New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-25
FIRST ENGINEERS KEIORN
THE MINNEwAsKA BRINGS THE REGI-
MENT TO PORT
Yrv rxroyrD THE TRIP AND HAVE 40 COM
PLANT TO MAKE-LITTLE SICKNESS
IN THE COMMAND


Iion" was eaten by the 1st Engineers, L. S. ",
Colonel Eugene Griffin. commanding. yesterday
aboard the transport Mnnewaska. as it came
SLOWLY up the harbor through the binding
storm from Ponce, Porto Rico. week ago
to-day the regiment. consisting OF II ofii-
GERS and SJ1 men. sailed II was a bis; ng
hot day, but when the transport ran into the
storm on Wednesday night the officers hurried
10 get out their overcoats. while the men made
themselves comfortable by wrapping themselves
I'm blankets The men say they had pleasant
trip: they are glad to get back. hut they We're
growing a little against the inhcspitahie greet
ing which the weather man gave them' ana
II was pretty hard to be in sight of all the good
things to be found in great city on lhahKs-
giving Day and yet be obliged TO give thanks
for nothing better than the mixture OF haru-
tack cornod beef. potatoes. etc, when IS 'ne
stew commonly known as "slumguIlloh.
The regiment will be transferred to-day on
the Glen Island from the Minnewasha' Nhl'h
is locked at the Pacifc-st. wharf in Brook
Ism. to East Twenty-sixth-st.. Manhattan
From there it will proceed to the sth Regiment
Armory by way Of Twenty-sxth-st. and Firth
ave. The men will then receive sixty-day fur
loughs. and will be furnished with transporta-
ton to whichever Of the following places Is
nearest to their home: Bridgeport. New-IIaven
and New-London. Conn; Boston. Mass: Phla-
delphia. Penn: Baltimore. Nd. Bangor, Me;
Norfolk Va. and Troy. Peeksk.ll and Buffalo.
" Y Although no orders have been given yet
IT IS believed that the regiment will be mus
tered out of the service at the expiration of the
furlough the discharges and pay due being
sent to the men by mail.
The Mmnewaska reached her pier at Pacific
ST. at 3.3O o'clock. II had been planned TO dis
embark The regiment to-day. but it was finally
decided 10 keep the men aboard until to-mor-
row Most Of the men are in excellent health.
OF the twenty-five sick men. only a few are
dangerously i'll with typhoid fever. Arrange
ments Were made to transfer these cases to the
Long Island College Hospital yesterday after
noon. Two ambulances We're summoned, but
only one patient taken off the boat. The
only means Of getting from the boat TO the pier
was a long narrow and steep gangplank. on
account Of the snow 1t was dangerous to at
tempt to move a litter down this passage. 1t
was tried once Walter Bramble of Company
D. was strapped TO the litter, which was low
cred down almost perpendculary. To-day bet
ter arrangements will be made for taking the
other sick men off the boat. Lieutenant W. G.
Kimball Of Brooklyn who has been i'll with
typhoid fever, was able 10 be about and was
taken 70 his home n Monroe-st by friends
Lieutenant r. V Beach. who died some time
ago was the only officer lost. or the 1.o97 men
and Is officers who went to Porto Rico, ~ men
and Il officers returned on the MinneWaska.
Major Josiah Pierce a division engineer, |. :.
A: General &. .. Sawtelle /. s. A, and Or.
Anes a contract surgeon. were the only i'm
portant passengers aside from the regiment
THEY ENJOYED THEIR TRIP.
y,
had been a pleasant one and devoid of special
interest In speaking Of the work Of his com
mand Re said:
I'VE arrived in Porto Rico on August Il. II
We had not had 50 much trouble in getting off
on the Chester We might have seen some good
lighting The first battalion under John :.
Sewcll busted itself in repairing the roads and
bridges destroyed by the Spanards in their re-
treat from Ponce to AbonitO. The Second Bat
talon and part Of the Third were stationed at
Ponce. where they repaired bridges damaged
by foods built a reservoir for a water supply,
and set up 4 refrigerating plant OF capacity
of two thousand tons daily. The men also made
a number Of surveys in the neighborhood and
acted as headquarters guard for General Wilson.
The Second Battalion for time was stationed
at Guanica, here Fort Capron was construct
ed also road leading up u II. The fort
mounts two mOrtars, and can be used as a site
for heavy guns in case ii is decided 10 fortify
the port Of GuaniCa permanently
Colonel Griffen paid high compliment 10 Post
Commissary Sergeant Ambrose. Such officers.
the Colonel said. had 70 serve eight years in the
Army before attaining such rank. and whenever
a regiment secured such an officer it usually ex-
perienced better ration service than others not
50 fortunate. Sergeant Ambrose taught the
company cooks how to make the most OF the
ratons issued. and bartered with the Porto
Ricans the extra rations to obtain variety that
otherwise would not have graced their table.
Captain Robinson and Captain Littell Of the
Quartermaster's Department here. went on To
meet the regiment on tug. With them were
Colonel \. q. Mills and General Shaler. Of Post
Lafayette. the committee arranging the enter
tainment Of the regiment. The Quartermasters
Department officials carried with them boxes OF
overcoats for the troops most IF whom were al
ready supplied as Colonel Grffen when return
ing to Porto Rico after being here on sick leave.
took with him the regiments overcoats and
heavy underclothing. in anticipation 81 Just such
"A homecoming as yesterdays. Between decks II
was not warm, but everything was clean and as
comfortable could be expected
OFFICERS WANT TO GET OVERcOATs.
While tha men received their oyercoats. some
Of the officers were not So fortunate. Those
who had ordered the regulation officers over
coat before they went to Porto Rico had them
sent from their tailor's yesterday 70 the trans
port Many Of the officers had not done this
ard as "A result they are in rather an uncom-
Portable position
Lieutenant f. ". Blackjack Of Company G.
is one Of those who did not have time To order
a coat before he left New York. He said yester-
day: Il wish | could find some military man IN
the city vino would sell me his coat ! need one
now coming from the warm climate of Porto
Rico 10 NcW-YOrk in this beaStly weather ana
cannot get one made AT a tailOrs inside or
week II there Is any officer who has coat
that would m me ! would ike 10 get II When we
reach m. Stn Regiment armOry There are
other officers in the regiment who are in the
same predicament. who would Ike t. luy coats
at once"
The majors Of the ~ and 81 battalions are
l. \ Shaler and j. ID. Ferguson.
Lieutenant Colonel II. +. Hodges. who. in
Colonel Grtin's absence. from September . 10
November 3 was in command in speaking Of
the feeling in me regiment. said:
We really had pleasant time We were
Nell cared for by memhers Of the headQuar-