The times., 1899-11-05
THE TRANSPORT SERVICE
An Immense Fleet Used in Moving
American Soldiers.

Col. Charles Bird, of the Quarter
master Generals Department, Go
ing to the Philippines on nm In
spectinE Tour-spIendid Squadron
of Troopships - Vessels Chartered.
Major John B. Bellinger has arrived in
Washington, and will relieve Col. Charles.
Bird, OF the Quartermaster Generals De-
partment. of the work of looking after the
Army transports Major Bellinger was a
captain at the outbreak of the Spanish
American war, and was placed in charge
of the transport loading at Port Tampa,
Fla He successfully loaded all Of Shat
| ter's army and for months worked un-
ceasingly unloading troops from trains and
reloadng them on vessels for Cuba and
vice versa when the army returned from
Cuba. He was made a major for his good
work
Colonel Bird will leave New York about
November 20 for the Philippines, to inspect
| the immense transport fleet he has sue
| cessfully organized for the Government
He will return via Honolulu and San
| Francisco.
The feet comprises sixty-fiYe vessels. in
cluding troopships, animal and freight
| ships and hospital ships and one cable
ship. OF this number forty three are char
tered vessels and twenty y-two owned abso-
IuteIy by the Government.
All the vessels. both those chartered and
those owned by the Government have been
remodeled and put in the best Of condition,
| and are thoroughly seaworthy. The feet
! can transport at one time 5000 soldiers
| / 800 officers, and over 5000 animals, be
/ sides thousands OF tons of supplies and
! equipments. If necessary the transports
could be safely loaded with 10000 soldiers,
1000 officers, and 5000 animals
A majority of the vessels of the feet are
plying between San Francisco and Manila,
but good many Of them are also on the
Atlantic Coast. On the Pacific Coast there
are thirty troopsships, eighteen animal
ships, three hospital ships, and one cable
| ship; on the Atlantic Coast there are four
teen troopships. Following are the ships,
| their capacities. and stations;
! Chartered troopships on the Pacific Coast:
| Ohio, il officers, 754 men; Indiana, 40
| officers, $50 men; Newport, So officers, $40
men: Pennsylvania, so officers, $50 men;
/ z-Gdid1Lu4d, III O1uCGLog W. men ' d4SA1lo
| 35 officers. 500 men; City of Para, As Off
| GERS. 1000 men; Tartar, As officers, 1,176
men; Senator, 35 officers, ~ men; st. Paul,
! 42 officers. 500 men; City OF Sydney, IS
| officers. zoo men: Charles Nelson, % Off
! GERS, 2I0 men: Belgian King, q officers,
| 780 men; City of Puebla, 25 officers, 500
men; Columbia. is officers, $50 men; Man
auense, Is officers, 3s1 men; City of Pc
king. 80 officers, 92S men; Sikh, % officers,
Sal men; Tacoma. q officers. 496 men;
George w. Elder, % officers, 496 men; City
Of Rio. Is officers. 713 men; Glenogle. 80
officers, IT'S men; Olympia, not given;
| Daluy Vostock 40 officers, 800 men Duke
of Fife 40 officers, 900 men.
Chartered animal and freight ships on
| the Pacific Coast are:
Tacoma, 206 animals; Conemaugh. 295
animals: Leelanaw, 250 animals; Wyefeld.
140 animals: Athenian, 400 animals; Ga
rome. All; Port Albert, 500 animals; Vic
toria, 419 animals; Siam, 325 animals; Cen
tennial, $50 animals; Lennox, 432 animals;
| Victoria, not given; Westminster not
given; Benmohr not given; Fort Stephens,
| 500; Pathan, 325; Flintshire, 325; Aztec,
363.
Troopships owned by the Government on
the Pacific Coast:
% officers, 300 men; Sheridan, 80 officers.
1900 men; Sherman, Sc officers, 1900 men;
| Warren, q officers, ], ,224 men.
TroOpships owned by the Government on
the Atlantic:
Buford, "a officers, 600 men: Burnside, q
| officers 273 men; Crook, q officers, S2S
| men; ingalls,. 20 officers, $50 men; Kill
patrick. 2S officers. $50 men; Logan. So Of
ficers, / 500 men; Mcclellan, u officers. 800
men; Mcpherson, 81 officers. 562 men
! Meade, 60 officers, 1,2O0 men; Sedgwick 80
| officers 200 men: Wright not given;
Thomas, 86 officers, 1890 men; Sumner, so
officers, 1000 men.
The cableship Hooker is in the Philip
pine waters and the three hospital ships
| Missouri, Relief, and Terry are on the Pa
ci6c Coast