The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-18
TROOPS AND EQUIPMENT.
Details Concerning the ExpeditiOnary
Force for line Service. =

Details Concerning the ExpeditiOnary
Force for Chinese Service.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE adjutant
generals office tonight made public a de-
tailed statement, showing the provision
made by the War Department in the equip
ment of the expeditionary force sent by the
United States to China. The strength of
this force, in all the arms of the service,
aggregates 10,665, and it is possible that
this force may be further augmented to the
extent of two or three thousand men.
The Ninth Infantry. in addition to four
medical officers and twenty members of the
hospital corps, has with it a full regimental
field hospital and an additional ffty-bed field
outfit. The Fourteenth Infantry and light
battery is provided with a field hospital for
twenty-five beds. In addition to this there
has been already shipped a general field
hospital of three hundred beds, medical
supplies for 5000 men for three months, and
a hospital fund of $4,000. The Grant, sail
ing July 3 with the Sixth Cavalry, and the
Sumner, July 16, carried eighteen medical
officers and seventy-eight hospital corps
men, while Major Stephenson, one of the
medical officers, has been provided with a
| $4,000 medical fund and a $1,000 hospital
fund, The Meade will sail Aug. 1 with not
less Than eight medical officers and a field
| hospital of fifty beds. The details for the
Hancock's sailing. Aug. 16, are not yet
complete.
The commissary department has made
| preparations to feed a force of marines and
seamen engaged in shore service in China
Fifty thousand dollars in gold for use in
| China has been invoiced to the chief COM
| missary at Manila. Major HI. ]. Gallagher
has been detailed to report to General
| Chaffee AS chief commisssry of the troops
in China. Owing to the probable scarcity
| of fresh supplies on shore, the department
has had recourse again to canned beef, but
| for the present campaign it has been put
in the form of beef stew, corned beef and
| corned beef hash, and sufficient vegetables
| have been canned with it to obviate the
| difficulty experienced in Cuba, where the
| troops were forced to eat beef from the
cans without further cooking. TIL COM
| missary general has been notified that Rus
STA has two large vessels for use as ice
| crushers, one now located at Port Arthur
| and the other at Vladivostock, and the
| commissary general suggests that it might
| be possible to procure the services of these
vessels TO keep open communication with
some of the ports on the Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li,
in case of a combined movement of the
| allied forces.
Major George F. Scriven has been ordered
to report to General Chafee as chief Off
Ger of the signal command. Chief Signal
officer Greedy recommends that Capt. Ed
| ward B.. Ives and Lieut. Charles B.. Rogan
| be relieved from duty in Cuba, in order to
| report here pending orders to China.
Troops leaving the States for China will
| carry a complete outfit of comfortable
| winter clothing, in addition to their regu-
| lation clothing and tentage. Owing to the
| severe weather which may be expected in
| northern China during the winter the ex-
| petition will carry 1,4OO Sibley stoves, 5000
| cvercoats. 5000 pairs of Arctic overshoes.
| 5000 blanket-lined canvas hoods. and other
| extra heavy winter clothing in proportion
| suficien. for the 5000 men.
The q-uartermaster's department already
has shipped all the mounts for the Sixth
| Cavalry, two completely equipped pack
trains of 100 mules each, and supplies for
| the same for 1876 days. There are now en-
| route to Seattle 400 mules and 2S5 aparejos,
to be shipped wherever needed.
To secure suitable drinking water for the
| troops on shore 100 sterilizers, capacity
| twenty-five gallons an hour each, will be
| sent to San Francisco as soon as possible.
| The Meade, on Aug. 1, will carry two dis
| tilling plants, capacity 600 gallons a day
| each. 1t is contemplated to send additional
distilling plants as rapidly as possible, hav-
ing in view the supply for at least 5000
men.
Steps are being taken by the quartermas-
ter's department to handle troops and
freight for Taku by the regular Manila
transports, which will stop at Nagasaki
and transship into lighter draught trans
ports running from Nagasaki to Taku. Ne
| gotiations are now on foot with the Japan
| csc government to secure this privilege.
Animal ships nave been chartered. and will
be fitted up as fast as possible to carry
| about 1000 animals
The chief of ofdnance furnishes a list of
officers and material which will be availa-
| BILE for use in China. The following ord
nance officers are now on duty in the far
| East: Lieutenant Colonel ]. r. McGinnis.
| Capt. William Crozier and Lieut.. l.. NJ.
| Fuller. In this country Capt. gorge Mont
| gomery, at present in Baltimore on station
duty, will be Immediately available for
Chinese service. The base of ordnance op-
e~rations necessarily will be at Manila. and
the Cavite arsenal will be drawn upon for
such supplies as do not go direct to China.
Il is possible. however, that Japan will ex-
tend the courtesy of an ordnance base at
Nagasaki. If we so desire. The chief of
ordnance reports that there Is an abundant
supply of ammunition for small arms and
machine guns of rifle caliber on hand for
a prolonged war on a laSge scale.
Two complete six-gun batteries Of twelve
pound vickers-Maxim guns. with 300 rounds
| OF ammunition per gum have been ordered
In England. but II Is not stated when they
| will be available. Two other batteries Of