The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-18
It WAS M|SMANAGEO
No Provision for Troops on the
Pennsylvania.
SALT PORK AND BAREBACK
The Ventilation Was Entirely made
quate-The Transport wae Greatly
overcrowded-Unnecsssary Hard
ships and Suffering.

Great Falls, Aug. 17.-Under date of
July 2S J. r. Shaw, a former printer of
this city. now a member of Company
A, writes from Honolulu of the criminal
acknowledgement of the expedition to
Manila. On the day prior to sailing
from San Francisco Company A had
been detailed on guard duty about the
transport Pennsylvania. When they
finally went on board 1t was found that
no provision had been made for them.
and In consequence the boys were with
out berths and had to sleep on the
hoors, decks and every other place that
AFFORDED sufficient room. Most of the
boys were seasick for the first three
days, n when they did come up on
deck they found that salt pork and
hardtack were the most delicate food
on the bill of fare. Delegations from
the companies were sent to the officers
ana the result was a slight improve
ment In the food. though there is a
wide margin yet between the rations
and a wholesome fare.
The transport, according to Mr..
Shaw, is better fitted for the transpor-
tatiton of cattle than of human beings,
and the ventilation is entirely made
quate, a great menace to health in
hot climates. Evidently the Pennsyl-
vania is nothing but an old tub, the
best run In "a hours having been only
225 miles. Quite a number of the bows
are SICK, and at least one. H. Charette,
who was prescription clerk for Lapeyre
Bros. of this city before joining the
army, will be left at Honolulu. His
brother, Adolph, will remain with him
as nurse. The sick man. Hercules. Is
very popular with the boys, having
. hsI
and they all wish him a speedy recov-
cry of health. MIR. Shaw repeats the
story of men, sometimes as many as
200, lining up to get a drink Of water,
and speaks of the ship as entirely over
crowded. The people at Honolulu have
treated the boys royalty and have done
much to relieve the suffering. and the
soldiers are gratefully enthusiastic
over their reception. n one may read
between the lines that though they are
not complaining there will be consider
able regret felt over their departure
from that port.
Letters received in this city from
other members of the company read
in about the same manner. No one
seems to have a good word to say con-
corning Colonel Kessler or the manner
in which the expedition has been man
aged, the friends and relatives of
the soldiers express themselves in in
uiSIdhl Eud over lHt unnecessary
suffering and h~ardships which have
been imposed upon Company A and
other members Of the expedition. They
feel that the country has money enough
to provide comfort for its defenders,
and IL II has not, then there are many
of them perfectly willing to go down
in their pockets and TO provide private
ly for the men.
Two letters from a boy with Com
A to his parents in this city are
less severe in their structures on the
food and the officers of the Montana
but one may see by what is
not told that conditions were bad. The
first letter is written from Honolulu
under date of July 80 and reads as fol-
Your telegram was received at the
pier in Frisco the morning we loaded,
l tell you it seemed good TO get a
from home just as We were
There has been no mail re-
ceived since we got here. so | have not
heard since, but / do hope for a letter
on the first steamer.
I'VE a very nice weather all the
way over, but it was pretty rough for
a couple of days after We left Frisco.
The boat was very much o~vercrowded
and Company A had no quarters, some
of them sleeping in the dining and
smoking rooms OF the officers quar-
ters. n some in some of the hunks
that had been put in for the hospital
corps. The worst thing about the trip