The times., 1899-10-25
MORE DELAY FOR TROOPS
Rainy Weather Interferes With
Loading the Transports.
Vessels Scheduled to Leave San
Francisco Still Mt That Port-0r-
Possible Supplies Being Pur-
chased for the Philippine Army.

| The Secretary of War has been much
annoyed over the failure of the Army
transports to depart from San Francisco
on schedule time. Four vessels were due
TO leave for Manila the latter part of last
week, and up to yesterday not one of
| them had sailed. Major Long, superin-
tendent of the transport service, in tele-
gram Of explanation, said that the delay
has been occasioned by the heavy rains
prevailing in San Francisco, which pre-
vented the loading of the ships with sup
plies 1t was thought at the War Depart
ment that one of the vessels might be able
TO leave yesterday, but no word of the
| departure having been received up TO a
late hour in the afternoon Secretary Root
| directed that the officials in San Francisco
be again communicated with and directed
TO hasten as much as possible the loading
of the vessels.
The ships scheduled TO sail are Mauan-
ense, four companies Twenty-eighth Infan-
try. consisting Of Is officers and 500 men;
Tartar eight companies Twenty eighth In
fantTy and recruits, 45 officers and !, 100
men; Newport, four companies Thirty first
Infantry, 10 officers and 500 men; City of
Peking, eight companies Thirty first In
fantfy, IS officers and 500 men. Total, 115
officers and $500 men.
Each Of these transports was under Or
ders not to sail later than October p, and
already they are behind time four days.
Two other transports delayed are the
Pennsylvania and Olympia, under orders
10 go to Portland and there embark the
Thirty ninth Volunteers. These vessels
were scheduled to leave October % for the
Philippines. The transportation of ami
mails is being pushed vigorously. Horses
and mules are sent from this country TO
Honolulu and there landed for several
days rest. Transports from Manila take
them from Honolulu TO the Philippines,
Honolulu being used as a regular station.
The Army has failed in its efforts to Sc
cure the naval collier Scindia, which was
wanted TO take forage to Honolulu. Com
mander Bradford's objection to the Navy
supplying vessels for the Army was en-
dorsed by the Secretary of the Navy, ard
the Army failed to secure the ship. The
work on the Sumner, formerly the naval
collier Cassius is being hurried at Norfolk
and this vessel will be used as transport
as soon as available
The Quartermaster Generals department
is preparing to ship to Manila supplies
worth about 81, 500 GOO They include
clothing and all other material handled by
the army quarteTmasteTs. The amount
mentioned covers about six months sup
plies for the troops in the Philippines.
Shipments will be made on transports sail
ing from New York, as most of the ma
teTial is now stored at Eastern depots.
great quantity of ordnance supplies has
been purchased by the Chief of Ordnance
for shipment to Manila.
The work of purchasing is being eXpe-
dited as certain OF the munitions of war
are urgently needed by General Otis. Ow-
ing TO the necessity for haste the Ordnance
Department is buying in the open market
instead of awarding contracts for the de
livery of the material at remote dates. OF
the amount at the disposal of the Chief of
Ordnance for making these purchases,
about $50 600 viii be used in buying rapid
fire guns.