The record-union., 1898-05-28
The Seventh Regiment Furnished
With Complete Outfits.
The Fleet Of Five Vessels Constituting the
Second Expedition to Manila Not Ex-
pected to Get Away for at
Least Ten Days.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 27-GeneraI
! Merritt, who will command the Ameri-
Iican forces, in the Philippines, and who
arrived from Washington last night,
has established his headquarters in
this city at the Palace Hotel. He held
long conference with Major-G General
Otis this morning, but will not divulge
any of his plans for the future
| General Otis will tomorrow take up
his residence at Fort Richmond, and
will have the volunteers now encamped
there under his eye at all times He
will enforce strict discipline in the
camps from now on.
| To-day Captain c. l.. Hooper re-
ceived instructions from Washington
ordering him to proceed to Manila by
ithe next transport, to assume COM
mand of the cutter Hugh McCulloch,
to succeed Captain Hodgson, who is
ordered home
Arrangements have been made by
General Otis for the establishment of
a military hospital near the site of
Fort Richmond. Tents will be erected
for the sick soldiers and nurses will
be always in attendance. There are
many cases of measles and bronchial
affections among the soldiers, and the
Marine Hospital. which has been used
temporarily, is inadequate to the de-
mands.
1t is not expected here that the
transport fleet of five vessels which
will make up the second expedition to
go to Manila with reinforcements for
Admiral Dewey will get away for at
jleast ten days. The China arrived here
to-day from the Orient, and will not
be turned over to the Government un-
til Monday next. The Colon is here,
and a force of men will be put to work
on her at once to prepare her for the
Voyage. The Zealandia is being fitted
up at her dock, but the Centennial and
the Ohio viii not arrive from Puget
Sound for some days yet.
1t is generally understood that the
! five vessels will carry 5000 men, which
will include the Pennsylvania. Colorado
Regiment of this State, and the Eigh-
Iteenth and Twenty-third, now en- route
from New Orleans.
The work of repairing the New Or
leans is being rushed at Mare Island,
and she will doubtless convey General
Merritt and his staff to the Philippines.
One good effect of General Merritts
advent has already been felt He has
ordered the troops not already sup
Iplied with proper equipment to be fur
sary to make them comfortable and
READY for active service. Clothing was
distributed to the men of the Seventh
Regiment this morning. They have
been in need of it ever since they were
mustered in, and there were many
broad smiles on the faces of the men
as they ma led away loaded with
hats, clothes, shoes, etc. About $50
complete outfits, consisting of cam
Ipaign hats, shoes, underwear and uni
forms, were distributed
Lieutenant Hammond. acting Ord
nance officer, left for Benicia Barracks
this morning He will probably bring
500 Springfield rifles, 'S4 pattern, to the
regiment tomorrow morning. When
they are received the regiment will be
about full equipped and ready to start
on the first transports.
Rain to-day and tonight caused con-
siderable discontinue to the troops at
Camp Richmond and the Preside, those
at the latter place suffering the more
on account of the heavy nature of the
soil. Few complaints were made, how
ever, the men all realizing that greater
hardships than a mild rainstOrm are
ir store for them. The Washington
Volunteers, who occupy dry quarters in
the Fontana warehouse, made merry at
the expense of those who fled from that
structure some time since, thinking it
unsafe. and are now camping on the
wet ground.
Sensational rumors in circulation to-
night to the effect that privates of va
rious volunteer regiments encamped
here were dead or dying from drinking
poisoned water, are utterly without
truth. Several soldiers in the WASH
ington regiment, encamped at Fontana
Warehouse, were i'll this afternoon
from eating sandwiches. the meat in
which was slightly tainted, but they
are all right again tonight. There
were no fatalities nor cases of serious
illness reported to-day.