Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-04-18
Akron Soldiers We're on Board
the Transport.

A number Of Akron boys, soldiers
in the United States Volunteer army,
who should be on the Pacific ocean
en- route to Manila, are waiting in San
Francisco for transport to carry
them to the Philippines.
The delay is occasioned by an acci-
dent which occurred to the transport
Arab, on which they were passengers.
Corporal Andy Seller, whose parents
reside at 424 East South st., has for
warded copy of the San Francisco
Examiner containing an account Of
the trouble. He is attached to Troop
F, Sixth U. S. cavalry, and has seven
months 10 serve.
Describing the accident the Exam,
iner says:
Far out at sea on her way to Manila
the big steamer Arab, under charter
to the United States government and
carrying 656 horses for the cavalry
in the Philippines, became disabled
and was forced to put back to this
port for repairs. She arrived here yes
terday morning, greatly to the surprise
of the army transport officers, and,
after docking at Harrison st. wharf,
the horses, which had been penned
up on the transport since March 3Oth,
the date of departure, were landed
and led to the Presidio.
The Arab after sailing from here
steamed along all right at ten knots
an hour until April 4th. Then there
was trouble with the boilers. Patches
that were put upon them only short
time ago in Seattle, the city that is
looking for the transport business,
sprang leaks. These leads from the
patches became so great that Chief
Engineer Walker found it practically
impossible TO keep water in the boilers
He had one of them shut down, and
the vessel proceeded under what steam
she could get from the other until the
patches of the cooled-off boiler could
be calked up. Then this boiler wouid
be used and the patches on the other
calked. This went on for five days,
but the efforts at calking availed lit
lie, for the leaking became as visor-
Gus as before.
The steamer was now out 1000
miles, and could have proceeded to
Honolulu, but several things determin-
ed the decision to put back to San
Francisco. There is no government
surveyor nor a surveyor of Lloyds at
Honolulu, and Army QuartermasIer
Lieutenant Raymand, who was in
charge of the vessel, considered that
he would have to lie at Honolulu until
steamer could reach this city and
one arrive with instructions as to
whether the vessel should be repaired
at that port or not He figured the
government would be better served
by coming back to this port.
The Arab steamed for this city with
what little steam she could carry in
her boilers. The Government and
Lloyd inspectors could not examine
the boilers yesterday, as they must
first be pumped out and cleaned On
Saturday they will be able to find out
what repairs are necessary.
The Government officials were loath
to charter the Arab for this trip until
she was thoroughly inspected, but her
agents offered the charter much cheap
er than before, and on the showing
that she had been repaired at Seattle,
they decided to take her. The own,
ers, the Bedouin Steam Navigation
company of Liverpool, will have TO
pay for the repairs
As there is no other vessel in port
available at present as horse trans
port, the government must wait until
the Arab is repaired before it eau sup.
ply its cavalrynen in the Philippines
with mounts.
81 had piles so bad I could get 70