The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-30
COSTLY TRANSPORT SERVICE.
VESSELS BOUGHT AND CHARTERED
BY THE GOVERNMENT.

Those Bought During and Since
the Spanish War Cost More Than
$13,OO0,000; Those Chartered Cost
More Than $12 000,OGO-Transports
Hancock, Logan and sherman CosT
Over $I,0OO,OOO Each-Heaviest
Expense in the Pacific.
Washington. March 29.-Acting Secre-
tary MeiklejOhn has sent u report from
the quartermaster general to the Senate
in reply to a resolution of Jan. 9 last
calling upon the Secretary of War for a
list of all transport ships and other YES
sells purchased or chartered by the war
department since March 4, 1897, together
with their names. from whom purchased
or chartered, the cost of purchase or
charter, the cost of fitting up or repair,
and the number and names of vessels sold
and The reasons for such actioS
The departments answer is in the form
of three large tables, replying specifcal-
ly to the various inquiries of the Sen
ate. From these it appears that only one
vessel was sold, the steam tug Atlantic,
which was worn out and condemned. She
brought 81, 500
The transport Hooker, which was fitted
Philippines, grounded near Corregidor ISL
and, while en- route from Manila to Hong
Kong, and was lost The steam lighter
bessie became the property of the gov
eminent under. the terms of the charter
for $l2,201, and was renamed the Kearney.
II was shown that thirteen vessels have
been purchased by the quartermaster's
department since March A. 1897, exclusive
of those purchased for the army trans
port service for transportation incident
to the Spanish War. These included the
ferry boat John Hancock, the steam tugs
Gen. Hunt, Martha and John Barry and
ten steam launches, at a total cost of
,479, with S9,525 for repairs.
Bought During the War.
Forty nine vessels of all classes were
purchased for the army transport service
during and since the Spanish War, incluI-
ing about twenty-five small craft, such as
tugs, launches and lighters, purchased in
the Philippines The total purchase price
of these vessels was $S07i, 455 and the total
cost of reftting and repairing was s., 1s9,-
O93. The most expensive vessels We're the
transports Grant, Logan, Sheridan, Sh5r-
man, Thomas and Hancock. The purchase
price of the first five named was 100000
each and that of the Hancock 100000.
The expense of fitting up these vessels is
stated as follows:
Hancock, $543, 516i; Grant, 1898. 459; Logan.
1854; Thomas, 1888 365.
Ii thus appears that the Hancock, Logan
and Sherman cost over $1,O00,GO0 each and
the other three named a slightly less
amount. The purchase price of the trans
port Meade was 100000 and $S74,0J0 was
expended in fitting her up.
The purchase price of the Sumner was
$3.50, 954 and $3.50, 600 additional was expend-
ed in fitting her up.
The Hospital Ships.
The original cost of the hospital ship
Relief was 600, and $265.59l was ex-
pended in her transformation. The hos
pital ship Missouri has cost the govern
ment so far $490. 6l2, of which a little more
than half was expended in adapting her TO
hospital purposes Two of the large
transports, Burnside and Hooker. are
captured Spanish steamers. All the prin-
cipal transports were acquired under the
terms of their charters and We're paid for
out of the appropriation for the national
defense.
There were 147 vessels chartered for the
transport service at a total cost of $40, 631,-
519 for services rendered and a total cost
of $1,S94,342 in restoring them to their
original condition on cancellation of char
tiers. OF the chartered vessels seventy
nine were attached TO the Atlantic fleet
at cost for service of 81, $50, 2S4. and for
repairs of $l75,5S0 The remaining sixty
eight chartered vessels were employed on
the Pacific at a cost of $7749,235 for serv-
ices and sos for repairs.