The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-03
SENDING THE
SPANISH HOME
FROM MANILA
Bids for the Trans
portation of Troops.
TWO LOCAL FIRMS COMPETE
SIXTEEN THOUSAND MEN TO GO
BY WAY OF THE SUEz CANAL.
The Contract Likely to Be Awarded
to the Bordeaux Steamship Com
pany-Uniforms for Soldiers
in the Tropics.
TWO LOCAL FIRMS COMPETE
SIXTEEN THOUSAND MEN TO GO
BY WAY OF THE SUEz CANAL.

The 5000 or more Spanish prisoners of
the late war who are to be transported
from Manila to Spain will not, as many
first supposed, be first conveyed to this
city and then shipped across the con-
tinent but will be taken directly through
the Suez canal. Bids from different
steamship companies were forwarded to
Washington yesterday, both from New
York and this city. In the aggregate
they amount to but five, three from the
former and two from the latter. The
competing lines from New York are the
Bordeaux Steamship Company, whose bid
was the lowest, being $75 per capita for
officers and men; the Hamburg American
line, $50 for each enlisted man and $155 for
officers, the number at these figures be-
ing limited to 800 men; the Campania
Transatlantica, S215 for the transporta-
ton of officers and $73 70 for enlisted
men. The bids forwarded from this city
were considerably larger than any of the
New York companies. Macondray & Co.
placed their minimum figure at $110 so per
capita for soldiers and $215 for officers.
One of the stipulations of the bid is that
a vessel will be at Manila within six
weeks from the time the contract is
awarded. w. B. Wiltshire places his figure
at $249 per capita for 229S men at first
class, $175 at second class and $l24 per
capita for Steerage.
Unless more bids are forwarded to
Washington within the next few days, the
contract will in all probability be awarded
to the Bordeaux Steamship Company.
The military authorities here have no
idea that the bids forwarded by the two
local steamship companies viii be even
considered after the price of them is as
certained.
Immediately after the contract is
awarded steps will be taken by the sue
cessful bidders to get the necessary YES
sells to the Philippines as soon as pos
sible.
The route of the ships will be through
the SueZ canal. The army authorities, in
speaking of this course, say it would be
almost impossible for the men to be con-
veyed to this city and thence overland to
New York, as it would take an army of
men to keep them in the trains. They
consider the proposition absurd and con-
tradict the current rumor that has been
circulated to the effect that arrange
mentS have been perfected for the trans
portation of the prisoners to New York
City by way of San Francisco. Contracts
have been awarded recently for the manu-
facture of hundreds of uniforms of duck
cloth for the American soldiers in the
Philippines. They provide, upon the au-
thority of the Government officials, for
nothing but white labor in their manu-
facture. The orders and contracts now
being fulfilled will be the last for some
time to come. 1t is expected, however,
that this city will receive greater share
of patronage at the distribution of the
contracts, which will probably be award
ed soon after the present ones are full
filled.