Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-29
PeriIous Voyage Of Volunteers
from San Francisco to Manila.
SAFETY IN IGNORANCE
Colonel Webb Hayes ma Throo Cons
pnntes of Thirty-Grst Infantry In
IL Sad PIIsht-ThcIr Ship Unsen
worthy ana Lraking-Thcy spend
Twelve Days nnd Nights Railing
wnter with Huchots,
tBy Telegraph to virglnian-Pilot.)

(By Telegraph to Virginian- Pilot.)
Manila. Nov. 2S.-7:35 u. m.-The
transport NIunauense, with Lieutenant
Colonel Hayes and three COM
panes OF the Thirty-first Infantry on
board has arrived here. She narrowly
escaped disaster. The officers and SOL
diers were for IL days bailing with
buckets. The steamer was unsea-
worthy. under-manned and short of
provisions. Her engines broke down
and she rolled three days in Il typhoon.
When the Manaucnse anchored in
Manila bay this morning. 80 days from
San Francisco, there were several feet
of water in her hold. and four hundred
grimy, greasy, hungry, exhausted sol
diers and sailors had been passing
buckets Of water since November II.
night and day. First Assistant Engin-
Ger Dunleavy was under arrest, and,
according to Colonel Webb Hayes oiii
cial report, the chief engineer would
also have been under arrest If there
had been any one to replace him.
SAFETY DUE TO IGNORANCE.
The Colonel's report also declares
that the captain OF the vessel told him
that the only thing which brought them
through was the fact that the men were
greenhorns, and failed to realize their
danger, while experienced scamen
would have deserted the ship and taken
to the boats In midocean.
A BRITISH SHIP. Ug
r The ldan1uense is n chartered ahip.
flying the British flag. She belongs to
firm OF which Senator Perkins, of San
Francisco, is alleged to be a junior
member. The officers say the firm
bought her for $4,000, and they claim
efforts were made to sell her to the
Government for 100000. She started
from San Francisco accompanied by
the transport Pellin. which carried the
remainder of the regiment and encount-
cred heavy seas to Honolulu, without
accident.
DESCRIPTIONS.
After starting it developed that she
was undetermined and soldiers had to
be detailed to act as tiremen. coal pass
crs and walters. and to do other work.
Before reaching Honolulu, The crew
concluded that the ship was not safe
and the majority agreed to desert
many OF the crew succeeded in getting
away and the Manauense left Honolulu
with less than half her crew.
LEAK DISCOVERED
The captain of the transport on Mo-
yember 18th told Colonel Hayes that
the vessel had sprunlk n leak, and all
investigation resulted In finding sevc-
raj feet OF water in the hold. The steam
pumps were tried, but failed to work,
and there were no hand pumps on
board. However, forty-siX buckets were
found. others were fmprovised. and the
soldiers not employed in working the
ship were organized into five shifts,
and, stripped and forming lines, they
began battling. the officers working with
the men, passing the buckets, which
were sent up to the deck by a windlass.
Tho longest time q shift could stand
was two hours, and, often, the period
was not longer than half an hour.
The bailing continued until the ship
anchored here.
ANOTHER MISFORTUNE.
The same day the leak was discover
ed, the machinery collapsed, and the
electric lighting plant and evaporating,
distilling and refrigerating apparatus
failed to work. There were no lamps
and the few candles found were eX-
haustcd after Il few days. During the
last week Of the passage the Manau-
ense was in utter darkness at night
She had been rolling in heavy seas all
the way, but November 22d she encoun-
tered a typhoon and pitched and tossed
alarmingly.
SI1lGS SlLPAIIATED,
The Pekin became separated from
the Manauense in the storm
the water rose rapidly and the bail
ing force was doubled. But the buck
els were gradually smashed and bar
rels and boxes were substituted for
them, the men working in darkness.
planks and pieces Of iron shafting being
Violently washed among them. The
f1remen could only feed the fires NV he
ing lifted on the shoulders of the other
men through water waist deep.
The typhoon lasted two DAYS and n
half, and in the midst Of it the engines
stopped The officers then held q conn
ell and found that there were 400 per-
sons on board, with life boat accommo-
dations for 213.
In the meantime the men below. ieno-
rant of their extreme peril, were
passing buckets and singing. What
the hell do we care" while the shin
rolled helpless on the ocean, with
matches closed.
The heat was intense until the tyD-
hoon passed. and then the Pekin, which
had retraced her course about seventy
miles. came alongside the Manauense.
which was rolling so heavily that the
soldiers in the hold could at each roll
see the Perkn through the matches
overhead.
A DEMURRER.
Colonel James s.. Petit, commander