The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-12
CHESTER IN PORT AGAIN.
WILL TAKE THE FOURTH VIRGINIA
REGIMENT TO CUBA.


without Mishap-The Mobile to
! Sail Tonight or Tomorrow With
the 161st Indiana-COI. BeIIinger
Says That the Working of Loading
| Transports Is Now Thoroughly
| Systenaized and He Anticipates No
| Further Delays.
| The transport Chester which left Sa-
| vannah Dec. with the Fifteenth In
/ fantry for Nuevitas, Cuba, is again in
| port. The troubles of the Chester in leav-
ing port on the occasion of her former
| voyage are well remembered, and every
effort will be exercised by those interest
| ed to avert mishaps of any sort on the
occasion of her second voyage.
The Chester arrived off the bar early
| yesterday morning and waited for day
| light. She came up later on the morning
| tide and anchored in the blight. She will
! remain there until a berth is provided for
! her at the Ocean Steamship Company's
| wharves.
The Chester will take on her next trip
the Fourth Virginia Regiment and Gen.
Hasbroucks headquarters and staff to
/
| Wednesday night The departure of the
| Fourth Virginia will be a source of gen.
uine regret to the people of Savannah,
with whom the regiment has been a
prime favorite. In fact, nothing was con-
sidered too good for the Virginians and
every hospitality was shown them, the
men as we'll asI the officers. Several ex-
/ - ~,
with the Fourth Virginia, most of them
being with company NJ, or the Richmond
Blues.
Capt. N P. Williams, quartermaster of
the Chester, came up to the city yesterday
and is quartered al the De Soto. He said
that the Chester had a very pleasant voy-
age TO Nuevitas, the trip being made in
three days. Two days were taken to dis
charge the Fifteenth Infantry, with the
regimental baggage and stores. The
transport was compelled to anchor eight
miles out, and everything was carried
ashore by lighters. The regiment was
landed at Nuevtas and ordered TO proceed
to the interior by Gen. Carpenter. The
Chester's bad luck followed her to Nue.
vitas, where she stuck in the mud, though
eight miles from the shore There were
| no serious results however, and Capt.
the fault of the harbor.
The transport had stormy voyage back,
but made the trip in two days and half.
| Il was glad to return her," said Capt.
Williams. I'm fact L wanted to return.
believe the Chester can be loaded and
taken out without any trouble and think
this will be the case on the occasion of our
next trip OUT
The government supply ship Comal,
which has been loading supplies here for
several days, got out yesterday morning
early. The Comal had on board 1900 tons
of government rations, which are to be
distributed among the destitute Cubans.
She will go first to Havana, where she will
unload part of her cargo, and will then
visit other ports, leaving a portion of her
cargo at each.
Lieut.. Col. Bellinger said last night that
work was progressing very satisfactorily
on the Mobile He is in hopes of getting
her out tonight or by tomorrow morning
at furthest. The Mobile will take the One
Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana, the re-
| naming battalion of the Second Illinois
several attachments and the headquarters
of The Second Division and of the First
Brigade of that division. The headquar-
ters baggage and part of the regimental
baggage was put aboard yesterday and
last night.
I'VE have had various hindrances and
bitches in loading and dispatchng the
Transports said Col BeLinger, ''but 1
think now that all the kinks have been
Strengthened out. The work is now thor
oughly systematized and 1 do not antici-
pate any further trouble For the last
few days we have had great difficulty in
getting men for the gangs, as the men
were unwilling to work in the Indictment
weather. One great cause of delay has
been the immense amount of plumber
/ win
have taken with them, and the manner
| in which it has been delivered at the
wharf. Such a tremendous amount of
| plumber as some of che regiments have
taken has been astonishing 10 me- Max
| ing allowances for the usual amount Of
baggage which a regiment would ordnar-
| lily carry, l have calculated that a certain
amount of time would be consumed in
loading and fixed the time when the YES
sci should sail The baggage has been so
far in excess of my calculations as to
upset them entirely, and the manner in
which it has been delivered has
contributed largely to the de,
lay, The necessity of deliver
ing ali baggage possible before breaking
camp and of delivering 1t Systematically
by companies, keeping each company's
baggage separate upon the wharf in order
that it may be loaded separately, will
be impressed upon the officers of the reg
iments which are to depart, and the effort
will be made TO have the loading as near
completed as possible before the arrival
of the troops in order that there NAV
be no delay in going on board"
Col. Bellinger explained that he had had
no such difficulty in handling regular
troops especially where the baggage was
unloaded from the trains, and the men re-
manned in their cars until time for them
to so aboard.
He was asked If he had sufficient room
at the wharf which the government is
now using.
YES" he replied, 1--WE have both the
Chester and the Mobile here now. The
Chester will be taken up the river to load
lumber and supplies. and win drop down
to the government wharf as soon as the
| Mobile is moved out"
The Mobile will carry in addition to
her other cargo, 100000 ball cartridges as
a reserve supply for the corps in Cuba.