The National tribune., 1899-12-28
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON g. THURSDAY

100 officers and 300 men. It's dimensions
are: Length AS; breadth of beam, 45 feet,
and depth, 81 feet. Its state-rooms and
dining-hall are sufficiently spacious to
insure comfort, and its general appoint
mentS very complete.
But five of the forty vessels in this service
are really owned by the United States Gov
ernment These are the Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan, Warren and Hancock. Inc
others are chartered by the United States.
and the policy now is TO let them go out OF
commission as fast as possible The Logan,
Meade and Thomas, companion transports.
which are now Ell route TO Manila by way
OF the Suc2: Canal, will in due time be add
ed to the Pacific fleet
Another fortunate circumstance for us is
the fact that the Sherman has sufficiently
large and efficient crew and is managed
by experienced and capable officers. Capt;
G. III. Grant, Master OF the vessel. has had
20 years experience. He was attached Tor
the greater portion of this time to the
Red Star Line on the Atlantic Coast, COM
mandlng at one time or another the Parls,
New York. and other firSt-claSS steamers.
He has doubled Cape Horn a good many
times, and during the Spanish-Amerlcan
war commanded the United States man-of-
war Russell. In the dozen or more trips
in which he has managed the Sherman TO
Manila and back to this port, he has sell
dom failed to make schedule time. He in
forms us that seven days is the time reach
ing Honolulu, and sixteen days from that
point to Manila. All Government vessels
go by this route and return by Hong Kong
| and Nagasiki, Japan; the trip out being a
distance of $3.50 miles, and the return 752
miles less, according to the new mileage
book prepared under the authority of the
Secretary of War, by Mr.. j. c. Royce, OF
the Pay Department Manila from New
York via the SueZ Canal, according, to
the same authority, isexactly 13, 2s9 miles.
Not only have Government vessels
done great carrying trade to Manila the
past year, but all the Pacific steamship
lines have had an increase in passenger
! traffic, many civilians goingto Hong Kong,
whence passage is obtained to the Philip
pines. The rates to civilians going to Ma
| Mia, as offered in the joint schedule of the
Pacific Mail, Occident & Oriental 5. ).
Co. and the Japan line, is S261 one way,
or S397.5O for round trip; reduction is
made to missionaries.
We have at least two prominent civilians
on the Sherman, both priests of the Roman
Catholic faith. One is Chaplain w. ID. Nc
kinnon, who has been giving entertaining
lectures here on the Philippines, and who
now returns to his regiment, and the other
is no less parsonage than MonsignoI
Chapelle Archbishop Of New Orleans and
the Apostolic Delegate to Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippine Islands, who goes out
to look after his charge at that port.
We have number of commissioned Off
GERS on board, including Capt. VIM. LassiteE,
18th Inf; Capt. Chas. More, 9Th Inf. !;
Capts. Chas. l.. Beckhurst, and Edward
r. Chrisman, 18th Inf. Asst Surg, Rossi-
ter; Lieut.. Harberson, 18th Inf, and Lieuts.
Purdy and Robertson, 18th Inf, and Lieut..
Ovenshine, 18th Inf.
Some regrets were felt by our party on
leaving San Francisco because of kind
treatment and courtesies received. Ackowl-
edgments are especially due to Mr.. Fred.
A. Greenwood, of the Bohemian Club and
to Mr.. q. w. Burnett, of the Camera Club.
H. G.. KIRK.