The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-09-23
SUMNER FIRED HER GUNS
ONLY TRANSPORT ENGAGED IN
ACTUAL WARFARE.
Took the Taft Commission on Tour
Around the Philippine Group-In the
Pechi-li Gulf Ice.

The transport Sumner, Captain Ly-
nam, now in port, enjoys the distinc-
LiOn of being the oniy American tians-
port WhlCn mas ever hred It's guns in
actual warfare.
The transport Sumner is counted by
the army Transport service. the nnest
troop snip ahOaL. She is not as large
as Lne GIant, sherman, Snerluan and
vessels or mat class, Dut her fittings
and finish are said 10 be superior. Sne
was formerly hamOurg American
liner running between New OrIeans and
hambuIg, ana at the beginning of the
opanisn-American war was bought by
the navy. and used by that department
in the Atlantic curing the war under
the name of Casslus. After the war,
with the reorganization of the army
transport service sne was sold by the
navy department to the war depart
ment. Inc only condition of the sale
was that she was to be rebuilt by the
navy department at the Norfolk navy
yards. The specifications for rebuild
ing were the same as for other vessels
rebuilt for the transport service, but
the difference was that the other YES
sells were rebuilt by contract at private
shipyards with a profit it in to the con-
tractors, while the Sumner was rebuilt
/ by the navy which could get nothing
out of it but credit for good work, and
good work was put in. The finishing
throughout the interior is mahogany
The bath-tubs, washbowls and that
! sort of thing are porcelain, not iron
! covered with porcelain.
! The finest material and the best
| workmanship is in evidence through
out. Electricity is used for every pur-
pose for which it can be used. The ven
rllating system reaches every part OF
| the snip. In cold weather warm all
can be sent into every part and com
| partment and in hot weather cold all
at any temperature can be distributed
| The staterooms are more commodiou:
ana more tlnely finished than on mos
! passenger steamers.
| Captain E. '. Lyman her commander
was formerly in charge of the Atlantic
| transport service and was appointed t
command her out of a list of more thar
a hundI ed applicants for the command
She sailed from New York with troops
through the Suez canal about eighteer
months ago. going to the Philippines
There she was detailed for the use o
the Taft commission, and with tn,
commission aboard visited every par
of the Philippine Islands. Later thu
Summer was detailed for a similar ser
| vice for General Chaffee and tool
him and his staff on a tour of inspeC
ton throughout the group. 1t was o
one of these, tours that the Sumne
came in contact with armed insurgents
and used the guns with which she an
all other transports are armed. for tn
purposes of actual warfare.
Last January the sumner performe'
a difficult and dangerous service fo
the government in Chinese waters. Sh
was sent up into the Gulf of Pechi-l
to Shan-hai-kwan, where the grea
wall of China comes down to the sea
with about eighteen tons of silver mo
ney for the United States military Il
that region. Navigation in these wa
ters ends with the beginning of De
cember and at that time the lighthouse
are abandoned for the winter and tn
buoy and other harbor marks are re
moved until spring. Ice forms alon
the coast for twelve to twenty mile
out to sea- Through this ice the Sum
ner plowed her way reaching Shan-hai
kwan, and then making another trip O
about twenty miles further sout
through the ice, to where the America
authorities were. The cargo of speci
was successfully landed, and the Sum
ner returned to more hospitable port!
During the troubles in China tn
Sumner carried troops to and from tn
Philippines to China. This is her frs
visit to this port.