The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-30

fatality at sea among the animals shipped
from Puget sound. The only exception,
the unfortunate fate OF the cargo of the
Victoria, was the fault of neither the
quartermaster's department nor the
weather of the northern seas. The Vic
toria left Seattle for Manila September |,
1899, with 413 horses and mules. She en-
countered q terrific storm just outside
Cape Flattery. and after battling with 1t
for several days was compelled to put
back to port with $50 of the animals either
killed or so severely injured 1t was neces-
sary to end their existence. 1t was an
exceptional storm and waged all along the
coast, but it so happened that the Vic
toria was the only transport caught In II.
That this accident was not placed against
the value of the northern route is shown
by the fact that during the stormy winter
months that followed several large ship
ments OF animals were sent to Manila
from Puget sound. In November two ami
NAL transports departed from Seattle. one
OF them being the Inflated Victoria on her
second voyage. In January there was en-
other shipment of animals from Puget
sound. and in March fourth. This win
ter one of the largest animal shipments OF
the year was made on the Kintuck, which
sailed December Is. All the previous win
ter shipments have gone through with
remarkably small number of deaths.
The average percentage of deaths on the
been smaller than those from San Fran
cisco. The Oopack, with 764 animals
board, reached Dutch harbor without a
| DEATH and several other records nearly as
remarkable have been made.
The great success of the Seattle quar-
termaster's office during 1900 was due to
the excellent management of Mai. W. w.
Robinson, jr., quartermaster in charge,
| and the faithful assistance of Capt. H. u.
Greene, superintendent OF transportation.
| 1t was Mai. Robinson who did more than
| any one else to secure for Seattle a por-
ton of the Manila business. and when
| this business came he managed 1t In a
| manner eminently satisfactory to the gov
| eminent
The year also witnessed the departure
! of both Maj. Robinson and Capt Greene
| from the local Office. In September Maj.
| Robinson was ordered TO Honolulu, and
| Maj. Ruhlen, who had been In charge
| there. came to Seattle. During the three
| months he has been In charge of the Pu-
! get sound business Maj. Ruhlen has
| shown himself most capable. He has
| worked early and late for the advance
| ment OF the office. and during coming
| years his influence will be of most valu-
| able assistance in urging the claims OF
| Puget sound for larger part of the
| Capt. Greene left the government employ
| to accept more lucrative private posi-
| tion.
| 1t is difficult to make an adequate ex-
| preston of what this great growth of the
| Seattle quartermaster office means TO
| Puget sound and the state OF Washing
! ton, The regular monthly disbursement
| of s334.o00 is an important factor of the
| prosperity of this state, and particularly
| of Puget sound Much OF this money is
| spent for supplies and labor. and there Is
little of it but what goes into general cir
! culation for the benefit OF the community
| at large.
| The regular monthly pay roll alone Is
| over $4,000. and In busy times frequently
| runs much higher This includes no part
J of the money paid dock laborers or any
| other unskilled help. The average expen-
| diture for dock laborers alone IL moro
| than $i25 week.
| No particular preparation IL required
| for ship intended to carry forage or
| freight. but to accommodate troops or
I animals IL is necessary TO alter practical
| iy the entire interior, One troop and ten
| animal transports have been fitted out
on Puget sound, and in every case the
/ work has been most satisfactorily done
| All these alterations have been made at
| the Moran shipyards, and the excellent
workmanship has been highly commend
! ed by the naval officers who have inspect-
! cd the transports, IA already noted
some Of the animal transports are models
4 III tHtli klflls uaNlHE Nn electric system OF
| ventilation for the stalls and every other
/ modern improvement I'm the service
! over s2s0.o00 was spent In altering these
| transports. 90 very large percentare az
| which was received by the iaborers ~
the shipyard. The only troop transport
1 prepared WIS the Garnnne. which was
fitted TO receive the First cavalry AZ AN
expense of about si0,go a INST OF The
/ freighters made over into animal ,rans-
ports by the Morans follows, the approxf-
/ mate cost being given In each case: GA
| rome. $4,000: Athenian 81. 90: Victoria
SO 600: Port Albert. 5000: Port stephens.
4 t2s.s0i PAX Ling, $1,000: kiatuclx ssa u.l,
Athenian $4,000 ithe Athenlan was fwles
/ htted up as an animal transport and is
1 now IN the service as SUCH; Oopack. xss
go. ana Arab. 5000.
| To this list also properly belongs tho
troop transport Seward. which was com
| structed BY the Morans on a private order
I at cost Of slTsVa. aus subsequently soid
| 10 the government for the transport xer,-
Ice. The Seward did good work on The
! Alaskan run last summer and ~ aoon NJ
be cleaned and prepared for the coming
/ The quantity Of Washington coal ,,saa
! ~ Tue government transports on their
VOYAGES constitutes q most Important
TEN. y rs estimated that during iao, over
-~@p tons of coal were purchased l,v tha
| ipeSi qnartermaEters office for fhle rae
/ @tpne mas amount does not take into
| account the nine ships sailing during The
| year under tonnage charter. an arrange
1 fnent by which the government frelpht
| was earned al SO much per ton These
hnips furnished their own coal ana proh-
aDly used at least 500 tons more, 'f-heaa
figures snow an expenditure Of over gi08
/ ~ TOT coaHng the government transports
| Nh9tner very important item, whlcl,
Goes not figure At all In the financial
statement Of the auartermaster's Once. A.
the amount spent on Puget sound for ssgt
/ phes Tor the passengers and crews Of the
/ transports. The food for the troop xhtns
ana Tor all passengers Is furnished BY fhe
eomnissary department. while 1he oyncrs
| OF the ships provide f. or the eharteya5
| ana tonnage transports. When the Ca
/ rome sailed with the First cavalry sha
carried over $1,000 worth Of eon,rnisSar,,
supplies. and that did not include the food
pIovaaea Tor the crew. as she was char