The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-02-27
RUSH SHELLS TO DEWEY.
low the Ammunition which Was
Used mt Manila Was Hurried
Across the Continent.

Woodford, delivered one night recently
in Washington before the Army and
Navy club. brought out an interesting
bit of unwritten history in reference to
the manner in which Admiral Dewey's
fleet was supplied with the munitions
of war which made possible the battle
of Manila. Interviews with railway Of
ficals in Chicago show that the whole
story of the ammunition train has not
been told. The run OF the special train
of the Wells-Fargo Express company
across the country and the lightning
transfer of hundreds of tons of six-inch
and eight-inch shells, with powder, dy-
Mantle and other explosives was one of
the most remarkable feats ever per-
formed in this country, not alone from
the dispatch, but from the secrecy with
which it was accomplished.
Route Agent Davis &. Mellor, of the
Wells-Fargo company, told how it was
done.
They are still disputing about that
special train of last winter" said Mr..
Mellor. We'll, am not surprised, as
there were only two or three in Wash
ington and only the officials of the COM
pany in Chicago that knew how it was
done. Not even the men themselves
who handled the stuff knew what it
was.
THE transport which was to carry
the ammunition and supplies to the
Asiatic squadron was waiting in San
Francisco, and no one had any idea
what it was waiting for. | think it was
the Sentinel, but am not sure.
Our company runs a special train
through from New York to Albu-
querqu and the officials of the navy
department at Washington made ar
rangement with the officials of the com
pany in New York for the shipment. OF
course, our company had to handle it,
as we are the only company that does a
transcontinentalb business and runs a
special train. Then, again, all the other
companies had refused to handle such
large quantity of explosives, as twas
practically impossible for them o do so.
1t is against the laws of the states, and
also of the United States, for eXplo-
sives to be shipped on passenger trains
in front of passengers, and as no one
could make the speed we could we got
the contract.
at is so long ago that do not now
remember all the details of the ship
ment, but we were kept on the jump
here for several days. l think there
were three trains in all that we had
to handle here, and all the time the
transport was waiting in San Fran
cisco.
Admiral Dewey was in bad shape for
the shells and ammunition, and we
knew it was a rush order. All we knew
about it was when we got word from
New York TO have so many cars ready
at such time and TO be ready to make
the quickest transfer we had ever done
| think there were three car loads from
New York on the first train, and the
Baltimore & Ohio and other roads
brought other supplies, which had to
be transferred and TO be loaded upon
| the special train which was to go out
from Chicago.
This was the central point for the
shipment of everything that went to
the Asiatic squadron. The greatest Sc
crecy was observed. and after we had
loaded the train it went out over the
Santa Fe nine hours after the regular
express left that also goes to Albu-
querqne. Both trains got to Albu-
quereue at the same time, and the reg
ular train followed the special up to San
Francisco, where the stuff was loaded
upon the transport.
Those were the shells that sunk the
Spanish fleet, and the powder with
which Admiral Dewey fought the bat
tie of Manila. If the train had ever
been wrecked or anything had hap
pened on that trip no one would ever
been able to find the rails or anything
else of the Santa Fe line for several
miles. Everything was carefully boxed
so that not even the workmen knew
what was being done. The time in
which that special got across the con
tinent was four and a half days, and
| that is about as fast time as has ever
been made. When the United States
government wants anything done ol
| that kind it has to be doEe in a hurry
Chicago Inter Ocean.