The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-11
SIX MORE REGIMENTS
To Be Sent to Otis Within a Short
Time.

New York, May 1.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The war department is preparing to
send four regiments of regulars to Ma
Suez canal, utilizing for the purpose
the transports Thomas, Meade and LO-
gan, which are to be permanently trans
ferred from the Atlantic to the Pacific
fleet These vessels will be prepared
for their new duty as speedily as pos
sible, and work has already begun I'M
der urgency orders on the Thomas,
which is the largest and finest trans
port owned by the government, and
which should be ready to depart with
one complete regiment and an addition
al battalion before the end of the pres
ent month. The Thomas reached New
York last Sunday from Guantanamo
She has a capacity for carrying 1000
men in addition to large quantities of
stores and regimental baggage.
The Logan, which will quickly follow
the Thomas, is practically a sister ship
of the Grant, the Sherman and the Sher-
idan. She will carry 1,700 men. She is
at Galveston and should report at New
York in about two weeks The Meade,
which has a capacity of 1900 men, left
New York for San Juan on May LIST
on her last trip before being made
ready for the Philippines. These ships
will be locked in order that they may
attain their highest speed on the out
ward voyage and their accommodations
for troops will be thoroughly removal
ted to guard against possible infection
after their West Indian voyages.
They are expected to transport the
Seventh and Nineteenth regiments of
infantry and the First and Seventh
regiments of artillery, although some
other command may be sI INSTITUTED for
one of these before their sailing dates.
The Seventh infantry is now distribu-
ted at posts east of the Missouri; the
Nineteenth in Porto Rico, the Seventh
artillery is along the Atlantic coast
north of Washington and the First is in
the coast defenceS south OF the CheS-
apeake and along the gulf
The project to send these regiments by
way of New York and Suez IS paSed on
considerations similar to those Whlch gov
erued the war department in sending the
Grant. the Sherman and the sheridan by
that route. The expense of transporta-
tinent, amounting to $4,000 a regiment
is saved. and the transports are sent to
the Pacific, where they are most needed
as few Cuban Porto Rican garrisonS
will require much moving about Tor a
long time to come. 1t is also essential at
this time to release a number of charter
Pacific, and the Thomas, the Meade and
the Logan are required in their places.
On the Pacific coast two more regl-
Ynents the Sixth and the Sixteenth infan-
former will leave San Francisco on the
Sherman May % and the latter on
the Grant week later Within a week
il is believed that General Otis will be in
4 position to begin sending home the vol
uuteers from the Philippines by every
available steamer, as important reinforce
consist of a regular infantry regiment
and eleven batteries of artillery. The
latter are believed to be more needed at
Manila Just now than anything else, as
tb0Y will relieve practically all the small
er15s soldiers volunteers and regular now
REQUIRED for the defense of the city.