Iron County register., 1899-12-07
THIS OUTD()ES Fiction.
The Story of the Trip of the United
States Chartered Transport
Manauense to Manila.
THE MEN DIDN'T REALIZE THEIR DANCER.
For Twelve Days and Nights a Bat
TALON of the Thirty-f'irst yoIun-
teers, Under Lieut.-COl. webb
Hayes BaiIed the Ship, to Keep
Her AfOat.

Peoria, ILL.,, Nov. 30.-Clerk Rohr-
port Manauense anchored in Manila
bay. Tuesday, 80 days from San Fran
cisco, there were several feel of water
in her hold, and 400 grimy, greasy.
hungry, exhausted soldiers and sailors,
who had been passing buckets of wa
ter since November Il, night and day.
First Assistant Engineer Dunlevy was
under arrest, and, according to Col.
Webb Hayes official report, the chiei
engineer also would have been under
arrest if there had been any one to &C.
place him.
Didn't Know Their Danger.
The colonel's report also declares
that the captain of the vessel told him
that the only thing which brought
them through was the fact that the
men were greenhorns, and failed 10
realize their danger, while expert
enced seamen would have deserted the
ship and taken to the boats in mid
ocean.
The Manauense is a chartered ship
flying the British flag. She started
from San Francisco, accompanied by
the transport Pekin, which carried the
remainder of the regiment, and en-
eountered heavy seas to Honolulu,
without accident.
Vessel was Undermanned.
After starting, it developed that she
was undermined, and soldiers had TIA
be detailed to act as firemen, coal pass
ers and walters, and to do other work.
Before reaching Honolulu, the crew
concluded that the ship was not safe,
and the majority agreed to desert.
Though they were closely watched,
many of the crew succeeded in getting
away, and the Manauense left Hone
lulu with less than half her crew. The
captain of the transport, on November
IL, told Col. Hayes that the vessel had
Rprung leak, and an investigation re-
suited in finding several feet of water
i'm her hold.
No Pumps Available.
The steam pumps were tried, but
failed to work and there were no hand
pumps on board. However, 46 buck
cts were found, others were impro-
viscd, and the soldiers were organized
into shifts, and, stripped and forming
lines. they began bailing, the officers
working with the men, passing the
buckets which were sent up to the
deck by windlass. The longest time
a shift could stand was two hours, and
often the period was not longer thar
half an hour. The bailing being con-
tinued until the ship anchored here.
Machinery Collapsed.
The same day the leak was discov-
Fred, the machinery collapsed, and the
electric lighting plant and evaporat-
ing. distilling and refrigerating ap-
paratuS failed to work. There were
no lamps, and the few candles
found were exhausted after a lew days.
During the last week of the passage,
e the Manauense was in utter darkness
1T night.
She had been rolling in heavy seas
all the way, but November % she en-
countered typhoon and pitched and
tossed alarmingly.
In n Typhoon.
The Pekin became separated from
The Manauense in the storm. The wa.
ter rose rapidly, and the bailing force
was doubled. But the buckets were
gradually smashed. ard barrels and
boxes were substituted for them. the
men working in darkness, planks and
pieces of iron shafting being vic
1ently dashed among them. The fire
men could only feed the fires by being
lifted on the shoulders of the other
men. through water waist deep.
Engines Failed Frequently.
Throughout the remainder of the
voyage the engines of the Manauense
failed frequently, and the ship rolled
for few hours while the engines were
repairing. Then the steamer would
pitch again for a few hours.
The meat and vegetables rotted be
cause of the failure of the refrigera,
tors, and were thrown overheard.
After the storm, the water supplied
to the ship at Honolulu had to be used
for the boilers, and there was little or
none for drinking. In fact, it is as
serted that during the last week of
the voyage the men lived almost en-.
tireiy on whisky, beer and hardtack
All Were Exhausted.
The officers and soldiers were utter
ly exhausted when they reached Ma
Mia. They declare the engineers were
grossly incompetent. The officers also
say that the behavior OF the troops
was beyond praise. For days they
worked in the dark, suffocating hold,
with water sometimes up to their
shoulders, and planks washing about
in manner dangerous to life and
limb. The officers took the lead in
baiIing, and encouraged the men.
A Scurvey Captain.
The captain of the ship promised
the men 25 cents a day for bailing,
but he now proposes to pay them
merely S1.50 per man. The soldiers
talk of ibeling the ship.
The regiment will proceed to Earn
boanga on the Pekin, to garrison sew
eral ports on the island of Mindanao.
Fonnd Dead I'm His Chair.
t,oshen. Ind, Dec. DIR. NJ. NJ. Lat
IN aped so wears. the pioneer and the