The morning news., 1898-12-30
NEBRASKANS GO TO-DAY.
ONE BATTALION WILL SAIL ON THE
OBDAM.

other Two BRttaIiOns VIII FOLLOW
Promptly on Michigan or ROuma-
nian-Chester Sailed Yesterday
with Six Batteries of Second Ar
tuIery-Six Troops of the seventh
Cavalry Ordered Here From Hunts
willie to Go Aboard the Manitoba.
The Michigan VIII Continue to Be
Used as "a Transport.
The transport Chester sailed yesterday
morning with six batteries of the Second
Artillery. The work of loading was con-
Quoted very expeditiously by the quarter
masters department It was not known
until o'clock of the afternoon before that
the Chester would go to Havana. The
transport made the trip to sea quickly,
but 1t was necessary to lighter down
lot of stuff belonging to the
artillery. The freight was deliv-
cred at the wharf too late to
be loaded without delaying the departure
of the transport and was hghtered down
in order that the Chester might get out
at once.
The transport OLDHAM arrived yesterday
from Havana where she carried a bat
TALON Of the Sixth Missouri. She win sail
for Havana again this afternoon with a
battalion of the Third Nebraska, This will
be quick worth, but the depot quartermas
ter anticipates no difficulty in getting the
vessel off on schedule time Besides the
battalion of infantry, the Obdam will carry
| fifty contract nurses and six surgeons
from the hospital here. A number Of
10 o1 mill agc
be carried.
The OLDHAM reported that the Michigan
and the Roumanian, both of which left Sa-
vannah recently with troops for Havana,
were expected to leave on their return
trips within twelve hours after her de-
parture. one or both of them will prob
ably arrive to-day. Whichever arrives
first viii take the remaining two battal-
ions of the Third Nebraska.
Lieut.. Col. Bellinger received telegram
| yesterday announcing that the remaining
six troops of the Seventh Cavalry, now at
| Huntsville, would leave that point for Sa-
! vannah TO take the Manitoba on her re-
turn from her trip to Matanzas on which
she is now engaged. The dispatch did
not say on what date the cavalry would
leave Huntsville, but as it will probably be
| several days before the arrival of the Man
itoba there is no necessity for immediate
! haste.
Col. Bellinger was asked if the Michigan
would continue TO be used for the trans
portatOn of troops to Havana and replied
in the most positive manner that she
would. There is no reason whatever why
she should not be 50 used, he said
while the accommodations on the Mich
igan are not as good as on some of the
It - to cold ~
they are up to the average of such ac-
commodations and there is no cause for
any complaint on the part of the men who
are required TO use them. The fact Is
that the accommodations for the officers
on board the Michigan compared with
those on other transports are not as good
as the accommoda tions for the Inen com
pared in the same manner. The Michi-
gan has made several trips, and there
has never been any complaint but once.
and there was no cause for complaint
then. This complaint was from the Sec
ond Illinois.
"As a matter of fact said Col. BelIin-
ger, the transport had been in port sew
eral days and several hundred dollars had
been spent in cleaning and whitewashing
her She was as clean as she could be
The only thing which could be justly com
planned of was the dampness of the decks
which could not be helped on account of
the rainy weather. The complaint thai
the steel decks leaked and that the filth
from the horses stalls leaked down upon
the men was false. The truth of the MAJ,
ter was that the men of the Second Illinois
were entirely responsible for the filthy
condition of the transport, due to their
own disregard of all ordinary rules and
regulations of cleanliness They imnnedi.
ately, after going on board. began to scat
ter 1000 about the decks and in other
ways to make the vessel filthy. The faot
that such was the case was moro +bon
borne out by their further conduct on the
voyage when they utterly disregarded all
sanitary regulations, with the result thu,
the vessel was in an extremely fIthv CON
dition on her arrival at Havana. When
the quartermaster of the TRANSPORT called
upon the officers 10 order the men to no
lice their quarters, as required bv tho
transport regulations the men nor onIy
refused 10 obey the orders, but cursed an1
abused their officers"
> The Michigan Col. BeIiinger remarked
was good enough for Gen. Wheaton and
his staff when they left Savannah Gov
Cupa, and this being the case. he did no,
see why the privates should grumble, In
Iact there had been no complaint. he said
except in the case of the second Tilinot-
ana in this case, he said. thero u,a. -
, doubt that the conduct of the men tbaro
, selves was responsible for the condition.
of which they complained. '''ioiiS
! The Chester resumed her voyage AZ COO
5 at o'clock after having taken on boarG
l the oelated freight which had been Iig5f.
e cred down TO her. The Chester was ao.
{ companied by the tug Dauntless, which !,
Is understood VIII continue in her com
2 pany as far as Jupiter Fla. and NAV fn.
- company the transport to Havana If Ibar,
Y IS any probability of her services beins
needed s
! CITY Expenses Fer TEN VEAps