Evening star., 1898-09-16
TRIP OF THE SENECA
Commissioners Taken to Porto
Rico.
PASSAGE WAS A. PLEASANT ONE
Admiral SchIey 2 Most Agreeable
Travelling Companion.
PROPOSED CAPITOL FRIEZE
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| Porto Rico after the annexation Of that
| island to the United States was the trans
| port Seneca, which left Brooklyn shortly
after noon Wednesday, August 81
| For several days prior to the time fixed
| for the departure of this vessel a small
army Of truckmen and laborers were bus
lily engaged In storing supplies Of every
| description in the hold.
| Arrangements had been made for trans
| porting the members of the peace COM
mission, Rear Admiral Schley and Briga-
der General Gordon, together with the
| postal commission and a force of most
| clerks, postal agents and other emplcyes
of the Post Office Department charged
with the duty of improving the facilities
for transporting mails in the newly ac-
Quired territory
| few hours before the time fixed for
| the departure of the Seneca there was an
| unexpected addition to the passenger list
| in thirty female nurses and twelve male
| nurses, whose destination it subsequently,
| transpired was Ponce, whittier the postal
| commission was also bound These
| nurses formed part of the number re-
| cruited by Surgeon Anita MCGEE, the first
| woman ever commissioned as surgeon
In the army, by virtue of which she is en-
| titled to wear the full uniform, including
| epaulets and brass buttons.
| Hence it was most peaceably disposed
| expedition that was organized at Pier %
| in the city of churches for the invasion
| or Porto Rico. General Gordon came
| aboard at Brooklyn with the members of
| his staff but it became necessary for the
Seneca to stop off Tompkinsvil!e, where
Admiral Schley was awaiting the arrival
| of the white-winged messenger. Enter
| ing the steam launch of the Brooklyn it
was not long before the commander of that
| famous craft was alongside the TRANSPORT
| which was to be his stopping place for
| pnl All ffa,
| imagined than that presented between the
| leaden hulled, rakish looking man-of-war
Brooklyn and the white covering of the
Seneca. There was no demonstration at
tending the arrival of Admiral Schiey un-
til he had set foot upon the deck of the
transport which was to convey him to
| Porto Rico.
| Men and women gathered about the rails
TO cheer him. He accepted the ovation
| with the same manner that has marked
| his reception of similar demonstrators
| since his return to this country several
weeks ago.
A saucy little yacht decked in all its
gayest colors and with bunting flying from
| every available spot fore and aft PER
| formed escort duty for the Seneca down
| the bay as far as Sandy Hook lightship
| 1t was ascertained that the party aboard
| the yacht was composed of the family
| and some of the friends of General Gordon
The Departure.
yacht and the excursionists kept up a
| running fire of comment and congratu-
| lation, all directed at General Gordon who
was standing forward on the captains
| bridge. Just before the time arrived for
the yacht to put about for New York the
| megaphone was handed to Mrs. Gordon
whose parting shot to her husband was in
| these words, What a pleasant sensation
| IL Is 10 De able TO speak by means of this
| Instrument and not have any back talk"
| Nobody enjoyed this sally more than the
| general himself, and 1t was a very good
| humored crowd who left the pilot at Sandy
| Hook and put out to sea for fourteen
bundred-mile sail to Porto Rico.
There had been so much hustle and con-
| fusion during the preceding three hours
| that the folks aboard the Seneca had 10
! opportunity to get acquainted or even
| count noses to see If all expected were
| present or accounted for.
When the last piece of coast had disap-
| peared below the horizon the thoughts cf
| the Voyagers turned toward making them
selves comfortable for the next week or
| so, and the purser's office was made the
| hrst point of attack in quest of state
| rooms.
Major Robbins of the quartermaster's Of
flee was found in charge, and he performed
in most acceptable manner the trying
duties so suddenly thrust upon MIN. An
investigation showed that in addition to
the peace and postal commissions there
was abolrd a fiscal commission, repre-
sentlng the Treasury Department, party
of contract surgeons for the army and
an army paymaster with an armed escort
to look after the safety of upward of ST.
100000 intended for distribution among the
troops at Porto Rico.
1t had been the intention to send group
of Spanish prisoners to Porto Rico for
transportation to their home, but at the
last moment this was abandoned and they
will come to Porto Rico on another ves-
sci at a later date.
State rooms were finally assigned to all
entitled to them, and it found that
the accommodations were taxed to the ut
termost necessitating the going below of
many who had confidently counted upon
being given upper deck forward berths,
where they could be cool and comfortable.
1t became necessary for some of these
unfortunates to take up their quarters in
what is usually known as the steerage,
where among their other companions We're
a black coon cat ard a bay horse going
to some officer in Uncle Sans new pos
sessions. OF course there We're growlS il
Vulnerable at this unexpected condition of
affairs, but spirit of good nature ard
comradeship soon pervaded the Seneca,
and those who had been fortunate to draw
state rooms and other accommodations
very promptly intived their neighbors to
come in with them the principle Of snare
and share alike.
In addition to these supplies necessary
for the comfort and sustenance of hun
Seneca was jammed from the top TO the
bottom with bales. barrels, bundles, trunks,
boxes and merchandise of every descrip-
ton
Included in this miscellaneous cargo We're
three hundred pouches filled with mail for
the soldiers at Porto Rico, the letters and
parcels having accumulat ted at New York
from all parts of the country. 1t was the
first regular consignment of mail made on
schedule time, and consequently there was
greater number of pieces than will be
likely to occur hereafter. 1t is proposed
to have weekly service to Porto Rico,
commencing probably by the middle of this
month. and communication will be more
frequeGt and regular. than has hitherto
marked the transportation of mail between
the United States and West Indian ports.
Rates of postage between the United
States and Porto Rico, until Congress
makes other arrangements will be cents
per half ounce, the same as the existing
rates under the postal union.
Persons in the army OF navy, however,
will have the privilege OF sending letters
at the rate of cents per half ounce, and
cne of the postal officials aboard the Sem
eca made computation from which 1t ap-
peared that letter mailed by soldier or
sailor of the United States at Manila for
Porto Rico would travel Il, 800 miles.
half the circumference of the earth, for
certs for each ounce carried