The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-27
TRANSPORTS
FOR CHINA
Uncle Sam Will Need
All Available.
SAN FRANCISCO The PORT
/ Pacific Mail and Northern Pacific
Principal Lines to Furnish
Ships~

SAN FRANCISCO, July 19.-No SOON
er had the Sumner, with her troops, and
the Californian, With her great cargo
of stores, sailed for the Orient, than
the work of preparing more troopshtps
and animal transports was begun. The
Hancock was put on dry-dock yester-
day The work of cleaning and scrap
ing her viii be finished today. After
taking on coal she will return to the
transport dock and be rea ly for sea.
The work of loading the big tramp
Strathgyle will begin this morning. She
has a capacity of $500 tons She is to
carry hay and grain and horses. The /
Aztec arrived yesterday from Nanaimo
with coal. AS soon as she is discharged
she will be prepared for a voyage to
Nagasaki. She will carry 462 horses to
/ China.
/ The transport Meade will sail on
! August LIST, carrying the remaining two
! battalions of the Fifteenth Infantry.
4 The Hancock is to carry 500 marines
and four battalions of artillery.
The Hamburg American line has the
contract for carrying 5000 horses that
were bought here for Germany, but
that company as yet has been unable
to charter any vessels. The Pacific Mail
Company declined to convert their
steamers into horse transports. An at
tempt has been made to get some of
Rosenfelors Golfers, but the United
States transport service had an option
on those which could be spared from
a.
this, Uncle Sam is the highest bidder,
and ship-owners are holding back to
do business with their own Govern
ment.
The War Department has been busy
in the north, steadily absorbing all
, available steamers for freight and
transports. The Belgian King, PAX
Ling and Kin Tuck, as was stated in
the paper some time ago, will SAL for
: the Orient from the Sound.
) The Navy Department is looking for
sailing tonnage to carry coal to the
Orient. There is plenty of coal in
r Japan, but Of a kind of which the navy
is not particularly fond. 1t requires
Comox coal TO develop Oregon speed
in our boats in the Orient. There are
plenty of coasters that can be pressed
into service.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 19-The Secre-
tary of War is inquiring for vessels tC
take troops to China from San Fran
cisco, Tacoma and Seattle within the
next sixty days. He has sent urgent
messages to the Northern Pacific Rail
road. President j. j. Hill of the Great
Northern Railway and to c. p. Hun
tington and j. c. Stubs of the South
ern Pacific and Pacific Mail.
Hill and his Great Northern Railway
syndicate have seven or eight steamers
running between the Orient and Seat
tie. The Northern Pacific has four oil
five steamers in the Oriental trade
Huntington and Stubbss have at Least
six vessels available for the War De
partment.
General Shafter is communicating
with the above people on behalf of tn,
Secretary of War. AT a late hour las
night Shafter wired to Washington tina
the Pacific Mail and Northern Pacific
people could within a few days charte
TO the Government nine vessels. Thes
are as follows:
n Pacific Mail-China, 1850 troops; Cit,
4, 1f Picking, 1,200 troops; City of Sydney
1,10O troops; Newport, 500 troops; Cit.
of Para, $50 troops. Northern Pacific
Glenogle, 900 troops; Tacoma, so
troops; Victoria, $50 troops; Olympia
$50 troops.
The Northern Pacific Company solt
to the Government lately the steame
Columbia, which has been taking troop
II and supplies from Seattle to the Nom
country. 1t is understood that this yes
sci will be used to take 500 troops t
]. China.
All of the above vessels were char
tered by the Government to take troop
to Manila in 1898 The City of Pekin
took the FIRST California Regiment t
the Philippines in May, 1898. The New
port took General Merritt General Oti
went on the Para.
Officials in steamship and overlan
:, railroad circles have stated that tn
y Government has made up its mind t
send 10000 troops to China via Pacifi
II Coast ports. Most of the troops Will 6
q through San Francisco and Tacoma.
OF Just what vessels will be chartere
p at Seattle from Hills Great Norther
N Railway is not known yet 1t
>, thought, however, that two steamer
!. having a capacity of 1,200 troops eacl
will be engaged. Most of the Hi
steamers belong to the Nippon Yuse
kaisha, or Japanese Steamship Com
pany. The Japanese Government ha
called all of them in to take it's troop
to China via Taku and Tien-tsin. Hi
has SO notified Shafter and the Wash
ington authorities.
If there is lack of vessels at Seatt
and Tacoma, it is a certainty that VI
Gle Sam can get an extra supply
steamers at this port. The coffee shiI
ping season in Central America is abol
over, and on that account the Pacif
~ sells to the Government as transport
While the Government is deeply col
cerned about transports from tn
coast it is at the same time dickel
Ing for freight and passenger rate
~ from the East to this side of the col
tinent. Three or four million dollar
is involved in this matter and vario,
overland railroad officials are in con
munication with the War Departmel
a on the subject.
III Is estimated that 1t will take twel
ty-hve trains with an aggregate of 2
passenger cars to convey from the Ea
to this coast the 10000 troops it is pr
posed to send to China. The artiller
equipment and supplies necessary f
such large body of men will requi
the services of many freight trains.
1t Is understood to be the purpo
of the War Department to handle Il
large volume of freight for the trool
equally between Puget Sound and tn
port. At the same time in it's desi
no to expedite the movement of troops
will send most of them through Sc