The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-29
BA|LED ship
TWELVE DAYS
Rough Experience Of Part Of
the Thlrty-Flrst Volunteers.
HAD TO WORK NIGHT AND DAY.
Pumps Would Not Work and the Other
Machinery Became Disabled.
MEN COMPELLED TO LABOR IN DARK
Captain Says Only Thing That Saved Ship Was
That Men We're 6rsenhorns and Did
Mol Realize Their langeL
MEN COMPELLED TO LABOR IN DARK

Manila, Nov. 29.-The transport
Manauense. With Lieut. Col. Webb
Hayes and three companies OF the
Thirty-first volunteer infantry on
board. has arrived here. She narrowly
escaped disaster. The officers and sol
diers were for twelve days bailing with
buckets. The steamer was unsea-
worthy. undermanned and short OF pro-
visions. Her engines broke down and
she rolled three days in a typhoon.
When the Manauense anchored in
Manila bay yesterday morning, 3S days
from San Francisco. there were several
feet OF water in her hold and 400 grlmy,
greasy, hungry. exhausted soldiers
and sailors had been passing buckets
of water since Nov. II. night and day
First Assistant Engineer Dunlevy was
under arrest, and according to Col
Webb Hayes official report the CHIEF
engineer would also have been under
arrest if there had been anyone TO re-
place him.
The coloners report also declares
that the captain of the Vessel told him
that the only thing which brought
them through was the fact that the
men were greenhorns and failed TO rea-
lIze their danger, while experienced sea-
taken TO the boats in mid-ocean.
WAS UNDERMANNED.
The Manauense is chartered ship
flying the British flag. She belongs to
a firm of which Senator Perkins Of San
Francisco is alleged to be junior
member The officers say tn. firm
bought her for $45.0O0 and they claim
efforts were made to sell her TO the
government for $l50.000. She started
from San Francisco. accompanied by
the transport Pekin. which carried the
remander of the regiment, and en-
counl Gred heavy seas to Honolulu with
out acciderS. After sta sting II devel-
oped that she was undermanned. ana
soldiers had to be detailed to act as
fremen, coal passers and walters and
, 10 do other work. Before reaching
HOnOlulu the GREY concluded that the
ship was not safe and the majority
agreed to desert They were closely
watched many of the crew succeeding
sn getting away. and the Manauense
left Honolulu with less than half her
crew. The captain OF the transport,
Nov IT. told Col Webb Hayes that the
vessel had sprung a Leak and an inVes-
tigation resulted in finding several feet
OF water in the hold. The steam pumps
were tried. but failed TO work and there
were no hand pumps on board How
ever. as buckets were found others Were
dmprovised and the soldiers not en-
ployed in working the shin were or
ganzed irto five shifts and stripped,
and forming lines, they began bailing,
the officers working with the men
passing the buckets which were sent
up TO the deck by a windlass. The
longest time a shift could stand was
two hours. and often the period was
not longer than half an hour. The
battling continued until the ship an
ChOred here.
MACHINERY BREAKS DOWN.
The same day the leaking was discov-
cred the machinery collapsed and the
electric lighting plant and evaporating
distilling and refrigerating apparatus
failed to work. There were no lamps
and few candies found We're exhaust
ed after a few days. During the last
week of the passage. the Manauenst
was i'm utter darkness a night. She hat
been rolling in heavy seas all the way
out November %, she encountered q
typhoon and pitched and tossed alarm.
ingly The Pekin became separated
from the Manauense in the storm.