The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-04-13
RUSH SHELLS TO DEWEY.
iicw the ANNEXATION which Was
Used nj Manila Was Hurried
Across the Continent,

The speech Of eN-Mipister Stewart l..
Noodford, delivered one nj ght recently
in Washington before the Army and
NaFy club, brought out an interesting
biz Of unwritteU history in reference to
the manner in which Admiral Dewey 5
fleet was supplied with the munitions
Of war which made possible the battle
Of Manila. IEteryis rs with railway Of
hc:aIs in Chicago show That the whole
story Of the ammunition train has not
been told. The run Of the special train
Of the Nells-Fargo Express company
across the country and the lightning
transfer of hundreds of tons of six-inch
am eight-inch shells, with powder, dy-
naflite and other explosives was one of
[5r}}r,,,o r,,o5f 81 ren1arba3.e feats ever per-
the dispatch. but from the secrecy with
which ii was accomplished.
Route Agent Davis G. MeIlor, of the
Wells-Fargo company, told how it was
done.
They are still disputing about that
special train of last winter" said Mr..
MeiIor. We'll. am not surprised, as
there were only two or three in Wash
ington and only the officials of the COM
pany IN Chicago that knew how ii was
done. Not even the men themselves
who handled the stuff knew what it
was.
The transport which was to carry
the ammunition and supplies to the
-Asiatic squadron was waiting in San
Francisco, and 10 one had any idea
what it was waiting for. l think it was
the Sentinel, but | am not sure
Cur company runs special train
through from New York to Albu-
querque, and the officials of the navy
department at Washington made ar
Fangemept with the officials Of the com
pany in New York for the shipment. OF
course, our company had TO handle it,
as we are the only company that does a
transcontiuental business and runs a
special train. Then, again. all the other
companies had refused to handle such
a large quantity of explosives. as it was
practically impossible for them to do so
1t is against the laws of the states, and
also of the United States, for explo-
siyes to be shipped on passenger trains
in front Of passengers, and as 10 one
could make the speed we could we got
the contract.
1T is so long ago that do not now
remember all the details Of the ship
ment, but we We're kept on the jump
here for several days. l think there
were three trains in all that we had
10 handle here, and all the time the
transport was waiting in San Fran.
cisco.
Admiral Dewey was in bad shape for
the shells and ammunition, and We
knew it was a rush order All we knew
about it was when we got word from
New York TO have so many cars ready
at such time and TO be ready to make
the quickest transfer we had ever done
think there were three car loads from
New York on the first train, and the
Baltimore & Ohio and other road.
brought other supplies, which had u
be transferred and to be loaded upor
the special train which was to go GU
from Chicago.
This was the central point for III,
shipment of everything that went tt
the Asiatic squadron. The greatest Sc
crecy was observed, and after we haC
loaded the train it went out over tn,
Santa Fe nine hours after the regular
express left that also goes to Albu
querque. Both trains got to Albu
querque at the same time, and the reg
ular train followed the special up TO Sal
Francisco, where the stuff was loaded
upon the transport
Those were the shells that sunk III,
Spanish fleet, and the powder Will
which Admiral Dewey fought the bat
tie of Manila. If the train had eve
been wrecked or anything had hap
pened on that trip no one would eve,
been able TO find the rails or anythin.
else Of the Santa Fe line for severa
miles. Everything was carefully boxed
so that not even the worl,men knew
what was being done. The time il
which that special got across the con
tfnent was four a.d a half days, ant
that is about as fast time as has eve
been made. When the United State
government wants anything done o
| that kind it has to be done in hurry.
Chicago Inter Ocean.