The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-29
A FIGHT FOR LEE.
Soldiers on the Manauense GoThrough
Twelve Days of Peril and Hardship.

Manila, Nov 29.-When the transport
Manauense anchored in Manila bay
with three companies of the Thirty
third infantry on board, thirty three
days from San Francisco, there were
several feet of water in her hold, and
400 grimy greasy, hungry, exhausted
soldiers and sailors had been passing
buckets of water since November II,
night and day
First Assistant Engineer Dunleavy
was under arrest, and according to the
report of Colonel Hayes, the officer in
command the chief engineer would
have been under arrest if there had
been any one to replace him.
The cOlOnePs report also declares that
the captain of the vessel told him the
only thing which brought them through
was the fact that the men were green
horns and failed to realize their danger,
While experienced 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 belongs to
& firm which Senator Perkins of San
Francisco is alleged to be a junior
member. The officers say the firm
bought her for $4,000, and they claim
efforts were made to sell her to the
government for $50. 600
She started from San Francisco ac-
companied by the transport Pe41in,
which carried the remainder of the
regiment and encountered heavy seas
to Honolulu without accident
After starting it developed that she
was undeT-manned and the soldiers had
to be detailed to act as firemen, coal
passers and walters, and to do other
work.
Before reaching Honolulu the crew
concluding that the ship was not safe
the majority agreed to desert Though
they were closely watched, many of the
crew succeeded in getting away, and
the Manauense left Honolulu with less
than half her crew.
The captain of the transport, N0Vem-
Der IS, told Colonel Hayes. that the YES
sci had sprung a leak. and an inVestiga-
tion resulted in finding several feet Of
water in her hold The steam pumps
were tried, but failed to work, and
there were no hand pumps on board.
However, fOrty-siX buckets were found,
others were imprONiSeG, and the sol
diers not employed in working the ship
We're organized into five shifts and
stripped, and forming lines, they be-
gan 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 than half an hour. The
bailing continued until the snip anchor
ed here.
The same day the leak was discOv-
cred the machinery collapsed and the
electric lighting plant and evapOrat-
ing, distiiing and refrigerating appara-
tus failed to work.
There We're no lamps and the few
candles found were exhausted after q
passage the Manauense was in utter
darkness at night. She had been roll
ing in heavy seas all the way, but No
vember p she encountered a typhOon
and pitched and tossed alarmingly.
The Pekin became separated from the
Manaueuse in the storm.
The water rose rapidly and the bailing
force was doubled. But the buckets We're
gradually smashed and barrels and box
es were substituted for them, uhe men
working in darkness, planks and pieces Of
iron shafting being violently washed
among them The fremen could only feed
the fires by being lifted on the shoulders
Of the other men, through water waist
deep.
The typhoon lasted two days and a half.
and in the midst of 1t the engines stopped
The officers then held council and
found that there were 40 persons on
board, with life boat accommodations for
Z13.
In the meantime the men below. ignor-
ant of their extreme peril, were passing
buckets and saving. What the he'll az
We carer while the ship rolled hapless
on the ocean with matches closed
The heat was intense until the tvphoon
passed. and then the Pekin which had
retraced her course about seventy miles
came alongside the Manauense which
was rolling 50 heavily that. the soldiers in
(Continued on Sixth Faeel