New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-07
ENGINEER CORPS FOR CUBA
ENCOURAGEMENT LUDLOW WILL BE
ITS CHIEF.
SPECIAL UNIFORM DESIGNED FOR RAINY SEASON
sERVICE-MACHETEs TO sUPPLANT SWORDS
SOLDIERS GAMBLE AWAY THEIR PAY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TaIBUNE.l

sERVlCE-MACHETEs TO sUPPLANT SWORDS
SOLDIERS GAMBLE AWAY THEIR PAY.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TaIBuNEl
Tamra. Fla. May G.-Preparatons for the de-
parture for Cuba continue. The transports now
here are coaling. and some Of them have peen
shifted to permit rhe easier loading Of troops.
The Gussie and Whitney. which arrived from
the North with cargoes of mules. are being
fitted up with box-stalls and so is the Florida.
All Of the transports not yet here. Ihe
Alamo was expected to-day. as she reached hey
West on Wednesday night. but II is now SAID
that she will get in tomorrow.
The situation here apparently rests on the
! movements of Admiral SIMPSONS fleet. Major
General Shafter and Brgadier General Ludlow
went to Port Tampa this morning to look over
the ground and to decide a place for the en-
campment of the troops shortly to arrive there
Th.y went over to Picnic Island. which Is sep
arated from the shore by a narrow strip or
water and has an area OF seven or eight acres
No final decision reached as TO whether the
newcomers should pitch their tents on the island
or on n spot to the right OF the artillery on
campment. but It Is probable that the site op-
posite on the main land will be selected.
THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.
The arrival Of General Ludlow adds TO the
completeness Of the arrangements for operations
In Cuba. He learned this afternoon Of his con-
frnation as Brieadier General Of the Volunteer
Army. This will not. however. prevent his
going with the Regular Army TO Cuba. 1t is
not likely that he or any OF the other officers
would have cared for promotion in rank which
would have involved the loss of a chance OF
seeing active service General Ludlow continues
on General MNes's staff but will be chief OF
engineers Of the army Of invasion.
CAPTAIN D. y. Gaillard arrived to-day and re-
ported to General Wade. He Will be CHIEF or
engineers Of General Wade's division Three
| more officers OF the Engineers Corps are coming.
and so is Company +. OF the Engineers Bat
talon This is now the Alamo at Key West.
having come from Its regular station at West
Point The company will camp at Port Tampa
AS soon a landing s effected In Cuoa' the
work Of the engineer officers Will be Of prime
importance. No branch Of the Army Is more
anxious for actual war than the Engineer Corps
/ Nearlv all the engineers have applied FOR active
duty In times of peace their work Is chiefly
OF a civilian nature. such improving harbors
and the like but they are none the less martial
for this. as was abundantly shown in their vau-
able work Purely intellectual tasks have only
whetted their longing for the smell OF powder
and the sight Of hot engagements.
General Ludlow has adopted uniform for
! Cuban service which promises TO combine many
ADVANTAGES The design Is from an English
model. General Ludow's experience with the
rains Of Nicaragua taught him the value o.
waterproof garments. The material which he
has selected sheds the rain effectively. being
chemically treated. Rubber cloth would be out
Of the question: being too hot. and preventing
evaporation for the body.
MACHETEs INSTEAD OF SWORDS
He will leave his sword behind and instead
/ take a machete The usefulness u these imple-
ments as weapons Is attested by all who have
used them, and some officers who have been in
surveying parties in Central and South Ameri-
can thickets say the entire army should carry
! them
| In addition to the company Of engineers. the
/ 1st Infantry will go to Port Tampa. 1t is now
at Tampa Heights. but will replace the five com
panies Of the 9th Infantry. which have been
/ guarding the supplies at the port. The depart
ing companies going 10 Atlanta. whence
they will be distributed along the Gulf ports by
/ General Graham. in whose department they be-
/ long. Their leaving this place VIII not diminish
the total number Of troops here. the 2jth In
fanfry is coming from Chickamauga
There no trouble last night in the streets
/ here. the appreh@nsions Of the police that the
! distribution Of the monthly pay might lead 10
drunken disorder proving Eroundless. The
/ patronage Of the battalion ex changes. where
/ beer is sold. was fairly liberal today but harm
! Jess joIty seemed to be the only result OF the
| drinking
GAMBLING GAMES POPULAR.
Gambling seemed to be the mos; fascinating
method Of getting rid Of pay. 1t would take a
! miniature "Hoyle' to describe the various games
Of chance seen in operation. There were some
with cards but more with dice. Craps" was
popular. but the games such as sweat" or
| "chuck-a-luck" and mustang" I'm which there
is a banker. were more numerous
The gambling is Kind Of progressive freeze
! out" On payday the players numerous.
By the next day certain number have lost all
their money, or as much as they care to part
with IN that way. Then the ranks close up.
/ until the casualties Of chance have wceded out
/ virtually all save the bankers. These are in
variably soldiers. az no outsiders are permitted
to play. and have more capital. lkil and fond
ness for the sport than their fellows In due
course this arstocracy Of the green cloth get
together, and 1t is case Of diamond cut da-
mond.
Poker Is almost invariably the game of these
select cotcries. and the stakes wax high BY
the time most of the losines Of the entire CORPS
of players are in few hands there is a lull
| until a rcN pay lay sc~s the operation begun
/ al over again. IT makes professional ram
piers ewes stand out of his mead In greedy
/ longing To see the innocent soldiers part with
/ their pay, and come wiz dOubGcss enlist So as
| 10 get a finger in this toOthsOme plum, -puddinP
Cf course the soldiers can meet civilians over
! thu green cloth outside Of camp and some Of
/ them are telling win nncn subtraction to-day
how they smote some Cuhans for SO last night
| at the game of monte Their fellows heard OF
| this achievement with an honest pride which
/ ,hcy did not try to conc nal.
/ William Astor Chanler inspected his ten
mounted volunteers this afternoon, and OK
pressed his conviction that he had fine 1T
/ lie body of men as ever charged enemy.
+ ,choy are equipped in most approved style one
&c a former captain Of United States cavalry
having landed IN Mr.. Chanler's troops by way
/ ~ buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He and a
/ onnranjon rough rider give some wonderful ex
hi,,iiions of horscmanship Another trooper
| T,r Maximilian Lund. bears more scars on his
/ face than are likely TO be shown after the Span
/ ish war. ,. 49,, .