The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-04-03
Transporting Horses TO the Philippines

Ever dinn6 the Onlteu CtateS uoFeEn-
ment ordered its FIRST feet Of trans
ports, the City Of Peking. the Austria
liza and the city of Sidney, with the
crniser Charleston as convoy, 20 the
Philippines in May, 1893, there has
been steady Improvement in the
trnsport service, until now it presents
to the civilized world one of the
finest systens in existence.
j Besides the numerous commodious
steamers, with light aud airy quarters
for troops, which have replaced tho
small chartered vessels into which the
first section Of departing army was
crowded, the Government has no@
chartered between tea and fifteen
steamers known as animal ships"
on which the horses aud mules which
go to make up some of the principal
divisions of tho army arc transported.
So careful mas the shipping of these
animals been that with but one ex-
ception all the vessels from either
San francisco or Seattle have arrived
in the tropics or in the Arctic regions
with their dumb passengers in good
condition.
The superiority Of the American
system. as indicated hs .h:s statement.
is more fully shown by the faot that
Great Britain. in the transportation
of animals to South Africa, : ehoz.sF
distance than the chips Of the United
States have been forced to sail, has
lost on an average from % to 80 per
cent Of the number shipped.
Each Of the American animal
ships" is atted between docks 4 by
10 foot stalls, each equipped with
movable meiallio maDger, which
stretches across the front Of tho stall
with bar below to keep the horses in
piSce. The flooring is covered with
stout oleats 80 as to give the horses
foothol3 whenever the weasel lurohes.
For each 'shoFse ship that sails,
the Government allows quartermas-
ter captain, who is representative of
the army; veterinarian with three
skilled assistants, and from twenty to
thirty-ive attendants, who are mostly
cavalry or artillery men, besides the
captain and crew Of the vessel.
All horses and mules transported
from San Francisco are at the Prcsi-
dio with maline, diagnostic agent
for glanders. The animals are hitoh-
! ed in stalls and kept from excitement,
and their temperature is taken every
two hours for eight hours, after which
they receive injections Of the prepar-
ed solution, and then their tempera-
ture is again taken at the same inter
walls. If the temperature rise above
the normal 100 degrees it is suspi-
oious case, and the horse isolated. In
day or two, if the gems be in evil
dence, the disease will take an acute
form, and the animal be condemned
as dangerous for both man and stock.
The animals which stand the test
are branded on the necks and hoofs
with numbers, and with gu. S." on
the shoulder. A description relative
to the age, color, height and general
markings of the animal, by what officer
bought, the buying price and where
purchased, is handed over to the quar-
termaster and by these means is easily
kept track Of. Any horse that ap-
Pears TO be in the least indisposed is
rejected by, the veterinarian and another
ia put in to fill the place, SO as to
make up the number ordered.
The loading Of the horses on the
transports is donein the gentlest man
ner; any animal that will not go up or
down the gangplank freely is led aside,
aud, after several more attempts, at
intervals, generally boards willingly.
Gentleness is the best and quickest
way Of loading the vessel.
From the diary Of Doctor w. L.
Williamson, veterinarian who has
been in charge Of nine Of the animal
ships, kept on board the sailing YES.
sci Tacoma, che first horse transport
to leave San Francisco, one may obatin
an interesting account Of how the
animals are looked after during their
transit. The care Of several hundred
animals is not easy, and TO attend to
them properly is o matter Of science.
The daily record shows constant
watch for signs Of sickness. To all
that appear to be suffering medicine
is administered, and the entries read
like those .ofa hospital for human
beings.
The horses and mulea are SyatoheS