The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-22

| steamers into troop ships is no slight
| task. It takes great deal of time and
| 4 great deal Of money The transfers
| together have cost a number OF mil
| lions. the price paid by Uncle Sam for
some being as high as four hundred Of
| five hundred thousand dollars each
The remodeling Of each of the large
transports has cost more than one hun
dred and foTty-fve thousand dollars
The work Of retitting is very imDQrf3nt
and the best officers Of the service
are chosen TO watch the work and tn
manage the transport system. Among
others who have made a special OF this
DIVISION Of the quartermaster's DEPART
ment is Maj. john NJ Carson. ir.. who
was connected with the quartermaster'
ONCE IN San Juan, Porto Rico. and who
IS now at Philadelphia experimenting
TIE re-equipment Of the Thomas. He
VIII be the commanding quartermastel
OF the Thomas on her voyage to Manila
ana from there, after studying the
needs Of the transport service on the
Islands, will come back to the United
States via San Francisco, his idea be
ing TO get a practical knowledge of
everything connected with the service
THE ORIGIN or THE TRANSPORT
SYSTEM.
he transport system was created bv |
our war with Spain. When the Name |
was blown up Uncle Sam saw the need
OF it, and Aladdin-like. he took down |
his old lamp and rubbed it. and the ge
nil of American brains and American |
capital placed it before him. The slave |
OF the lamp in this case was Col. Chas.
Bird, head of the transport division at
who, under Quartermast-
er General LudingtOn. sent teIegrams |
to ship owners OF this country and
bought the vessels which aftervaT,i be-
came transports. It was very difficult
TO get ships The navy had taken
everything in sight and vessels hau to
be bought wherever possible. The only
SHIPS available were freighters, and
they had to be reftted at once for TAX
ing the army to Cuba.
1t was first thought that the trOODs
would land near Havana and that this
would be the center Of war operations.
The sea journey was to be only forty
eight hours, and even for this time the
question OF water was very important |
HOgsheads and wine casks were
bought by the hundreds and charred
FOR the. purpose. tank steamer with q
Of 600, 900 gallons was charter
7d and four scOWs which carried 800 |.
)G0 gallons were bought Then upon {
some Of the ships condensing machine. |
we're put, and the quartermaster'S je-
}artment was prepared for shipping
he troops At this moment the base
IL war operations was transferred 10
santiago. and the ships had TO be
hanged SO that they could take care Of
he army for four days instead Of TWO |
rhe change was made and the army
vas taken. In all about 10000 men
we're carried to Porto Rico and Cnba. |
md at the close all were brought back
nd others were put in their place ). |
The most Of the troops were returned s
1t the time that yellow fever was e;i-i
lemic in Cuba. and although clo2Scd
~ the quarantine regulations al Sa-
-annah, such arrangements were mace
IS to disinfection and landing that lie :
rmy was mustered out without The
elbow fever being brought into the
COUNTRY and almost without the people
moving that the troops were being
dismissed. The detailed story Of the
york Of the QuartermaSter'S depart
nent during the war and since then is
uite as interesting as the operations
n the field, but it is one that is yet tO 8
De written. )
FRANK c. CARPENTER :