The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-02-08
ADVANCE GUARD
is OFF AT LAST
Government Relief Expedition Starts
for Alaska On the Elder.
MUTISY AMONG THE SOLDIERS
Natter Settled by Captain niaklt-rast-
sfnss Claim ffaud 90 fart Of Ice
Company lnsufaase agtn,

Tho Pacific coast steamship Company'a
steamer Georgc W Elder sailed yesterday
morning for Alaska wtth h, nr.i contln-
gent n United States ,roOp, and supplies
for the government Klupdks relief cxpc.
diuon Fity.onr -ialwari men. picked
from ~ NJ thr Vancouver barracks. con.
rHtulo th- advance guard. under com.
mani q captain Eldf.dF, Accompany
ing them ary Captain Rumcn. quarter.
master In charge of tho stores. Llcutcn.
ant Kemp. Llcuionan, clark, and oficcn.
Edward n onery Patrick tSueh. Charles
Clarhvon. william Yanori. John g. Abclc.
Stanley M Turney and Harry swartz.
and ". r. Brock Associated Press cor
respondent.
Ths expedition viii push right through
as fast ar p1ssiblc Captain Ruhlen sayu
that they will pay no attention to local
matter. at skaEway ~ DycA, but that
doub,lsss the war department will re.
spond with troops and establish martial
law thrrr ar requested such troops could
be quickly put up there and not interfere
with the relief .Sp~ii,ion.
Following Captains Ruhic1 and Ed.
ridgcr mon second detachment Of
troops under Captain Brainsrd. who Is
IN charge Of the supplies
10 bc soid or given away TO tho needy
miners. viii leave this week on the
steamer orcgon with - tons of proys,-
lens purchased IN Portland Ths contract
call" for delivery IN Dye0 and the Port.
land Chamber of Commerce rai-cd a sub.
scrpIion o' iico and prepaid iAc freigh,
ohargcs.
Sensational stories leakrd out Sunday
In connection with tni. nrst detachment
OF the relief expedition. owing 10 the Sc.
Nrrc gale, prevailing on n, coast. the
Elder WAS unable 10 cross cu, 10 sea Sun
day on her arrival down tho river from
Portland. The soldiers and others OF the
loo passengers circulated about the town
and by midnight were quite sociablc with
many OF the citizens TAe nrs, trouble
occurred jus, ar the Elder was about 20
leave her dock In Portland. Saturday
night The assistant engineer came
aboari intoxicated, and when spoken TO
by his superior officer bccame insolcnt.
Hc was discharged on ,hc spot This
the employe. IN the engineers
department and they struck A new crew
Nps procured without much iifnculty and
hc blg steamer started Tor Alaska only
hrce hours late.
The second difficulty oo,lrred shortly
after leaving tho Portland dock Through
'ome unaccoun,Rblc error on the part OF
hc agents OF the Pacific Coast Steam
hip Company, all the s,Voad.class space
SNS sold TO adventures, Notwithstanding
ho fact that the government had given
iotlce they wanted space for o. men. The
'rmy officers were given the best state
'oom' on the ship but the men were lett
intil the last and when 81 came time to|
'lot them quarters, Il was found there
we're none for them The only thing that
'ould be- done was to swing hunks for
hem In the small space below decks In
no prov OF the ship % by 90 feet and
,nly separated from 70 horseSs and go
logs by few hales Of hay, and whore
he air war foul and unbcarable. The
men complained 10 their sergeant who
Explained the situation 20 the captain OF
he ship, That officer said he could do
Nothing, Upon receiving this reply the
'oldiers held q meeting Much excite
nent prevailed. as by this time the other
passengers learned the facts and n COM
nlttec examined the quarters pronounc-
ng them unht for any human habItation,
much lees Uncle Sans TROOPS, On the
asst trip Of the Elder two dogs smothered
10 death In the same place and many
horses were In such condition they were
unit for work, The army surgeon con-
lemned the quarters as unhealthy. The
men then passed resolution to abandon
the ship on arrival at Astoria and notified
Captain Eldrldge Of their action, stating
that their action must not be taken as n
hescrtIon from the army The army
officers held consultation, but saw no
way out OF the difficulty. One OF the pas
sengers offered his services, backed up
by all the cabin passengers, and called
on Captain Hinkle proposing that the
soldiers be permitted TO sleep on the floor
Of the main saloon, Captain Hlnkle was
equal to the emergency, and while ex-
ceedlng his authority IN assoolating sec
passengers with flrst-class' con-
sented to the arrangement and thus dis