Arizona republican., 1899-08-17
A TRANSPORT FLEET
How Troops Will Be Carried
TO The Philippines.
Ships Chartered by the Quarter
masters Deparfmenf-An Army
Arrangement Entirely Indepen-
deRf of the Navy.

the war department for the mobiliza-
ton of the new army for the Philip
pines contemplate the landing of the
last of the troops in Manila by No
yember %. The number TO be moved
over sea aggregates 1870 enlisted
men and officers.
This army is to be carried across the
Pacific ocean by the transport service
which has been organized within a lit
tie more than a year by the United
States army. The service consists of
q fleet of conmodious passenger and
freight. vsesels owned or chartered 10Y
the government, and operated by the
quartermaster-s department of the
army.
When the war with Spain BROKE our
last year tie army knew nothing at
all Of sea transportation The Off
cials We're Immediately confronted
with the great big problem of trans
porting an army of 10000 men or
more Il distance of 1000 miles. The
army did not own Il ship. and further
more the opportunities for chdrtering
ships were then limited
But the army set to work upon the
problem and solved it, The troops
Were carried to Cuba and Porto Rico.
and brought back again, the journeys,
attended, of course. with discomforts,
but this was inseparable from the con
ditionS. All this time the quarter
masters department was studying fhe
problem of sea transportation ard.
ascertaining what was necessary TO
make Il good service. Then the re-
cessfty of sending men 20 the Philip
pines arose and the quartermaster's
department went TO work in earnest to
provide feet
Today the government owns a fleet
Of eighteen big steamships for carry
irs troops, four hospital ships and
twelve small vessels. Some of these
are on the Pacific and some on the At
lantic In addition there is a charter
ed fee, consisting of fifteen steam
ships ON the Pacific, which will carry
men and horses.
The transports owned by the gov
ernment are model troop ships. When
the Grant, which took a regiment from
New York to Manila, via Suez. landed
at Gibraltar the British officers who !
boarded her were amazed at the com |
DleiteDess of the vessel. They knew
the United Safes had never possessed |
Il transport service. and they could |
not understand how Il service could be
gotten up so quickly. Furthermore |
the vessel had arrangements for the
comfort Of the men which excelled the
usual army transport used by Eu-
-opean governments.
The Grant, the Sheridan and fhe
Sherman are beautiful ships, complete
n every way, and several other yes
els are now being put into similar con-
lition at ship yards on the Atlantic
oast
The sleeping quarters are as COM
ortable as those at an army posi-.
The men lie in iron-framad hunks.
With clean bedding. plenty of fresh
ir and light. Elece:Tic fans furnish
ooling breezes, and venulating pipes
re ranged along the sides of the
hip. 80 that by turning a stop-cock Il
tream of cold air can be thrown into
he cabin. LaVatOries are furnished.
C that the men can keep clean; the
ness arrangements are good, and the
oldiers are supplied regular army IA
ions, well cooked and pleniful.
The war department operates the
ransEorts without the aid of the navy.
'ha masters and crews Of the ships
wned by the government are employ
Il just as in the merchant service. but
re uniformed. and are considered eli
ilian employees of the war dei,art-
lem. An officer of the quartermas- !
7r's department goes on each vessel.
nd the ships carry i staff of medical I
fficerS. COmmodiOus sick bays are
rOvided, and when they fall i'll they {
re taken care of by skillful surgeons.
The vessels of the fleet which the
Overnment OWLS We're bought out
ght and the war department. fitted
lem up for rhe requirements of the 2
Arvice. Large sums Were experIed il
II this purpose. aEd it costs heavily #,
operate the steamers. 4
The chartered fleet comprising at ,
'esent about fifteen vessels. all on 7,
e Pacific, represents an enormous {
'st to the government. The steam Il
rip City of Para costs $500 d Cay for u
e charter alone. She will carry n
lout 1000 men and she and the I,
hers will make two round trips 10 f,
anila- The Indiana costs so. 600 a G
onth and will carry nearly 1000 W
EN-. The charter price of the New Ii
rt is LOCO day, with Il capacity of Il
'out 1000 men. The Tartar costs %