Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-14
ON A BIG TRANSPORT
How Uncle Sam Carries His Soldiers
Across the Water.
A TASK OF IMMENSE PROPORTIONS
Every Ship is Provided With All
Necessaries and Comforts.
ORIGIN OF THE SYSTEM
copyrighted, 1899, by Frank C. carpenter.)


Written for The Evening Star
Uncle Sans Transports, How shall l
describe them, They are the wonder Ct
Europe France is making copies of them
for her army and the British are investi
eating their modern improvements for the
comfort of the soldier. The creation of
the system Is a marvel to Chrstendom.
Two years ago we had not a ship of the
kind. Since then about 100000 soldiers
have been carried to and from the West
Indies and the Philippines and the United
States, and this has been done without the
loss of q single life by the carelessness of
officials or defective arrangements. Today
an army greater than that which Xenophon
led on his famous retreat to the sea is
steaming across the Pacific, and long be-
fore Christmas all the Few regiments viii
have passed through Manila on their way
to the field of action.
During the past summer 1 have had
chance to see something of the freight and
passenger ships which Uncle Sam owns.
L have travelled on the best steamship lines
OF the word, but | have yet to find ships
better equipped and better managed. I
went to Porto Rico on the Mcpherson:
sailed thence with a thousand soldiers on
the Mississippi to Cuba, and came back to
the United States on the same vessel ! have
been upon many of the other transports
a fleet | doubt whether there is ANYTHING
like it in Europe.
Vessels of All CIasses
Our transport fleet consists of sixtv-four
vessels of all classes 1t has eighteen large
ships, some of which burn 100 tons of coal
a day and carry eighteen hundred soldiers
at one time. Such are the Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan and Meade and such also the
Logan and Thomas Each of these ships is
so long that 1t would fill a city street 80
feet wide from block to book 1t has three
or Tour great decks or stories, which are
divided up into compartments. rooms and
quarters, making it a very CITY in itself
When II starts out it has enough souls
aboard 1t to people large town 1t has
something like 1000 men. 1t has to carry
TINS crowd over from 1900 to 10 600 miles of
water as to whether IT goes from San Fran
cisco or New York to Manila, and it must
feed and keep them comfortable during a
voyage of thirty-six or forty-two days. 1t
Will be readily seen that this task is no
slight one, and that it is exceedingly i'm
portant that the ship be properly arranged.
This has been the study of Quartermaster
General Ludi1gtOn and his force, and es-
pecially of Colonel Charles Bird. at the
heau of the transport division at Washing
ton; Colonel F. B. Jones. general superin-
terIdent of the army transport service, New
York. and Colonel o. F. Long of the same
service in San Francisco. 1t is through the
efforts of these men chiefly that the modern
transport has been evolved. a ship which
is peculiar to the United States army. and
which surpasses in its comforts anything
of its kind in the world I wish l could
take you on some of the ships which are
now carrying the soldiers to the Philip
pines, They are enormous vessels, built
of steel. as high as a SiX-stOry house and
containing as many rooms as a big sum
mer hotel They are heated by steam and
lighted by electricity. They have great
kitchens, with corns of cooks, solutions
and walters. Each has a bakery, where all
the bread used on board IS baked Every
one has a cold storage plant and refrigera-
tor, which keeps the meat fresh and gives
green vegetables and ripe fruits throughout
the voyage, and each has condensing ma
chimes which distin pure water from that
of the sea and give the men fresh water
throughout the voyage.
Soldier Life on Transport.
No effort is spared for the comfort of the
soldiers. Each man has his own bunk,
consisting of a canvas mattress, or sheet
fastened to gas pipes, and so stretched that
it is as comfortable as a spring bed. These
hunks are put up in three tiers, one above
another and are arranged that they can
be taken down during the day and the cam
vas washed or aired, while the space can
be used for exercise. There is one deck for
eating and exercising. The meals are serv-
ed upon swinging tables. which are let
down from the ceiling and drawn up be-
tween meals. In fact, not an inch of room
is wasted, and the men have ample space
for drill and play Each ship has a read
ing room, which contains an organ and
other musical instruments and is sup
piled with books and papers, and espe-
cially with song books for use in religious
services. The reading matter and music are
not furnished by the government however,
but are gift of the ladies of the Army and
Navy League of the United States. In the
new transport Logan the reading room is
walled with glass.
One part of the main deck is set aside
for the hospital. This is at the stern of
the ship. well separated from the other
parts. 1t has city beds and is surrounded
by the rooms of the surgeon and the hos
pital stewards 1t is well lighted and
equipped with all modern appliances. Each
ship carries its own surgeon and there are
trained nurses with most of the vessels.
The hospitals have their own bath rooms,
and there are many bath rooms of diff
ferent kinds for the use of the men. The
government regulations provide that the
men must battle. They are inspected with
out arms twice a day, and at this time
every individual must show that his hands,
face and feet are washed and his hair
combed. The greatest care has been taken
as to the lavatories. They are of the most
modern style, and everything is kept scru-
pulous'y clean. During my journey on the
Mcpherson, I went over the ship and eX-
amined every part of it, spending some
time in the hold and in places which on
other ships have offensive smells. There
was nothing Of the kind on the Mcpherson.
Every bit of it was like Dutch kitchen
The deck was kept so secured that you
could see every grain of the wood of the
floor, and we could have eaten our meals
upon the deck without soiling the food.
Discipline.
Soldiers a trip l'ke that to Manila are
under as strict discipline almost as on
shore Each company is in charge of its
officers, and everything moves like clock
work. The hours for exercise are pre-
scribed. The men are regularly inspected
by the surgeon. They have to get up and
go to bed at a given time, and almost every
hour Of the day has its duty. At G am
reyeille is sounded, at $50 breakfast, at tbs
the sick call, at 8 guardmounting, at 10 in
spection, and at - dinner At m. there
is another sick call, at thirty minutes after
sunset inspection, at pm. supper, at S:45
call to quarters, and at pm. taps. when
lights are out and all are supposed to be in