The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-14
NO DANGER OF A CHANGE.
GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO
EMBARK TROOPS AT SAVANNAH.


Any Fear to the Contrary Are
GrOundIess, Mai. Ruthers Says.
Immense Quantities of Commits
Sary and Quartermaster's Supplies
Now Here and More Being Added
COMMUNICATIVE Facilities of the
Port Wholly SntisfactOry-Larg
Quantities of Government RatfOns
Sent to Destitute Cubans-Trnns-
ports Wen Supplied and No Reason
why Troops should Not Fare Well.
The raDidity with which the government
is rushing transports back to Savannah
and the fact that the very largest trans
ports in the service have been ordered here
is pretty good indication that there is no
intention on the part of the government TO
transfer its point of embarkation 10 sny
other port. In the opinion of Maj. Ruth
ers, the depot commissary here, Savannah
is likely to be a port of embarkation for
some lime to come.
THE commissary department has here
about 100000 pounds Of supplies" said
Maj. Ruthers, land we are constantly be-
ing notified of further shipments. The
much. IL there We're any intention of
changing the port of embark
alton the depot commissary and le-
pot quartermaster would be the first to
know it. For thirty days ahead of time
we would be reducing our supplies. It is
NOT rooe0ro1,1o tc e,,r,>oea t1,ot +ba cro,,ary,
ment would go to the trouble and OK
pense of moving these immense quantities
of supplies to some other point unless ii
had very strong reasons for doing so. Sa-
vannah is the best port south of Balti-
more for this work, in my opinion, and il
is very conveniently situated for the work
of embarkatlon. The facilities are ample.
do not know of any other Atlantic port
in the South where l could obtain the ia
ciliues for my work which have been fur
nished me here. 1t is true that you have
not a large open harbor such as New
York city has, but the inconvenience on
this score has been slight. do not think
The people Of Savannah need to give them
| selves any uneasiness on this score. The
| city is likely TO continue as the point of
| embarkaUon for some time to come, rot
only for the troops now here. but for other
troops now scattered throughout the coun-
| try"
Maj. Ruthers has handled an
| immense amount of supplies al
ready and the figure named by
! him, 100000 pounds, as the amount
of supplies now on hand gives some idea OF
| the immense business transacted through
his office. On each transport which goes
/ out from Savannah is placed thirty to
ninety days fations for the troops en-
| board Those troops which are bound for
! Havana or neighboring points are sup
| piled with six days travel rations and
! thirty DAYS field ratons. Those going TO
! the interior of the island are provided with
sixty to ninety days rations. Fresh beet
| TO be cooked on board for the use of the
men while on the trip is also literally sup
| Piled
There is no reason" said Maj. Ruthers,
why the troops should not fare as well
on board as in camp, with the single eN-
ception of soft bread The Mobile Is the
| only transport which is at present equip
ned with bakeries sufficient to supply the
men while on the voyage. The hard
bread which is furnished, however, Is in
| fins and is a very fine article. All the
| transports are equipped with large Kettles
| for boiling coffee and cooking beef. The
| travel raiions can be warmed over and the
men can be made very comfortable, If the
officers will exercise proper care for
them"
On the Comal, which left Savannah Sun
day morning, there were 2,2O0 tons of sup
plies to be distributed TO the destitute Gu
bans These supplies were divided as fol-
lows: 659 SS5 pounds of roast beef, SS9, 500
pounds of hard-bread, 99S600 pounds OF
rice, 72,046 pounds of coffee, 10000 pounds
of sugar 1886 gallons of vinegar 2,O22 gal
Ions of tomatoes, 2S,7O4 pounds of salmon.
The Bratton, which left savannah about
| a month ago on the same mission as the
! Comal carried an even more varied cargo
OF supplies her cargo being made up as
follows: 254 S6S pounds of roast beef, 245.S21
| pounds hard-bread, 1881 pounds beans
6S 6S3 ponds of coffee, 1021O0 pounds of
| sugar, 3,G65 gallons of vinegar, 10000 pounds
salt. $500 pounds of pepper, $1,000 pounds
Of soap. 1900 pounds dried apples, 27,241
pounds of bacon, 1866 pounds lima beans
| AS pounds crackers, 1878 pounds dried
peaches, 1875 pounds prunes.
There is evidently nothing small about
| Uncle Sans charity work, and is to be
hoped that the starving Cubans win not
| kick as hard on the government rations as
did the volunteers when they first began
] ct