New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-27
EQUIPPING TIE ARMY.
WORK OF THE QCARTERMASTER's DE-
PARTMENT IN THE WAR.


BIG FLEET OF TRANSPORTS PROVIDED
GENERAL. LJDINGToN's ANNUAL REPORT
Washington. Nov. 26-The annual report o.
ouartermaster- General NJ. l. LudirGton reviews
the operations Of his Office the close of hos
t;ies with Spain. Treating Of the af-
fecting the Quartermastcr- Generals Depart
ment. he says:
Properly to cothe and equip this large num-
Der Of soldiers for active and immediate opera
lions In the field a problem Of vast pro-
portions. Many difficulties were in the way
Contracts were promptly entered into for all the
articles Of clothing and camp equipage for
which there would be early demand great
care being taken 10 prevent the supply of arti-
Giles OF inferior quality. The kerseys and fan
nels Of standard quality used for making Army
blouses and trousers were rot TO be had in the
market. and !; necessary to have them
manufactured. In the mean time the Depart
nent. so far as possible. endeavorec to procure
articles conforming as nearly practicable to
existing standards. hut had to resort at first to
some extent to the purchase of d TX blue trou-
se~s So that the men might he quickly supplied.
The prompt supply Of the large number II tents
required by the increased force a problem
a. difficult solution. and called for extraordinary
endeavors. At the beginning of the war there
was but little cotton duck to he found in this
country entirely suitable for military purposes,
the supply having been depleted by the large
demands for ;entagc for the Klondike region
and the extensive purchases 10y the Navy De
With all the perplexing difficulties confronting
the Department in tie matter Of clothing anG
cquipage supplies. in the short period Of three
and one-half months army of 215.000 men
was equipped with such supplies. and the army
IN cuba. consisting # 10000 men. leaving their
tcHtaee behind. arrived at their camp at Mon
iauk Point y. Y. and found a complete new
outi, Of tents and clothing ready for them there
In the war period animals were purchased
costing S3s11.G90, and wagons and harness
costing <&5> 40 In this same period s3o7S
tons OF coal were purchased.
THE TRANSPORT SERVICE.
General Huntington discusses in detail trans
portaticn during the war. He says:
From April |. 1898. to the breaking UP Of
Camp Wikoff. the aggregate movement of
troops Icy rail amounted to 1865 officers and
4"H569 men. Low rates were secured by the
Quar;ermaSter's Department in making these
movements. generally not exceeding 1i2 cents
per mile for passengers and in many cases
much less and about one-half the prevailing
tariff rates for freight In excess Of the 100
pounds per carried free.
From the declaration Of 70 June 30 1913
this Department chartered for service on the
Atlantic and Cult waters forty-three vessels
with total tonnage Of l042ul and carrying
capacity Of IN officers - 33o men, with their
arms ammunition. equipment medical and sub
sistcnoe supplies. and GIG animals There
were also chartered four water boats with a
total ca paciiN Of $4,000 gallons: three lighters
two tugs and barge; also two barges pur-
chased. Fourteen ships were chartered TO June
b. 1895 on the Pacific Coast. having total
tonnage Of 4llJ2 and carrying capacity OF
600 officers and 1909 men. with their complete
outfit OF camp and garrison equpage. arms
ammunition medical and subsistence stores for
4 voyage Of over seven thousand miles. the
combined fleets on the Atlantic and Pacihc
oasis at the close of the fiscal year consisted
of nineiy-nine vessels Of various classes. With
total tonnage Of 1ij.:'53 tons. and n carrying
capacity al over Ir'"o men.
Tho total EXPENDITURES for fitting NJ these yes
sels $50 far reportcd) 70 June 80. I'''N,
amounted TO S1S6G52 The payments for ser
vices o. the vessels under charter to June 80
1S9S We're follows: on Atlantic Coast and
Gulf waters 81 .u07 $50: Pacific Coast,
Sal97G4.
To provide for the TRANSFORMATION Of the sick
and wounded this Department purchased from
the Maine Steamship Company the steamship
John EnCs. renamed the Relief fog the sum or
SliOOOn. This ship was fitted up at consider
able expense as a hospital ship and every ap-
uliance provided for the care. comfort and
treatment Of the SIGH and wounded The in,
terror Of the ship was remodeled ana proNlded
with an electric plant for lighting and purify
ing Ste.ilizing and laundry plants ana TWO
Steam launches were also provided The ex
penditures for refitting amounted 10 Sl36.S'l
Since the close # the fiscal year the steam
ship Missouri used by the Medical Department
~ the Army as a hospital transport. has been
fitted up for that purpose by me qua IA
t4,'s Department. ct an expenditure OF SS',N1t
Since July l. 1898 there have been chartered
on the Atlantic Coast four vessels VIZ steam
sbips Wanderer. La GranGe Duchesse. Tarpon
ard re These vessels were made auxiliary to
;h- fleet Of transports for transp0rtauon OF
frooYs and Supplies to Cuba and Porto RICO:
and increased the tonnage to = iW 99 tons anu
the carrying capacity to over 2'uoO men. .,
rr t,,,ing and lightcrage at Santiago. two fine
ocean tugs were chartered early in July, 1913
the Underwater and the Gladisfen Ihere Were
also chartered for service in the movement OF
troors and supplies at Montauk after the re-
turn Of General SKATERS army from Cuba one
large steamship for the transportation OF sch
I'd wounded and five small steamers. three
harccs and two fatbOats These vessels since
;he abandonment Of Camp Nikon as a camp
have been dispensed WIZ
CARRYING TROOPS TO MANILA.
on the Pacific Coast four additional Vesseis
,,sra chartered for the transportation Of troops
And >1puljes TO Manila viz. the City OF RIO de
Janeiro. the Pennsylvania the st Paul ana
the Tacoma There were also purchaseu lo'
the service Of the Army on the Paclhc ocean
two large. commodOus steamships, tne ,'CaIio,
40 ~ arizona Increasing the total tonnage
80 the feet operatng on the Pacific ocean od w.
81 9S-. and the carrying capacity 10 over -'o''
men. ,.o-aa C, On m.
TIE carrying capacity Of the chartered steam