Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-18
Will Not All Be in Quarters by the
End of the Week.
BIDS FOR TRANSPORTATION OPENED
Engineer Officers On Duty in the
District.
sICARD ORDERED TO DUTY

General Miles, commanding the army,
has not yet completed the plans for his
coming trip south in connection with the
mobilization Of the army at the various
points to which the troops have been Or
dered. The end of the week probably will
have arrived before all the soldiers are in
their quarters, especially as some of them
come from remote points west of the Rocky
mountains. General Miles first trip south
will be in the nature of an inspection tour,
during which he will visit Atlanta, Tampa,
Mobile. Chickamauga and New Orleans,
where the troops will be concentrated. On
this trip he may visit Key West, in order
to familiarize himself with the conditions
existing there and to make preliminary
plans for strategic operations that may be
decided on later.
Proposals for the transportation to the
mobilizing points in the south of 1G, 500 Of
the troops Of the United States army were
opened at the headquarters of the various
departments today. The order issued by
General Miles contemplated forty-eigh.
hours notice to the railroads for making
proposals for the transportation necessary,
so that if possible the bids might be ex-
amined and a contract closed and the SOL
diers started southwark today. A humber
OF the railroads complained that the time
was too short for them to properly exam
inc the various routes and present their
figures to the department, but the officials
anxious to hasten the movement held to
their original limit. All the movements of
the regular army will be by rail, SO far as
possible. Four companies of cavalry and
one battery of ligh. artillery located in and
near Washington go to the Chickamauga
battlefield, and for their transport south
bids were received from several railroads.
The Quartermaster general of the army
hats already received proposals from steam
ship companies engaged in the coastwise
trade for the conveyance of soldiers from
points III the south to Cuban ports. The
department has concluded not to purchase
any vessels for this purpose, but simply to
charter them. 1t has not yet been def
nitely ascertained if there are enough YES
sells available for this work.
Available for Immediate Service.
According to a list furnished the Secre-
tary Of War by General Wilson, chief of
engineers, all the officers Of that depart
ment now on duty in the District, with only
one or two exceptions, are available for
immediate service with the army in the
field. This list includes the names of Cap
tain Black, Engineer Commissioner of the
District, and his assistants, Captains Burr
and Leach; Lieutenant Colonel Chas. j. AL
len, in charge of the Potomac river i'm
provement; Captain Gaillard, in charge of
the Washington aQueduct, and Captains
Goethals and Kuhn, and Lieutenant Jad-
win, on duty at the office of the chief of
engineers; Lieutenant Morrow. on duty
under Colonel Allen, and Captain Mills. en-
ciy - l.
1t is understood that the names of Lieuten-
ant Colonel Alexander Mckenzie, principal
assistant to the chief of engineers, and Col
Theodore A. Bingham, in charge of public
buildings and grounds, are omitted from
this list.
The list prepared by General Wilson is
most comprehensive in character and in
Guides the names of nearly every officer Of
the engineer department throughout the
United States. In order to take care of the
important river and harbor and other en-
cheering works in charge Of these officers
1t will probably be necessary in particular
cases, where the works cannot be entirely
neglected, to double, treble or quadruple
the duties of some of the officers, in order
that the services of the others may be
awaited Of in military field operations.
In the majority Of cases the names are
given with the general idea that the officers
will not be called away from their present
duties for more than a few months This
Is particularly the case with the officers
detailed for duty with the District gov
eminent. In that case it is not believed to
be necessary to formally detach these off,
GERS and replace them with others, unless
1t shall be found that their services may be
needed in the field much longer than Is now
anticipated. 1t is stated in the engineer
office that it is believed that the interests
of the District will not suffer by the alb
sence for short time of at least two OF
the engineer officers connected with the
local government.
Captain Black, 1t is understood, is ex-
tremely anxious to go into the field In case
of war, and that he has applied personally
to GeEerl Miles for place on his staff.
Sicard Ordered to Duty.
Probably with the view of availing him.
self Of the large experience of Rear Ad-
miral Sicard, Secretary Long has revoked
the sick leave Of that officer and ordered
him to duty in his own Office at the Navy
Department. The admiral at present is at
his home in New York state and Is expected
to report at the department in the next
twenty-four hours. He has been on sick
leave. suffering from the effects of a slow
attack of malarial fever, ever since his re-
lief by Captain Sampson from command Of
the North Atlantic squadron. Being thor
oughly familiar with every detail of con-
struction and the strength and weakness
of all Of the vessels of the fleet under Cap
tain SIMPSONS command, as we'll as those
now lying at Hampton Roads under the
command of Commodore Schley, Admiral
Sicard is expected to be of great assist
ance to the department in the arrange
ments Of any plans Of campaign.
Technically, he succeeds in the Secre-
tary's office Captain Sigsbee, who has been
acting in a similar capacity since Captain
Barkers relief as professional adviser to
the Secretary.
Capt. SiEsbee Ordered to the St. Paul,
The formal orders were posted this morn
ing detaching Captain Sigsbee from the
Navy Department and ordering him to pro-
coed Immediately to League Island, for
duty with the st. Paul. This Is the tech
meal way Of expressing the fact that the
captain is to supervise the work of making
sucn alterations in the ship as may be nee
essary to fit her as an auxiliary cruiser, It
being understood that he Is to assume COM