Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-06-03
FIVE ADDITIONAL VESSELS WERE
CHARTERED YESTERDAY.
INVASION is TO BE PUSHED
SHIPS ENOUGH now ON HAND TO
CARRY 10000 MEN.
OMciaIs Express Their Ignorance as
to the Time When the Embark
alton Is to Take Place-It
Has Undoubtedly Be-
gun Already.

WASHlNGION, June l.-Assisldhl oec-
retary Meiklejohn. of the war department.
to-day secured additional transports OF
capacity of approximately 5000 men for the
Cuban army of invasion. This swells the
total number of available vessels to over
thirty, with a carrying capacity of nearly
o,0OO men. The ships secured to-day will
be sent to Florida ports. chiefly Tampa,
as fast as practicable and prepared for
service. The vessels are the Comanche, OF
the Clyde line, now at New York, capacity
LOO men; the Louisiana and the knicker-
booker, of the Cromwell line, one of which
is at New York and the other at New Or
leans. 600 men each; the Specialist and the
Uniorist. belonging to the Morgan Ine,.
and which before the war piled between
Mobile, Ala, and Porto Rico, estimated to
carry 1000 men each. They are now at Mo-
bile. The charter of the last named ves-
sells is subject to the granting Of congress
Of American register, for which the as
sistant secretary will ask that body.
At the same time Mr.. Meiklejohn an
nounced that the Mantea. small vessel
now at one of the Gulf ports, was ready
for service, and she will proceed to Tam
pa Immediately. Her capacity is 200 men.
The chartering of additional ships at this
time is taken as an indication Of the
ment proposes to undertake the offensive
operations against the Spanish in the West
Indies. and of the intention to carry out
the plan indicated by Secretary Alger in
his letter to the house asking for more
money to be made Immediately available.
The statement has been made repeatedly
at the war department that additional
transports for the West Indian campaign
were not sought, as 1t already had an am
pie number for the purposes indicated. The
understanding at the war department is
that. up to this time. none Of the troops
of the regular army. which it was an
nounced would sail this week, have ac-
tually left the United States. and the Off
cials express their ignorance of the time
when the embarkation is to take place.
The latest information received here is
that General Miles is still at Tampa, and
several kilograms reaching here from him
bear the name of that place.
Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn to-day
announced with considerable satisfaction
that the troop ship Centennial, designated
for the second Philippine expedition, would
arrive at San Francisco probably to-mor-
row. She has been at one of the Pacific
coast ports and is fully equipped and
ready for her work. At the same time he
expedition, will reach San Francisco on
Saturday or Sunday, coaled for her long
voyage but not yet equipped. Meanwhile.
arrangements for the second expedition are
being hurried, and the officials hope that
1t will not be very long before the five ves-
selS which are to compose 1t steam out Of
the Golden Gate on their long voyage
across the Pacific.
The department was informed to-day Of
the arrival at San Francisco of the COM
pany of engineers from willet's Point, N,
Y, in command of Captain William c.
Lengfitt. The company is to be recruited
to Its full authorized strength Of 15o men
in the Pacific coast states, and will form
valuable adjunct to General Merritt's
force
There are evidences that the war depart
ment is making arrangements for the con-
centration Of large number Of troops at
Jacksonville. where Major General Lee,
commanding the Seventh army corps, has
his headquarters. Two regiments, which
had been assigned originally to Chcka-
mauga, will go instead to the Florida city.
These are one of the Virginia regiments
and one of the New Jersey regiments.
Jacksonville has been spoken Of as likely
to be a base OF operations for the. expedi-
tion to Porto Rico, and the expectation is
that other regiments will be ordered there
as soon as they are ready for active serv-
ice.
MOBILE, AI4A..J June 2-Orders and coun-
ter orders flew fast at General Coppinger' 8
headquarters to-day. The movement of
troops will. in all probability, begin to-
| morrow. General Coppinger left this aft
| ernoon for Tampa. 1t is said he will re-
turn in a few days, as the formation of his
! corps must be perfected here under his
| personal direction. The Third, Eleventh
and Twentieth infantry regiments are
packed ready to leave. The Nineteenth
| infantry and the Fifth cavalry were or
dered to proceed to San Francisco to en-
| bark for the Philippines, but the order