The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-12

lNDyL8& t&10 CVu6CossSA xS--x.n
lious seA-ports on tho soutb-Atisntlc,
. number Of ships were bought aDS
operated under the supervision anu
dfreotion Of the war department;
Amoug The Nrst Of the ships purchased
vore those OF the Atlantic Transport
T,ine. operating between New YORK
an6 1ondon. Oh which the Michigan,
- vhIch i wes asGigned on July Oth,
i0oa vns one Of the heaviest freight
-. i vae ordered 70 catch this ship
- port Tampa, Florida, and to %.
snme charEe Of her as Captain and
Aaainfant 0rartermaster and Acung
ConmiasaHy o. Subsistence, U. 3. Vol
unte4rR
without reference to complications
and the numerous errors nasuisny "
he expected OF Q "lsnd-luboer" on .
great craft at sea, the duties en-? pm-
naeeed IN the elaborate title given ABOVE
wsre most difacult TO perform. The
clerks allowed me by the government
Wore splcndid comforters OF the Joo
tyne. both without experience at sea
nd absolutely ignorant OF the "oid
salt,,. vernacuiar. With the exception
cf Mr. John 8. Bishop, Q retired army
Sfficar whose services dated back to the
var hetWeen the States and who was
nv cemmissary clerk, the government
ros,reaentativea on board the Michigan
vera q much at sea In trnnsacting
buainess % prescribed by regulations
- they were In the proper conception
a. the technical duties OF the Master
who navigated the ship.
( Owing % the short space OF time ID
,whsch this vast service was piaceo Ia
opeeatson authorized regulations lot
t6e government Of the same could not
s. issued earlier than December, lSSs'
Durlne this interim the relations oe.
tWeon the Ouartermaster In charge and
fhe Master Of the ship were, In many
inatanoes. Of the most unpleasant
ckarnctsr. It was humiliating to the
nkipper who had been accustomed 10
everci.e command Of his ship to take
orders ffom the ofiscer who had been
placed In charge by Uncle Sam. In
Sonao instances the differences between
he Master and the Quartermaster re-
snIted In the removal Of the former
from the ship, but the promulganon
81 reaulstions governing In detail the
entile service put at rest these differ
enoes and established the service on
3 well ordered basis.
The purchase Of 20 many large ships
st q tine when the demand for ocean
transportation was never greater oper-
ated azninst the government to some
ysxtent In selecting the class OF vessels
beet suited for the purposes Of the
transport service. It IL remarkable,
however, with what success 1t was
oFeanised, xnd too much cannot be
seid Of the splendid work Of the Quar-
teRmaates General and his able assist
anls In giving 10 the army the modern,
up-tO-date feet Of transports which are
now plying between San Francisco
ard the Philippine Archipelago.
It must b remembered that the
chips were not fitted for the transpcr-
tat3on Of troops when they were
bOuxht, bat were In almost every case
heavy ffeighters with scarcely any
nasengcr accommodations. It has
rouuiro6 IN immense amount Of hard
vtjrk % rebuild, refit, and reconstruct
this large fieet Of ocean going steamers
70 meet the requirements. 1t has cost
millions Of dollars and Ii costing mill
ions more TO operate 1t. But when the
tnnns.P Pacific Steamship Companies
are asiIed to furnish the Government
with schedule Of rates at which OIL
cora and enlisted men Of the army can
be transported by them, the figures
given In their reply are rather apt to
staYtlo you. It has been demonstrated
that the transport service 10 costing the
t>A n ~ Mo- xr,rf II
with any Of the steamship companies
oiisring to do tbs same work. To the
army there is no comparison between
the present system Of transportation
and thu one that must be expected
from the corporation.
The restoration Of peace In the West
Indies resulted in the discontinuance
Of the service on the Atlantic side,
with the exception Of an occasional
transport making the run from Ma
Mia TO New York by way Of the Suez
canal under special orders from the
war department. The service on the
Pacific coast has been divided into the
'dFrans-P Pacific Tnlnsports' and the
"IrteI.Island Transports" The for
mer are operated under the general
supervision OF Col. Oscar F. Long, the
general superintendent Of the service
at San Francisco, CAL, while the ORR
ental branch Of the service, or the "In-
TOR Island Transports" are under the
direction and supervision o: General
Charles F. Humphrey, Assistant Quar-
termaster General, Chief Quartermas-
ter Division Of the Phillippines, with
headquarters In the city Of Manila.
The "Sumner," OF which am now
in command, has been assigned to per.
manept duty In the Orient and Is al
present engaged In the transportation
Of troops and freight between the IL.
lands Of the southern archipelago and
Manila. Manila L. the home port and
n made on an average Of once In every
twenty days. Prior to this assignment
tho Sumner was engaged In the trans.
portation Of troops and supplies to and
ifom China.
Ie has been officially announced that
the regular run Of this ship will EN-.
brace the towns Of Batangas, Iloilo,
Cebu, Zamboanga and Jolo, making
the same places a. ports Of call on the
return trip to Manila. Most of the
important ports In the Philippine Is
lands were visited by the Sumner on
her extensive voyage with the Civil
Commission aboard, while many others
were added to the List last June while