boer warriors may yet need to
keep their trusty rifles in good working order
The steamship Batoum, Of London, has also
nearly finished loading cargo OF grain at the
North Central Pier Atlantic Dock, from two
floating elevators. She will have. It is said
nearly 40 900 bushels Of grain on board when her
cargo is finished
GRAIN TRADE IMPROVING.
The grain trade however seems to be picking
up somewhat; the Fabre Line steamer Massilia
is also loading at Dow's Stores just acrces the
slip from the huge Westmeath She is taking
25,000 bushels of oats to Marseilles and large
quantity of white corn. besides general cargo
The Hndoo of the Wilson Line. is loading grain
for Hull or London; the Colorado and Marengo,
Of the same line are also loading at Prentice's
Stores.
Besides the Tevsdale and Batoum, already
named there are in the Atlantic dock the steam
er Lady Palmer at the east central pier; the
Portuguese steamer Oevenum. and tn old Cha
teau Line steamer Chateau-YQueni This latter
arrived here with LOO Italian immigrants a
week ago, but without ounce OF cargo except
sand ballast, which she is now dischargng.
At the Union Stores there is solitary steam
ship, the Anchor Lines East Indanan Scindia
a comparatively new steamer. which has just
made her first trip across the Atlantic. Home
ward bound she has been charted by the Wilson
Brothers, of Hull
There was no vessel at Robnsons Stores yes
terday, but there was large quantity of sugar
and hemp on the piers. besides lot Of logwood
The Amity-st. pier was empty, except for log
wood. fustlc and other dyewoods, and some
1t Woocruffs Stores the steamer Fontabelle
OF the Outerbridge Lane. discharging cargo
OF sugar from Barbados in sacks. hogsheads
and casks.
At PieIrepont Stores the Caracas Of the Red
d Line. and the steamer Arkadia were at work
The Mediterranean piers are choked with fruit
the cargoes of the steamships Betty and Flower
gate. Although the fruit trade is dull, another
OF Phelps Brothers steamers was due off Amity-
at. last evening.
At Roberts Stores, the steamship Lassee. Of
Lamport Hollis Line was about finished load
ing. Her flags. well as all the pier flags of
the line were at half-mast. In mourning for Mate
Farley, of the steamer Rosse, who was shot on
board the latter vessel by a seaman on May 1S
and who has since died from the wound
At the Central Elevator, the American clipper
ship George r. Stetson and another clipper have
Just arrived from around the Horn. with full
cargoes Of canned salmon. wine fruit and other
products OF the Pacific Coast All the bulk
heads in the neighbOrhood are covered with