The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
NEW MODEL TROOPSHlPS
THREE WOW BEING REFITTED TO
BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD

Every Possible Device Adopted for the Com
fort of Officers and Men on the Logan,
Meade and Thomna-work to Cost $780,
900 Ship to be Done by November 1.
Three n the larger army TRANSPORTS. which
since their acquisition by the Government at
the outbreak Of the war have been on the New
York station. are now being fitted up a. model
troorshps. and 1t Is expected that they will
be used to carry some OF the new volunteer
regiments to the Philippines The transports
are the Logan and Meade. now In process OF
renttinE and rcnovatng in Brooklyn. and the
Thomas. which ia at Cramps, PHILADELPHIA
The three vessels have an aggregate capacity OF
about 1000 officers and men. or about the full
regiment and ono battalion OF infantry each.
with room to spare for the wives and families
OF the officers aud commissioned officers
1t lsnot probable so extensive are the atera-
tions decided on by the luartermaster's de-
partment to insure the maximum OF comfort
for the enlisted men. that the vessels will be
abe to leave this port before Nov !. II
the Logan should be finished before Nov.
] and time permit. the vessel may be used
to bring home some OF tho American troops in
Cuba.
The plans for tho Logans refltting have
been perfected bv Frank c. Kirby. a marine
architect under the direction of Col. Jones,
chief Of the army transport service. They
have been drawn so af t. provide every pos
Sihir con v"nicncc for the troops and it is ex-
pccted that the vessels will surpnss the. model
troorshps Grant. sherman and Sheridan,
which sailed with troops FOR Manila last winter.
Tho fittings will include folding metallic
hunks. supported by steel tubes and arranged
thrc" in "A tier shower baths mi rctrigrrat-
ing apparatus for preserving fresh meat for
issue en- route The bridge AMI spar decks
will be given up almost entirely to the army
and the ships officers On the bridge deck
will be- the Office of the army quarternnster.
an officers reading and writing room and
staterooms for officers and their families On
the spar deck forward will be writing room
for the enlisted men. There will bc two
six-pounder rapd-ire guns mounted forward
on this dock and two aft. On the spar deck
will be dining room for officers. seating sixty.
On the main deck will be quarters for the
craw and petty officers. non commissioned
officers. mess rooms. shower baths for the
soldiers. hremen and crew. hospital with an
isolation ward. operating room and diet
kitchen: meat chopping machine operated
by electricity with a capacity Of 800 pounds an
hour, steam cooking apparatus. distillng
apparatus cold storage room with butcher
shop adjoining. dough mixing and coffee
grinding machinery, operated by electric
motors. quarters for non commissioned off,
GERS families. two steam launches swung In
davits. four new 27-foot life boats In addition
to the present outfit. and eight life RATS each
with capacity Of twenty-five people.
There will be probably 700 tiers OF hunks for
the mon arranged on the two decks below
the main deck leaving ample room for re-
frigerntinR apparatus and stores. The cost OF
alternating the Logan will be about $250.000.
and for the Meade and Thomas about the
same.