The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-02
SECOND IS IN FINE SPIRITS.
LARGE SUPPLY OF CLOTHING AND
BLANKETS REACH TAMPA.

HeaIth-Iacrcase in Company Quo
tn Favored.
Tampa. Fla, June THE Second Geor
gia is feeling in fine spirits to-day due &c
the distribution of a large quantity OF
clothing. blankets and shirts. The com
rnand is now. or viii ne by tomorrow
fully equipped with everything calcuiuat
ed to make comp life aud field service
comfortable. The men are getting into
fine shape and improving in efficiency
daily.
Col. Brown feels satisfied that hs reSi-
ment will set the pace and when the time
comes will honor the state it represents.
All of the troops camped about Tampa
appear to be In good health and very lit
tie sickness is reported. An effort is be
ing made for the discharge Of Private
Sneed of Atlanta, enlisted in Company
II, commanded by Capt. Barker, on ac-
count of his being under age. He will
probably be discharged, as there is strong
evidence that Sneed has not as yet seen
his fifteenth birthday, and for this reason
is under age. Tampa is fast pilng up
with visitors and the streets are densely
crowded the entire time.
Gov. Atkinson, in an interview held with
him while visiting the national capital,
and which has appeared in the Morning
News, suggests that GeOrsia's quota UNI
der the new cali for volunteers be raised
by increasing the number of men in the
companies now in service from Georgia
from eighty to 10S men each. This sug-
gestion met with the hearty approval and
Endorsement of the officers of the Second
-aa hoI hn s1la rae ft,l1
is an admirable one. Col. Brown is of the
opinion that the plan proposed will work
out admirably, and thinks that the new
quota could be more rapidly secured in
this way than in any manner he can now
suggest He thinks that the friends of
the men in the companies now in service
and who are at home, would be glad of an
opportunity of joining the companies now
enlisted, where they will meet and be with
their old associates of former days. The
Savannah troops in the regiment are fully
in accord with the views of Col. Brown in
this matter, and hope the plan suggested
by Gov. Atkinson and Endorsed by Acting
Adit. Gen. Erwin will be adopted. 1t is
believed here that as soon as the Gov
amor returns to Georgia he will come from
Washington authorized TO raise Georgia 5
quota in this way.
Tampa, for the first time in several
months, was visited by a heavy rainfall,
commencing at noon to-day and lasting
far into the night, with good prospects or
continued rains.
This afternoon the Morning News CORE
spondent was caught in the camp of the
Second Georgia, and witnessed the gallant
fight that the regiment made to keep from
being submerged. For three hours there
was a perfect deluge, in which the troops
were worsted. All of the tents were food
ed, and the limited tentage at the disposal
Of the regiment caused much discomfort.
The men had to rope their blankets and
clothing to the top of their tents to keep
them from getting wet and many of them
wearing nothing but their hats and
broad smile, fought the rain with picks
and shoveis, digging bitches about and
around their tents TO keep the water
out Only a few of the men had
ponchos and a limited supply of blankets
and this made their efforts to keep dry a
very hard task. The storm was so eevere
that all Inspections parades and other
open air movements were suspended
When the rain came up supper was be
ing prepared, but this meal was washed
away, and many of the men were allowed
leaves of absence to go into the city fer
their evening meal. Until a late hour
tonight large fires were kept up in the
company tents so that the men could dry
out their clothes and blankets. The eff
feet of the rain storm gave abundance
evidence of the fact thar the Second Geor-
gia needs additional clothing, blankets
and campaign equipments. When the fall
of the rain Stacked up, about $50. the
grounds upon which the tents of the Sec
ond Georgia were pitched supported
sheet of water, the soil being so dry that
the water was not absorbed as fast as it
fell
Times promise to be doubly hot in Tampa
this week The weather is in itself hot
enough, but the boys will greatly increase
the temperature of this interesting old
town before Saturday night, as by that
time all of the troops here in round
numbers about 35, 900 thousand men viii
have received their months pay,
and the greater portion of 1t Will be put
in circulation. Soldiers, as general
thing are free spenders, and "blow them
selves" whenever they have the price at
any and everything on the market. This
beng so, 1t is safe TO say that many lively
scenes are in prospect for Tampa before
the week is out. The lowest wages to be
paid is $3.50 per month, this TO prlvates
All other attaches of the army, even the
teamsters, get more compensation Even
at $3.50 per head, q good idea can be form
ed about the immense amount of hard
cash to be handed over to the troops in this
small town before the week is over
The fact that only here and there in any
part of the city can passable sidewalks be
found, makes the long tramps of a newspa-
per correspondent anything but a bed Of
roses. When walking you are almost CON
tinuously up to your shoe tops in soft sand,
and when riding on the street cars you are
envelOped in clouds of dust. Hundreds
of cavalrymen and scores of mounted Off
GERS, with long trains of four and six-muIe
government wagons, moving in all direc-
tons day and night, ably assist the street
cars in making the dust intolerable The
average cavalryman would as soon think
of leaving camp without his hat or belt.
as to 90 off without his horse and this
being SO, they are continuously rowing about
the city on their mounts, sometimes riding
slowly, but more frequently in a lively
gallop.
Travelling on the main streets of the city
during the day. and for that matter until
q late hour of the night, you viii en-
counter at least a half dozen soldiers Ia
every citizen you meet Just think If a
town of 1900 people scattered over an
Immense area, with nearly 5000 soldiers
nearly a third of that number in the city
taking in the sights on the main streets
whenever they are not obliged TO remain
in camp. So far the troops have con-
Quoted themselves very orderly and no
great amount of complaints has bcen
made by the authorities. as to their con.
duct. Much of this is due to the officers