The San Francisco call., 1898-06-05

telegraphed to the War Department that he would sail from San Francisco Sunday has no foundation in fact. General Merritt has not fixed any date for sailing, as he does not know when the fleet of transports will be ready to sail.
 It was ascertained last night that there had been several conferences on the subject of holding the Zealandia and China until three more ships were ready to join the fleet. Should this plan be adopted more organizations than those already designated will be di- rected to embark The conflicting ru- mors regarding the dispatch of a Span ish squadron to the Orient and the un- certainty as to the whereabouts of Ger vera's ships have cut some figure in the calculations for the second Manila expedition. Until within the last twenty-four hours there has been just the shadow of doubt in Washington as to the exact location of Cervera's squadron. Now that all doubt on this score is dispelled, orders may come to General Merritt to make all possible haste to dispatch the second expedi- ton.
 General E. L. Otis, the organizer of the division at Camp Merritt, remark ed yesterday that further orders re- garding the preparation of troops would come from the headquarters of the Department of the Pacific The staff officers of Major General Merritt were busy enough yesterday and work ed at headquarters in the Phelan lttSl lot paymaster announces that all the troops will be paid before they leave this port for Manila As far as can be ascertained, no one in authority at headquarters expects the fleet to sail next Tuesday. A day as far distant as Monday, June 13, is given as the date of sailing by officers familiar with the affairs of the quartermaster's depart ment. In the event of pressing emer- gency or great peril Merritt could get two or three ships with troops and SUD- plies aboard on the way to Manila within forty-eight hours. There seems to be nothing in the situation at pres ent to demand such haste.
 Major Hess will bring four batteries of the Third United States Artillery to the Presidio parade plain tomorrow. Two of the batteries are at present at
 
 and the other is at Lime Point. Gen. eral M. P. Miller has taken command of the First Brigade of the Philippine expeditiOnary forces and Major Kinzie, U. $. A, now commands the Third Ar tillery Regiment and the defenSes of San Francisco harbor. The adjutant of the regiment is Lieutenant Rum baugh. Captain Sedgwick Pratt and Lieutenant Rumbaugh expected to join the command for duty at Manila, but they were not designated for that ser vice by the powers that be. A company of the Sixth California Volunteer h. fantry goes to garrison the rock" known as Alcatraz. Captain Hays bat tery of California Heavy Infantry Vol unteers may be ordered to Lime Point to man the high-power twelve-inch breech-loading rifles which constitute the highest battery in the world.
 Major w. A. Simpson. United States Volunteers, chief of artillery on General Merritt's staff, will perform the duties of ordnance officer until further orders in addition to his other duties.
 Brigadier Generals King and Greene, who are to command two brigades of the Manila expedition, are expected to arrive in San Francisco early this week
 The steamships Ohio and Centennial, chartered as troopships, are to be thoroughly inspected as to their sani- tary condition by a board of medical officers appointed by order of General Merritt consisting of Major R. H. White, surgeon, and Captains B. R. Morris and w. T. Crosby, assistant sur- geons. They will report on the ca pacity, the changes deemed necessary and other matters connected with the vessels.
 It is said that about 50 per cent of the men who have applied for enlist ment in the Signal Corps have been rejected on the ground of physical de- fects. About seventy-five more men are needed, and Major Thompson, chief officer of the corps, has been obliged to send East for a number of expert telegraphers, linemen. etc. The fol- lowing have been commissioned in the Signal Corps: Lieutenants Perkins, Gordon and Kilbourne, and Captains Martin and McKenna
 First Lieutenant Charles G. Wood ward of the Third United States Artil- lery. having resigned his appointment as regimental quartermaster, has been attached to Battery H of that regi- ment.
 General Merriam. commanding the Department of California, was yester- day advised that the quartermaster' S department had engaged transportation for the Fifty first Iowa Volunteer h. fantry from Des Moines to San Fran cisco. Iowa furnished from 1861 to 1865 0000 volunteer soldiers, of infantry, ar tillery and cavalry. The regiments be- gin to number now where the regi- mental numbers ceased in the Civil War The Fifty first, destined for ser vice in the Philippines, is made up of troops from Des Moines, Council Bluffs and other places. There are so many 1owans in San Francisco that the vol unteers from that State will receive 8 cordial greeting on their arrival here
 Brigadier- General V. Greene arrived in town last night, having come straight from Tampa. Florida. by way of Chicago. The general said that he was colonel in command of the Sev- enty-first Regiment, New York Volun- teers, and that he received the ap- pointment of brigadier- general and was ordered to report to General Merritt here. His regiment, which is now sta toned at Tampa, was put in command of Colonel Wallace A. Downs. The
 general says that he ranks as ffrs brigadier, first division of the regulars
 His was the first regiment of volun. teers to be sent to Florida He is 2 handsome, soldierly appearing man ant is president of the Barber Asphalt Pav. ing Company in New York City. Wher asked about his movements he replied
 that he knew nothing whatever, bu