New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-11
THE TRIP TO PORTO RICO.
HOW TROOPS. HORSES AND STORES
WE'RE CARRIED ON THE MAsSA-
CHUSETrS.
MAKEsHIFTs TO PUT THE SHIP TO USES sHE
WAS NEVER INTENDED FoR--THE LIFE
on THE VOYAGE.


or Ponce. Porto Rico. August =
After months spent in camps In the SOUTH
the volunteer soldier. as well as the kegu!dr'
looks forward with eagerness to the Gay Wheh
he shall set foot on the enemys soil Inc oa!s
spent in embarkation however hard ne must
work. only add to the intensity Of his desire
and the moment OF sailing is one or the deh8h's
Of lifetime After the voyage has begun anu
the troop ship is at sea. he begins to realize
that war Is hell" At least that Is the way
the men on the transport Massachusetts, OH
which this Is written Look at the matter
In the first place the Massachusetts was
never intended by her builders as a transport
for men The speciality was cattle. and OF these
she could carry at least two thousand. But 'he
necessity Of ships to convoy both men ana am
mails to the scene Of operations led the "o'-
eminent to order her to be laden with hunioe'
OF Army organizations. besides Thousand OF
more horses and mules and a great quantity
of commissary stores The organizations Sc
Iocted 70 travel on the Massachusetts, were
Troop H. 9th United states Cavalry and COM
panv F Of the Sth United States Infantry po'h
Of which constitute the headquarters guaru VI
the First Army Corps; the Reserve HosptaI
Corps OF the same Army Corps. the hospitai Oh
the Second Brigade Second DIVISION four'h
Corps the Reserve Ambulance Company the
Second Brigade Signal Corps and Troop and
Troop c. New-York Volunteers. and the FIRST
Troop OF Philadelphia With these organiza-
,,o,s ,bere uere nearly twelve hundred horses
ard mules.
With such n diversity among the orsani|a
lions aboard II was almost impossible that some
confusion should not result The occasion now
ever produced the man who could remedy the
ton Of confusion then Captain Joseph Pitcher
who commands the headquarters guard. and
the senior line officer present. assumed charge
OF the administration Of the ship Trained ny
some thirty years experience in the Regular
Army. Captain Pitcher soon devised plan by
which the economy Of the ship could best be
managed From tina. time until the Massa-
chusetts came in sight Of this town the man.
agement of the men aboard was almost per
feet. though the long days in congested quar-
ters made them sonewha: impatient
A LIMITED BILL OF FARE
Reveille was sounded at $50 every morning
and breakfast on travel rations was served I'M
mediately afterward. These rations were hardly
what the men would have selected but they
were all that could be provided under the CIR
cumstances. Canned roast beef ard canned
portion Of canned tomatoes and pint Of hot
strong coffee constituted the menu for break
fast. dinner and supper. and they were disposed
Of in way that proved the men to have lost
none Of their appetites on account Of the long
journey at sea.
breakfast over the stable call was sounded.
and each man. or In certain cases. details were
expected to 90 below AMI water thu horses and
mules and feed them. Sick call at = O'Clock
attracted those who were Ill to the ship hos
pitaI on TIE port side aft OF the quarterback
None OF the complaints were more serious than
NAL de mer. except in one instance. In when W
phold fever contracted at Chlckamauga deVei-
oped aboard ship. At o o'clock fatigue duty Tor
details OF ten menfrom each organization. under
the charge OF one commissioned and one non
officer from each. began. These de-
tails "polirsdr the ship from stem to stern. eA-
cepting the quarters OF the officers ard the crew
Every stall was cleaned. waste water thrown
away. hammocks were neatly rolled ard hung
and the floors swept. This duty done the men
we're at liberty until o'clock. when stable cal |
was again sounded.
For amusement the men were restricted al
most entirely to reading and card playing
among themselves. they were restricted to
the parts Of the ship in which they were quar-
the officers when they were on crrands. AS
rule they were happy and contented' except
when the water served 70 them was more than
usually WARM
OF course the officers Jared better than the
men, It's way officers have. and the men do
not begrudge II to them. Captain James |
Charles Read Of the Subsistence Department. |
who had charge Of the loading OF the ship and
the commissary stores aboard. provided quar- |
tiers for the officers and newspaper correspond |
ents. and it is paving him but short justice to
say that there were no complaints. either as to |
the rooms or the food served.
Early this morning BOBBY or Spanish guH |
few around the ship and landed on a davit |
near the quarters Of Troop a. Many OF the |
men anxious to test their skill with their new |
Krag- Jorgensen carblnes desired to get some |
target practice but Captain Findlay. OF the |
ship refused TO permit 1t, saying ir droll way, |
"Dinna shoot. mon. yen bring unco bad loock
The bird lived to fly away.
In addition to the men and animals on the |
Massachusetts, there were nearly 4,5O,Ooo |
pounds OF comnlissary stores In the hold
GEN. GRANT SAILS FOR PORrO RICO. |