The evening times., 1899-01-16
THROUGH THE SUEZ
CANAL FOR MANILA
The Transport Grant to Leave
New York Tomorrow.
Expects TO Reach the Philippines
in FOrty-five Days.
General Lawton and STAFF. With
Companies of Regular Infantry,
on BOARD.

New York. Jan. 16.-The first perfected
transport Of the United States Army, and
the first troopshiP to sail from the port
OF New York direct to Manila, leaves the
foot OF Pacific Street, in Brooklyn, to-
morrow. bound for the Philippines.
The fine new United States transport
Grant is to carry Gen. Lawton and staff
and the Fourth Regiment of Infantry and
one battalion of the Seventeenth Infantry,
1900 men. all regulars.
The officer Immediately in command of
the sixteen companies on board the Grant
will be Gen. Robert Hall, who was col
| onel of the Fourth Infantry.
The navy Will be represented on the ship
Who holds the rank of lieutenant. '''
The Grant viii go through the Suez Ca
nal. The first stop will be for coal at Gil
braltar. The next coaling station will be
Port Said, the next at some point in the
China Sea not yet selected. whence the
troopship will sail for Manila.
The voyage, il is thought, will take for
ty-five days.
The Grant was the Mohawk, of the At
lantic Transport line. which was bought
by the Government at the outbreak of the
war and fitted up in a crude way for car
rying soldiers. When the war ended and
the Government determined to keep the
Mohawk it was decided to make her a
model troopship, and to use every idea in
her construction which could be got from
the building OF previous transports, both
in his country and elsewhere.
The name of the ship was changed to
Grant. in honor of the great civil war gem
eral, and she was sent to Bath, Me., where
the Bath Iron Works took a contract to
make the necessary alterations for $50, 900.
But before the work had been completed
the Government had expended s155 ,UG0.
Maryels have been accomplished by the
constructors, especially when it is consid-
cred that the ship was, at first building,
freighter.
The vessel is 5S2 feet long. % feet beam
and "A feet depth of hold. Its tonnage is
5.0S3. 1t has twin screws and triple ex-
pansion engines.
The ship has been fitted to carry 2,l7O
enlisted men, Geo men, including officers
and crew.
The hold has been used for luggage and
supplies, and the lock boxes of the men
and the trunks and effects of the officers
have been assigned certain sections The
ship contains three main decks, the first
Two from below having been fitted up into
model sleeping compartments. The hunks
have been arranged in nests of ten, some
times more. Their detail construction
great ENeTylnlnS except
the canvas bottom itself and the ropes
holding it is of metal, the framework
being of zinced iron piping. Each bed can
be lifted bodily from its resting place, and
sick man can be carried, by virtue of this
arrangement, to the hospital on his own
bed as a litter.
The canvas on which the sleeper rests is
detachable, and if infected can be thrown
away, or, if simply soiled, can be washed
&c
each. The bunllrooms are lighted through
out by electricity.
Much thought has been devoted to the
system of ventilation. The bunk COM
partments are ramified by zinc piping
branches of which run above each nest of
berths. Fans, large and powerful, pro-
PEELED by electricity. blow either hot OF
cold air TO every part of the ship.
The upper deck is used for mess rooms.
which enable nearly all the men to eat
al a sitting. On this deck also are the
kitchens. The details have been so ar
ranged that regiment can be under the
same discipline on ship as in its barracks.
The lavatories contain batteries of sew
enty porcelain washbowls, with hot and
cold water, together with shower baths.
etc. Quartermaster Capt. Jesse NJ Baker
pointed proudly TO these arrangements for
cleanliness. saying:
1T is utterly impossible for any sick
ness TO come on this ship by reason of a
lack of cleanliness.
The cooking for the most part will be
done by steam. Coffee retorts holding
two barrels of the beverage will furnish
this mild stimulant to the soldiers.
Particular care has been exercised upon
the hospital, which, with the exception of
the nearness of the beds to each other,
made necessary by ship-space, will COM
pare favorably to a Bellevue ward Soft
luxurious beds, fine linen and ample ven