New-York tribune., 1902-05-15
DIXIE OFF FOR MARTINIQUE
THE GOVERNMENT BOAT SAILS on Err
RAND OF MERCY
SHE CARRIES TWELVE HUNDRED AND
TWENTY TONS OF SUPPLIES NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY SENDS
DELEGATION.
A DELEGATION.

DELEGATION.
| Under a moonlit starlit sky with the favor
ing breezes of a genial May night. the Dixie
started last evening on her errand Of mercy
for the relief of the sufferers at Martinique.
She laden almost 70 her fullest capacity
with .220 tons Of provisions clothing medicine.
! tents and implements They had been delivered
and loaded in about twenty-seven hours
through the extraordinary diligence and in
dustry of the Quartermaster's Department in
the Army Building. and the intelligent and well
directed efforts of Major n. L. Brainard and
Major Won Schradcr.
Contracts We're eXaCtAd from merchants that
goods must be delivered by noon yesterday, in
order that the Dixie might be able 10 sail ut
o'clock, it was important 70 reach Eort de
France at the earliest possible moment The
contracts. far it could he done. were faith
fully carried out, and. everything considered il
was thought that the Dixie did exceedingly we'll
in getting away even SO late as o so o'clock last
night
\ busy scene was presented all day Yesterday
and last evening az Pier No. II. Brooklyn.
where scores of stevedores were hustling to load
the Dixie up with provisions and clothes given
| by the government for the Martinique sufferers.
After the Dixie reached the pier from the Navy
Yard. at 80 p. m on Tuesday, the work of
| loading her went increasingly through the
| evening. was carried in the night by electric
| light and continued all day yesterday with extra
gangs up 10 the hour Of sailing II was TO
| childs play 10 get on board 300 tons and
pack them away so carefully that no space
would b. wasted. and so that IL would be easy
10 unload them quickly on arriving at Fort de
France
The Dixie could not possibly get away at 4
p m. Yesterday. was confidently hoped.
Major d L. Brainard expressed 70 a Tribune
reporter his disappointment but declared that
nobody was TO blame. The Dixie did not have
the advantage Of a transport or commercial
liner for loading. Instead OF lowering ten or
fifteen bags time they had to be lowered
| in the hold one at time. About 6 o'clock last
evening It was found that additional space
| could be provided for nearly two thousand bags
of rice still on the dock. and the sailing Of the
| Dixie was accordingly delayed. in order 10 put
them aboard. The commissary stores purchased
from firms in different parts of the city were
delivered at the pier promptly as could be
expected in the circumstances.
Major Hugh ]. Gallagher who sailed on the
Dixie with instructions TO distribute the stores
where they might be most needed. thought the
bulk of the provisions and clothing would be
unoaded at Fort de France The provisions
carried by the Dixie. he said, would provide
thirty-six days rations for fifty thousand peo-
pie. Major Gallagher has also So 600 for emer-
at Martinique will depend on circumstances en-
tirely. The major will return with the Dixie
He thought 1t likely that the government would
soon send several other ships with provisions
to the sufferers al Martinique
Commissary Sergeant J. p Edmunds said the
delay in starting due in part to the desire
| 10 have the Dixie we'll stored so that no time
would be lost in feeding the sufferers on the
Dixies arrival. The provisions could be got out
very rapidly. The Dixie it should be remeIn-
bered. is OF and not a merchandise
boat. and the load of provisions she would carry
TO Martinique probably reached her limit.
Captain Robert NJ. Berry, OF the Dixie said
there would be no object, so far
known, in going TO st. Pierre. and that he would
land at Fort de France, probably six days
There he would get into communication with the
places where there the most suffering and
the distribution OF supplies would be made ac-
cordingly. The length of the Dixie's stay there
would be determined by the services she would
be able to render.
The demand for berths on the Dixie by those
who had received credentials from the Navy
Department which entitled them to take the
rip was considerably greater than the supply,
ma a number or the passengers will have
take their chances, rather poor ones too on get
ting bedding and hunks
Among the passengers were Professor Thomas
A. Jaggar, OF Harvard University and the United
States Geological Survey DR.. F.. o. HOvey, DR.
James Robh Church and Chaplain w. Ii. l.
heaney; attached to the Columbia who
/ with Admiral Dewey the Olympia at Manila
Martinique. The National Geographic Society
has undertaken to bear the expense of a scien-
tifC investigation of the West Indian distur-
Dances. and has sent at its cost three of it's
members, Professor Robert T. Hill of the
United States Geological Survey: Professor
Israel c. Russell. of Ann Aarbor. Mich and c
r. Borchsrevink, the Antarctic explorer, on the
Dixie TO Martinique and st. Vincent Professor
Hill is we'll known authority on West Indian
geology. He has written many scientific re-
ports and books Cuba and Porto Rico and
has visited Martinique and ST. Vincent Pro-
fessor Russell, the head OF the department of
geography in the University of Michigan is the
author or volcanoes of North America: Mr.
BorchSrevink when in the south polar regions
examined thu volcanoes Erebus and Terror the
most southern known volcanoes on the globe
a special report to the society. which will be
puhlshed in its journal, The National Geo
graphic Magazine" More than a score of news
paper men ard photographers were among the
passengers.
The supplies carried by the Dixie included
9oupr pounds of rice. "OONB pounds of coffee
6oOooo pounds of bread, 5000 pounds of -four
-%on cases OF soup and 100 cases of condensed
/ milk C)r clothing there were 1000 halbriegau
shlrts' ZoOO blouses 1000 flannel shirts LOCO
summer coats and trousers and 6o0O shoes
five hundred common tents and 00O axes and
medicines WIZ" ''
IL was o'clock when the work Of loading
was ihlsned, and the last bag of rice had been
lowered INTO the Dixie's hold. Half an bour
iater tne tugs Narkeeta and Powhatan nulled
tne DlAle out into the stream. and, amid the ax
Pressloii OF many godspeeds and best wishes
she heaaed Tor the NarroWs and Fort de France
FRlCK COLLECTS s2o.s10.