Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-24
TWO MORE SHIPS LOAD TO-DAY
THESE COMPRISE THE FIRST EXPE-
DTTION TO MANILA.
Kansas Troops Not to Go With it-0f.
Eanisation of Second Expedition
to Be Determined After
General Merritt's
ARRIVAL.


retary Meiklejohn, of the war department.
was to-day engaged in negotiating for sew
eral additional transports for the troops
that are to be sent to Manila. He expects
to conclude these negotiations promptly.
and work will then be begun on them. SO
that they may be put in proper condition
for transport purposes. 80
The adyices received by the assistant
secretary from San Francisco to-day In
dicated that three of the transports. the
City Of Sydney, the City of Peking and
the Australia. would start on their long
Journey tomorrow. Notwithstanding the
long delay in getting these ships away,
the officials here say it could not be avoid
ed, as there were many alterations which
had to be made in them necessary to the
comfort and health Of the crew.
SAN FRANCISCO. CAL, May 2s-The
preparations for the first expedition to
Manila are absorbing the energies OF all
the military departments of the state, as
well as the enthusiasm Of the people.
Nothing remains to be done but to finish
loading the three vessels-the Peking, AUS
tralia and Sydney.
The first expedition will be divided on tne
three vessels as follows:
The City Of Peking. the First California
volunteers, composed of forty-nine ofdcers
and 953 enlisted men, ten officers and sew
enty-one sailors Of the navy. mbaking q
total Of fifty-nine officers and 1,044 men.
These all went on board this morning ana
are ready to sail tomorrow.
The City Of Sydney, thirteen oficers and
31B men of the Oregon volunteers, nine om-
GERS and 800 men Of the four companies OF
the Fourteenth United States infantry one
oncer and fifty men Of the California heavy
artillery and DR.. H. E. McVain, ranking
medical ofncer, making a total Of twenty
four officers and SO men.
The Australia, the headquarters, stan and
band and two battalions Of the Oregon vol
unteers, comprising thirty-seven officers
and GAS men.
The troops assigned to depart on the Aus
tralia and the City Of Sydney have been
ordered to report at the docks of their
respective vessels at o'clock tomorrow
morning.
The organization Of the second expedition
to the Philippines will not be determined
until the arrival Of General Wesley Merritt,
who is in command Of the whole expedition
and who will reach this city at the end Of
the week.
The steamer Zealanda is due to arrive
from Honolulu tomorrow. The work Of
unloading her cargo will be rushed and the
vessel will probably be turned over to the
government Thursday night and the work
/ Of Transforming her into a troop ship will
| commence Immediately. The steamer China
| is expected to arrive from the Orient on
Saturday. She win be ready for use as a
| transport by the end of the following week.
About eight more large steamers will be re-
| quired to transport the necessary soldiers
| to Manila. but no more vessels have been
| chartered, though a number of fine steam
| ers are available.
| The Oregon troops underwent an inspec-
4 tion this afternoon preparatory to embark
| ing for the Philippines. They have been
| splendidly equipped by their own state, and
| their appearance evoked much favorable
comment from the inspecting officers.
! Sergeant Mccarthy. Of the First regi-
ment, Company D, died this morning of
pneumonia. He had been sick in the hos
pital since Monday last. but on Saturday
| 1t was thought that he would pull through.
but he suffered relapse and died just aft
er "taps' had been sounded for his regi-
ment for the last time before boarding the
City of Peking which is to convey 1t to
Manila.
California said good-by to her First regi-
ment Of volunteers this morning as they
|
start on their long journey to Manila. The
men left camp at s o'clock and marched
to the Pacific mail dock. where the big
| steamer City of Peking lay ready for them.
! BY noon the soldiers were all on board
and. by night everything was in readiness
for their departure.
The farewell demonstration by the people
of San Francisco will long be remembered
by the soldiers Of the First regiment. Ev-
cry. street leading from the Preside to
the Pacific Mail dock. a distance of about
five miles, was lined with people who after
the soldiers passed. followed in their wake
and marched with them TO the docks. II
had been announced that camp would be
struck at 8 o'clock this morning, and long
before that hour there were thousands o1
citizens at the Preside to see the sight
Promptly at o'clock the bugle sounded
and all the tents went down together. Then
for an hour the soldiers were 'busfly en-.
gagged in rolling them up and loading them
on trucks.
At 8 o'clock the regiment was formed
into line. and. headed by its band, marched
out through the big stone gates of the
Presidio. and the journey of conquest hat
commenced.
At Van Ness avenue, the entire police
force of San Francisco was in waiting
and fell In ahead of the soldiers. The
latter were in heavy marching order, car
rying blanket rolls and loaded knapsacks
on their backs. The men marched alone
at a swinging gait, and as they turned
into the broad thoroughfare of Van Mes:
avenue they presented q splendid appear
ance.
At Pacific avenue, the naval reserve
signal corps and national guard staff of
ficers were In line and presented arms a!
the soldiers went by. Then they, too
marched to the dock. AS the regiment pro
ceeded through the residence district OF
its way down town, the crowd grew thick
er and thicker. There was one continuous
roar of cheers. flags were waved frantic
ally and people along the line, as the,
recognized some friend among the sol
diers. rushed out and grasped him by tn
hand to say good-by.
When Market street, the main bushes
thoroughfare. was reached. the crowd wa
enormous. People on their way to worl
fingered to see the soldiers pass. Tn
| cheering of the crowd grew In volume
and nothing like the sight Oh Market wa
ever seen here before. Many weepinl
women followed along after the soldiers
as II loath to let them out of their sigh,
and even men were not ashamed to shoy
their emotion. As the marching me-
neared the water front. bombs were fired
, steam whistles blown. and every devic
imaginable for making a noise was pu
in operation. The jam at the dock wa
! something terrific. In vain, the police an
the mounted signal corps attempted (
! keep the crowd back. They would not b
/ depied md rnched nnfo the <1oolx yv, a.