The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-12
SCENES AT PORT TAMPA.
WHERE TROOPS WE'RE EMBARKED
FOR A FOREIGN SHORE.

The General of the Army Heartily
Cheered-The COngested Condition
OF the RaiIroads-Too Many Troops
without Necessary Equipments.
other Matters of Interest.
Port Tampa. Fla June 10.-This has
been the greatest day ever known in Port
Tampa. Every train has come down from
Tampa with extra cars attached and every
car crowded to the platform steps. Not less
than 10000 people, on land and water, COM
prised the temporary population of the
place to-day.
But the climax was reached when the
noon train, bearing the special cars of Gen.
Miles family and staff, and General Sup
erintendent Durham, with Wrenn. Jack
Mr.. and Mrs. McLendon and friends, ar
rived. A dozen transports were alongside
the piers, In addition to the fleet out In
the bay, and the decks and rigging of these
steamships were just black with soldiers
As soon as Gen. Miles and his staff APP
peared on the dock a mighty cheer went
up from thousands of threats, and hats
and handkerchiefs were waving in all di-
rections. 1t was a war-llke and inspiring
scene never to be forgotten.
Half an hour later I stood with Mai
Gen. Joseph Wheeler, u. s. ", In COM
mand of the cavalry division, on the deck
Of his flag ship" the Allegheny, No H.
as the steamship Miami loaded with cav
airy troops, slowly swung past us out to
her anchorage In the bay. The deck and
rigging were crowded with cavalrymen
VINO heartily cheered Gen. Wheeler, while
the band played Dixie" and Hail Co
lumbla," and other favorite airs.
And yet, with all these transports
crowded " Il
thing i'm Tampa or Port Tampa, outside
these steamships, that Indicate the de-
parture of troops. The streets, stores and
hotels are crowded with soldiers, cavalry
and artillery horses and army wagons and
ambulances are seen on ell sides, while
Maj. Gen. Coppinger takes the headquar-
ters recently vacated by Maj. Gen. Shat
ter and thus keeps the Tampa Bay Hotel
alive with generals and their staff officers.
Railroad trains are crowded with passen-
gers and time tables are utterly disre-
garded because of the difficulty expert
enced In getting trains In or out of Tampa
or Port Tampa.
People outside of Tampa, who have not
been here to see for themselves, can have
no idea of the magnitude of the work put
upon the Plant System and the F. G. &
p. Ry. Miles and miles of side track have
been laid in the city and suburbs, and yet
many train loads of coal and quarter
masters stores are side tracked from ten
to twenty or thirty miles out of the city.
The fact remains a sad reality, which
makes il doubly a fact, that too many
troops were concentrated here unsupplied
with proper uniforms, arms, etc. Then
too many transports were sent here TO he
loaded with troops, horses, supplies, etc,
In consequence every department. has been
crowded and no work easily and salts
factorlly done.
Tonight the troops are still on the
transports at the dock or anchored in the
harbor. When they viii sail nobody
knows 1t may be tonight or tomorrow,
or next week some time. Gen. Miles
brought down with him to-day quite a
number of maps, charts, etc, and pro-
ceeded at once to the headquarters of
Maj. Gen. Shafter, u. S. Vols, on board
his flagship" the Seguranca, No. u,
where he spent the afternoon In private
consultation with the general. Several
distinguished military officers from for
eign countries, as well as numerous cor
respondents, look upon this as sign that
the transports may sail tonight and are,
therefore, preparing to stay here, ready
to start at a moments warning.
I do not however, think immediate
movement possible. There has been for
weeks past, and still exists a fear to move
upon Cuba, at any point, with an army
of invasion, unless there was absolutely
no possibility of being surprised by Span
ish cruisers. Such fear is to-day gen
eral, and in the face of it no transports
are likely to leave. Whenever news comes
from Sampson or Schley that "the coast
is clear OF Spanish war crafts of any
kind, the transports will go-and they Will
GO in a hurry and to some purpose,