The herald., 1898-06-13
TWELVE MILES OF CARS
TO CARRY THE RATIoNs FOR THE
SOLDIERS
MILLIONS OF CARTRIDGES
And Hundreds of Cannon Purchased.
Still the Work Goes On and
More Is Needed
Associated Press Special Wire

AUTe ~ NceoeQ
Associated Press Special Wire
. WASHINGTON, June 12.-Secreta- .
. ry Aiger today gave out for publica- .
ton a statement showing with exact .
. ness just what has beer done by the .
war department in preparing the army .
for war. The secretary said that this .
. matter, which had been carefully pre- .
pared by the heads of the various de- .
. partments of course, omitted thous- .
. ands of details but still it might con- .
vey some idea Of the vast work accom- .
plished by the department. .
. The statement comprises reports .
made by Quartermaster-Genera Lud- .
. ington, Commissary- General Egan, .
Chief of Ordnance General Flagler,
. and Chief of Engineers General Will .
. son. .
The report Of the subsistence depart
ment shows that it has since May IA, .
. or less than a month, loaded twelve .
solid miles of freight cars with pro- .
. visions for the army. This included .
. 1926 ,945 rations, or 80, $50 tons for the
. regular and volunteers troops. .
Inc Cartr1oge supply
Prior to April l, in anticipation of the
present emergency, the department has
been accommodating small arms and car
tridges, and had about 20 100000 of all kinds.
There have been procured many millions
more by manufacture and purchase since
April 2, and the manufactur and delivery
of small arm cartridges will soon reach
zoe, 900 per day. There have been issued to
the army small arms of all kinds, and the
supply is sufficient for anticipated wants.
Since April 21 the old regular batteries
have had their armament increased from
four guns and caissons to six guns and
caissons. The new regular batteries have
been supplied with six guns and caissons
and their battery wagons and forges.
Sixteen volunteer batteries have been,
supplied either in whole or in part.
New Field Batteries
The department has sent 20 the field
large number of five-nch siege guns ard
seven-inch siege howitzers, with their car
riages,. timber, platforms, implements,
equipment, tools and chests complete, also
seven-inch mortars.
Smokeless powder is now being issued for
all field and siege guns.
The supply of ammunition already or
dered for field cannon is considered suffi-
cient for the present time.
There have been shipped to the fortifica-
tions since April q many sea coast car
riages, guns for which are already pro-
vided.
Rapd-f1re guns and an ample supply of
ammunition, cartridges, shells, shrapnel,
fuses and smokeless powder for the same
have been purchased and a portion of them
have already been installed at the govern
ment works.
The Transport Fleet
There have been chartered, without seri-
ous.y hampering the coastwise lines, forty
one first class steamships for transports
on the Atlantic coast, four water vessels,
one tug. three steam lighters and one steam
er for the signal service. Eleven of these
had to be refitted to a greater or less ex-
tent.
The government has made most accepta-
BILE contracts for coal at New Orleans, Mo-
bile, Tampa, Key West, Savannah and
Fernandina, and also coal afioat to follow
the transports to Cuba az ID Porto Rico.
Cannot Get Ships
1t has been most difficult to secure these
ships on the Pacific ocean, not because of
unwilingness of the steamship companies
to give their ships, but from the fact that
they were not available for the reason that
most of the companies were trading across
the Pacific and as far south as Panama,
and we could get the vessels when they ar
rived in port.
In many instances these companies have
had to charter other vessels to replace those
1t was necessary for the government to
have to transact it's business. American
register was required for a number OF
ships but there was no difficulty in getting
all the vessels necessary for transporting
troops to the Philippines.
Because of the long distance these ships,
had to go some delays were caused in fitting
them out as transports So far ten vessels
have been chartered. The procurement Of
the coal for the expedition has been left to
the quartermaster on Gen. Merritts staff,
favorable offers by dealers on this side of
the continent being declined because the
distance was too great.
A Vast Undertaking
The movement of troops to the rendez-
vous points was vast undertaking. The
volunteer troops have gone to their desti-
nation with promptness and with remark
able freedom from accident or delay. Ex-
tremely low rates for transportation were
secured, generally not exceeding IL cents
per mile for passengers and about half the
prevailing tariff for freight
Altogether the troops transported. regu-
lar and volunt teer, were 126 regiments of in
fantry. "a regiments of artillery. battal-
Ions OF troops or cavalry and 20 batteries OF
artillery. Some of the things purchased by
the quartermaster's department out of the
very long list are SS10 cavalry horses. 12.-
s0S draft mules, 2109 pack mules, 500 small
mules, 1900 small horses 4O9O wagons. 425
ambulances. 17052 single harnesses. 1900
saddles and brides, 1897 pack saddles. 31oo
halters, 1775 artillery horses and 544 draft
horses for siege trains, 1O6.663 blankets.
123,12S blouses, 25,73O canvas coats and
trousers. $3.50 canton flannel drawers. -
9o5 summer drawers, .7OS campaign hats.
$3.50 canvas hats, 92,sS4 leggins, 1o5. .2s7
ponchos, 1S0,7S5 flannel shirts. 1872 s5e
leather shoes. $1,000 cotton socks. "a 27o
woolen stockings. 24,SS0 hammocks. s195
helmets, 1920 mosquito bars 1000 head nets
6066 common tents, 141,562 shelter halves
1862 wall tents and 1920 conical tents,
More New Guns
In addition to the work already cor.
pleted upon the deck ration Of war work wa .
ordered and is in progress upon q bat
teries working with double shifts Of men