The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-04-05

Washington March 29.-Acting Secre-
tary Meiklejohn has sent report from
the Ouartermaster-G General to the Sem
ate in reply to a resolution Of January
9Th last calling upon the Secretary OK
War for a list of all transport sh:is
and other vessels purchased or charter
ed by the War Department since Marc,.
4, 1897, together with their names, from
whom purchased or chartered. the COG.
Of purchase or charter, the cost o
fitting up or repair, and the number
and names Of vessels sold and the rea-
sons for such action
The departments answer Is in the
form of three large tables. replying
specifically to the various inquiries Ct
the Senate. From these it appears that
only one vessel was sD!I. the steam tug
Atlantic. which vas t;rrn out and con
demned. She brought 1850. The trans
port Hooker, hich was fitted up fer
| laying a deep sea cable in the Philip
| pines, grounded near Core gidor ISL
| and, while en- route from Manila to
| Hong Kong, and WAS lost. The steam
| lighter Bessie became the property Of
| the government under TIE terms of tn ;
charter for s12 207. and vas renamed
| the Kearney.
| 1t was shown that thilteen vesse 5
| have been purchast q by tie Quarter
| master Department since March 3.
| 1897, exclusive Of thu:c purchased f.:r
| the army transport s,cNi' e for tram
| portation incident to t! g Spanish wa.
These included tn feIryboat John
II,,,
| Martha, and John Barry. and trn
| steam launches At = t.-ts.l cost of Sill
479. with $9525 for r'paiI;.
| FOrty-nine ve ssels Of all classes were
! purchased for The arm y transport sc"-
vice during and since the Spanish war.
| including about twenty-five small craft,
| such as tugs. laCnCi es and lightt IS,
| purchased in the Philippines. The tc-
| tai purchase price Of these vessels was
S,074. .455. ard the total cost Of re-fittin g
| and repairing was S51S' .093. The mt:t
expensive VESSELS were the transports
Grant. Logan, Sh, rdan. Sherman
| Thomas and Hancock. The purchase
| price of the first five named was $780,
0GO each. and that If the Hancock
$500. 900.
The expense of ti+:ii g up these YES
scis is stated as flows: Hancock
s543.516: Grant sTo2 :5a: Logan, S4S3.
S29; Sheridan. So" 20: Sherman, 500,
964: Thomas. 81: 80
| 1t thus appears That the Hancock
| Logan and ShCrnaH cost over one mil
lions dollars each ard the other three
named Il slightly less amount. The pur'
! chase price of the trs nsport Meade wa:
s4OO 900 and 1874 tvr Vas expended IL
| fitting her ur. H. purchase price q
| the Sumner Nus So, E"4 and $3.50, ,00
| additional was expended in fitting he
| up.
| The original cost rf the hospital shiI
Relief was Geo ard 1865, ,591 was ex
| pended in her transformation. The hos
| pital ship Missouri has cost the gov
| ernment so far ?430.tl2. of which a lit
tie more than half was expended IL
adapting her to hospital purposes. TW'
of the large transports. burnside ant
| Hooker. are captured Spanish steam
ers All the principal transports Wer
acquired under the terms Of thei
charters. and were paid for out of tn
appropriation for the ational defense,
There were 147 vessels chartered TO
| the transport service at total cost o
$40, ,e31, ,519 for services rendered and
total cost Of 81 S9i $40 in restoring then
| to their original condition on cancella
ton of charters. OF the chartered YES
sells seventy nine were attached to tn
Atlantic fleet. at a cost for service o
50 SS2 2S4 and for repairs Of S1755S(
The remaining siXty-eight chartere
, | vessels were employed on the Pacif
T at a cost of 37T49235 for services an
e S1O1 sos for repairs.