The record-union., 1899-11-29

serted that during the last week of the
voyage the men lived almost entirely
on whisky, beer and hardtack.
The officers and soldiers were entirely
exhausted when they reached Manila.
They declare that the engineers were
grossly incompetent. The officers also
say that the behavior of the troops was
beyond praise. For days they worked
in the dark, suffocating hold, with wat
er sometimes up to their shoulders, and
planks washing about in a manner dan.
gerous to life and limb. The officers
took the lead in bailing, and encour-
aging the men.
The Captain of the ship promised the
men % cents day for bailing, but he
now proposes to pay them $1.50. The
soldiers talk of attaching the ship.
The regiment win proceed to Zam-
boanga on the Peking to garrison sew
eral ports on the island of Mindanao.
DENY THAT SHE WAS UNSEA-
WORTHY.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2S.-Trans-
port officials at this port are at loss
to explain the alleged unseaworthy con-
dition of the transport Manauense,
whose arrival at Manila was reported
to-day. A representative of the AS
sociated Press interviewed a number
of the officials to-day, and in every in
stance the alleged unseaworthiness.
under manned and under -provisioned
condition of the vessel was ridiculed. 1t
was stated that the Manauense was in
first-class condition when she left this
port on October 26th Her engines had
6o,~ !, 4,
tings were in the best of condition She
was thoroughly provisioned in the cab
in, enough supplies being taken for a
six months trip. Her hold was full of
supplies for the soldiers, and the Off
clals are at a loss to explain the al
legged shortness of the food supply
That she was under manned is abso-
lutely denied, because had she been
clearance papers from this port would
not have been issued. AS a general
rule transports leaving this port are,
if anything, over-supplied with work
ing crews.
Regarding the alleged unseaworth!-
ness OF the vessel, it can be stated that
she was thoroughly inspected by the
treasury Department, and was passed
as IN nrSt-claSS trim. LlOydS' local
inspector, Captain Metcalf, also in
spected the vessel, and passed her. The
local inspectors of hulls and boilers
say they made a thorough examina-
ton, and found her engines in excellent
condition, and in fact the Manauense
was generally credited with being one
of the best fitted vessels in the trans
port service.
Ihe officials say further that the only
source of foundation for the report that
she was under-provisioned may have
been with regard to her supply of fresh
meats, of which she took a good supply
from here, but which may have been
spoiled from some accident TO the re-
frigerating plant, which gave sor;e
trouble at Honolulu.
If the typhoon through which the
Manauense passed was a severe one, It
is not at all unlikely that some acci-
dent might have happened to her ma
chinery, necessitating its shutting down
for several days, so that repairs could
be effected This is the only explana-
ton obtainable regarding the reported
rotten condition of her machinery. 1t is
even argued here that the fact that the
Manauense lived through the typhoon is
enough to contradict the story of her
unsea aworthiness