The record-union., 1898-06-12
Desires to Leave for Manila About
Ten Days From Next Wednesday.
The Third Fleet for the Philippines to Con-
sist Of Eight Steamers, With
a Capacity for Seven
Thousand Men.


General Merritt wants more troops. He
is now in communication with WASH
ington on the subject, and hopes to re-
ceive word within a few hours that ad-
ditional forces have been granted him
and have been started on the way
That he wants them in hurry is
suggested by the fact that it is known
that he contemplates leaving San Fran
cisco for Manila about ten days from
next Wednesday. and is desirous that
his entire expeditionary forces shall
precede him to the Philippines.
With the troops that arrived yester-
day and to-day, he has a force of about
10000. From good sources it is learn
ed that during the past forty-eight he
has been in communication with the
War Department, and has finally de-
manded that the original quota of 10
600 specified by him be filled.
General Merritt has decided that the
third fleet to sail for Manila shall con-
sist of at least eight steamships. with
a capacity for nearly 1000 men. Prep
arations for the. third fleet are in prog
ress. The City of -ara has been in
spected and chartered. The Ohio, for
merly an Atlantic liner of the Interna-
tional Navigation Company arrived
from Seattle to-day, and locked at
Lombard wharf and was in
spected during the afternoon by the
Examining Board. Her sister ship, the
Indiana, is expected TO reach here from
Puget Sound at an early hour The
Puebla has also been chartered. The
Victoria, chartered from the North Pa
cific Steamship Company, sailed on
Thursday from Tacoma, and is now
here. The Olympia and the Arizona,
also chartered from the same company,
time next week.
A careful inspection of the Morgan
City has revealed the fact that her boil
ers are in need of some repairs, which
cannot be made in time for her to sail
with the balance of the Philippine
transport fleet on Wednesday. This re-
duces the number of transports of the
second Manila expedition to four--the
China, Colon, Zealandia and Senator.
The Morgan City however, will be put
in good condition in time enough to
sail with the third fleet. the date of
whose departure has not yet been def
nitely fixed. The delay of this steamer
has caused great disappointment to the
two battalions of Idaho volunteers who
were to sail on her. These volunteers
will now have to wait for the third ex-
pedition. The four other steamers will
all finish taking on coal tomorrow, and
then the work of loading the equip
ments Of the soldiers and all necessary
supplies will at once be begun
The steamer Centennial which was
rejected by the Government, will be re-
inspected as her owners insist that she
is thoroughly seaworthy, despite state-
ments to the contrary.
The Zealandia, Colon and China are
expected to be ready for departure ear
ly next week; but nothing definite is
known by the officers of the respective
ships. The Senator and Morgan City
are being fitted up for the troops. and
both these vessels will be ready by the
end Of next week. They were built for
the Klondike trade, and have a large
carrying capacity, and a few days
work will put them in shape as trans
ports.
The work Of organizing the Engineer
and Signal Corps for Manila is pro-
ceeding slowly, as not enough men can
be found So far only twentyseven
have been enlisted by Major Thompson.
Fifty men are wanted to each corps,
and as California cannot supply them.
Major Thompson has telegraphed East
and asked for volunteers. This branch
of the service is better paid than any
other
This was payday for the Nebraskans,
and Major Whipple Assistant Paymas-
ter disbursed about S40,00O to the regi-
ment. The treasure was escorted TO
the headquarters by 4 squad of Utah
cavalrymen, as upon other pay-days.
Major Kilbourne visited the North Da-
kot camp and paid the troops for two
months. There are GS4 men in the
two battalions, and about $4,000 was
paid out to the officers and men.
Major ]. F. Bell, Engineer officer on
Major General Merritt's staff, and
Chief of the Bureau Of Information Of
the Philippine expedition, this morning