St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-08-24
partments had been promoted and or


lenses, building emplacements of heavy
guns, mortar batteries and mines.
The surgeon general has had the en-
ormous work o. fitting up hospitals, or
ganizing the medical corps, employing
male and female nurses, contract sur
geons. being surgeons who are employed
from civil life, besides those commits
stoned as corps, division and brigade
surgeons; furnishing medical supplies
and answering the demands from all
over the country and from camps at
Santiago, Porto Rico and Manila. The
work done in this line Is almost beyond
comprehension.
The commissary general had pur-
chased and distributed up to Aug. no.
9O7,235 pounds Of rations, which have
been transported and distributed to all
armies in the field here and at Santiago,
Porto Rico and Manila besides the large
quantity distributed among the desti-
tute Cubans.
The quartermaster generals report Is
too long to even give an approximate
idea Of his work. In the way of trans
portation to Honolulu, Manila, Santiago
and Porto Rico. and return home, there
have been sent S2,63S men, with artillery
equipment and supplies. By rail in
this country there have been trans
ported 300 officers 233962 enlisted men,
also 40,5S2 animals, besides thousands
Of wagons. artillery and other quarter
master, commissary, ordnance, medical
and signal service stores. The total
number Of articles Of clothing and camp
equipment distributed to the army by
the quartermaster's department has
been 6,274,4S3, of which can only men
ton few articles as follows: Blankets,
2SS739; blouses, 2S3,762; trousers, 406,-
423; hats, 1874. LOG; canvas field uniforms,
S3,2OO shoes (pairs), 511,37S; undershirts,
1896; tents, 179,142 The total weight
Of food and forage distributed daily to
the army is approximately 300 tons.
Added to this is the large fleet of trans
ports chartered and purchased, the man
agement of the same in conveying troops,
supplies and ammunition. The pay
master has promptly paid the army and
Is deserving of very great credit for his
work. The signal corps has provided
most efficient service, furnishing cable,
telegraph, telephone and signal SER
vices to the different commands in the
fields.
Very Little Wood Must BE Used In the
Construction of Sea Fighters.
New York, Aug. 22.-Rear Admiral
Sampson, in an interview with World
reporter, at his home in Glen Ridge, N.
j., said.
There is no question about the value
of battleships. 1t is only matter of the
manner of battle and the equipment of
the enemy. If we are to fight cruisers
then we must fight with cruisers. We
must have battleships to fight battle
ships.
Say, for instance, that we were to en-
gage in war with England-though the
probability of such war is exceedingly
small-in that event we should need a
great number of heavily armed battle
ships, for this is the strong part of the
English navy.
What is the most significant result of
the naval campaign off Santiago from a
naval officers. point of view?
In the first place, we know now thai
torpedo boats are of very much less value
than we imagined. That fact was dem
onstrated off Santiago.
Now, to return to the work of our own
ships. There can be no possible doubt as
to the efficiency of our battleships. We
know that our constructors are working
| OIL httt yya oil
that the use of wood in battleships OF
cruisers is deadly menace to the safe.
ty of ship and crew. / should say that
the only important change in the con.
struction of our ships for the future
suggested by our late experience would
be the abandonment of woodwork and OF
all combustibles.
Those poor fellows on the Spanish
ships were not killed by GU shells; they
were burned up in the mass of woodworl
that was set on fire by our shells. The,
did not have the necessary appliances t.
put out the fire, or they did not know
how to do the work. At any rate, they
were burned up in their own ships from
combustibes on board and possibly, un
der less fortunate conditions simila
disaster could have occurred on one Of
more of our own ships.
Our ships have too much wood. TIL
Iowa has very little wood, but the Ore
gon has too much.
Wretchedness In Santiago.
Santiago, Aug. 22.-All admit and hav,
admitted that the Spaniard has been
nd fol y,
Americans who took off their hats to thu
Spanish officers on the 18th of July die
so with true homage to brave men. Al
the pitiful lines Of Spanish prisoner
stagger through the streets of this city
feebly stepping out of the way of pc
destrians, looking fearfully at rafting
carts and in sad contrast to our stron:
men in brown, the Americans who Sc,
them are inclined again to uncover thei
heads, prompted by the same feeling o
homage to brave men.
A white-haired officer, with stars an
bands on his sleeves, but so very veal
and pale that he looked more like
skeleton than a man, walked down tn
wharf, supported by his wife, who wa
as much in need of support as himself
over a loose board they tripped and fell
There were two young children in tn
party who cried almost continually
Finally they all got on board to spen,
10 days on a filthy, horrible troopshir
There are many women going thus
wives Of officers who cannot pay for
passage. These Spanish troopships bi,
fair to rival old slavers in the miser.
and suffering that will be confined