Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-05-24
Graphss Description sf the Big vessel
ytAs Yszzg Mckee Soldier,
Whe Eas Been in Luzon
hrs Ys&r-KvsEy-
thing Perfect


Al4@GAN A8AA A114 - oA9AAaa 4
So Holy Thursday dawRed bright
md the intense heat Of. the early sun
increased with great rapidity a. the
ball Of FIRE rose In the hsEv-
sns Of the far east and at ten O'Clock
one Of the two speedy launches Of the
y. s. A. 7. Thomas drew along the
ride Of the wharf ct the Office Of the
captain Of the transport, and we were
soon on the way to the best equipped
and most perfect transport in all the
enjoying the cool breezes that
swept down the bay from the ocean,
aided by the speed of the launch in
which we We're plowing through the
quiet waters of the bay at q good
twelve knot an hour gait.
The "Thomas" in her spotless dress
Of white looked every inch of her 464
feet as she lay as placidly at anchor as
IL she had been built on a foundation
Of rock. Her beam is 50 feet and the
fact that abe seldom rolls is due to
the plungersN that run from stem to
stern like the great fms of some levia-
than of the deep. Since entering the
service never has the dining room Of
the Thomas seen racks upon the table,
nor soup spilled from a single dish by
the rolling of the ship. The boat was
the Minnewaska before the United
States purchased her ana rechristen-
ed her after the redoubtable general,
whose name she bears and to whose
memory the notwithstanding was SO at.
ting a tribute.
The Minnewaska was built in Bel.
fast, Ireland, by Harland & Wolff
whose ships are considered standards
in matters of workmanship and con.
struction, When finished in 1893 the
Minnewaska went on the run between
New York and Liverpool for thu
Atlantic Transit Line, q corporation
owned in Baltimore, Md. On July %
1898, the United States government
bought her for $685. 900. Over a yea
later the Minnewaska, as she laid u
days in the yards of Philadelphia
was renamed the Thomas, where thI
finishing touches were added tina
made her the finest of transports.
When the Thomas Is loaded sh,
draws 2s feet OF water; her genera
speed is between IL and u knots Al
hour, but her full speed lie IA. On hel
way from New York to Manila sh'
averaged 1873. When we went dow
in the engine room ! was 30 SURPRISED
to see such fine engines; they are o
the latest pattern, twin screws ex'
pansion and Of $500 horse power,
The furnishings Of the ofice AMI
Captain santeIlis' room are criterion
Of the efforts that have been made Il
place every convenience of modern
invention within the reach Of whit
ever finds themselves fortunRta
enough to be booked for . voyage OF
the United States transport Thomas
Electric fans 16 inches in diameteI
are placed here and there; electrii
lighting with all the latest ideas foI
her perfection in that regard adds joI
to those that have to work by artihr
cial light. The steamship furniturl
and the thousand and one little con
trivances which the minds of mel ar
ever working place an innumerabll
number Of necessities and lnxurieI
within reach, and withal the wholi
shows q most studied effort most care
fully carried out to procure for thI
Thomas the very best.
Then we were taken In charge b,
Chief Engineer Rose and startet
below to pay q visit to the maehiner,
nah Of the great floating exhibition
The first point Of interest reached wa
found on the saloon deck in the form
Of the distilling plant. In matter o
fresh water supply, as in ventiIa'
ton facilities, the Thomas lie well nigh
perfect. Two distillers, each Of 5000
gallons are augmented by . large evap,
orator, which is employed in making
the supply of fresh water for tn.
boilers, and none but distilled water q
used on the vessel.
Down the iron ladders, with theil
bright brass rails over the grating be-
low, where the shining machine Of thu
great ship lay dormant awaiting
naught but touched lever or turn Of
wheel that would unleash the imprIs-
oned steam-down, down into the
bowels Of the ship we went. At the
foot of one Of the ladders we're The
dynamos, three with . voltage Of
ITO. The whirl Of the dynamo on
duty at the time Of our visit told u
that the name OF the appliances
throughout the ship which relied upon
his subtle powers was legion. Eight
hundred lamps must be lighted by his
force, besides the electric fans, ven
tilation and all that goes to make up
the immense scheme of pure, cool air
supply from stem 10 stern OF the
Thomas. The big lathes, the drill
presses and all the Invaluable machin-
cry and repair shop might call upon
the dynamo 81 any hour Of the day or
night; the coffee mill, the sausags
mill, the dough mixer and 3 dozen
more dependents on his electric
strength could be found In one place
and another about the ship.
When we returned from the dyna-
mos TO the home Of the ice machine
the dynamo watch seemed to whirl
with . hum Of subtraction e II be had
heard the chief words Of praise for his
service. The Ice plant has
3 capacity Of two tons per diem. The
Thomas does not rely upon the Ice
plant alone, but Is AisO supplied with
refrigerating plant. The ship
400 tons OF cold meats out
from New York to Manila and the
meat used on board lie from that sup
ply, which is not exhausted.
10 the IRE room, where the nremen
no kept busy, va didn't stay very
long, asst wac rather warm. We then
vent aft, then forward, aud visited