The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-05-01
CROOK GOES
EVERYWHERE
Big Transport Has
Entered MANY
EIarbors.

| United states army transport sSt'4''
Is Morgan walcott. who is the com
mander OF the transport Crook, nov
| in port which sails this morning Ia
Manila. and at the same time there !
| rot in the service of the Government
perhaps. a single commander who ha
dropped his anchor in so many. port
OF the new possessions OF the nation
The ship which is now under captain
Walcott's control has been commandet
by him for the past four years an
has seen every kind OF service ana doI''
! every kind OF work.
Captain walcott is a nephew OF TT
Hon. w. N Armstrong and has spen
! much OF his time while in port VIII
. Mrs Weaver, OF Lunalilo Home. anC
her son, seeing everything that Is 10 d
, seen about the city and thoroughly en-
toying his stop. Captain Walcort /.
! one OF the progressive men OF the sea
J having learned his business from th'
! ground up. His wider sphere or actor
4 began when he left the second pla2'
| i'm The Aztec. OF the Pacific Mail line
running to Central America, TO try the
! greater opportunities OF the Atlantic
| ocean. He was able to secure a place
on the roll OF the American liner st
Louis, and counted himself fortunate
|
place. after he had been second when
he left the Pacific Mail service.
| Captain walcott said OF this expert
ence Yesterday: 1T was the most val
liable experience 1 have had. for IL
gives a young officer command of him
self 10 have such n place upon a great
express steamer There are many
things which "A man knows but which.
never having done. he feels Nervous
concerning their doing. The handling
of "a great express steamer is a thing
which gives confidence 10 the officer.
and ! thoroughly enjoyed the life on
the st. Louis"
When the war broke out and the st.
Louis was taken by the Navy Depart
ment for service as scout and gun
boat. Captain walcott was given
commission rs ensign. and served
through the unpieasantneSs as such
officer In The South Atlantic and Car
ribbean seas. He returned to his SER
vice with the American line at the
close OF the war. but IL was only for
"A very short time. for the place of cap-'
tain In the transport service offered
and he took the command of the Crook.
Then began three years OF service
which meant pokIng the nose OF the
big twin screw ship into every we'll
bors of Cuba and Porto Rico. until at
length the ship was ordered around
the world, and made the trip to Ma
Mia through the Suez canal and thence
by way or SaGasaki TO San Francisco.
IL was the fate OF the Crook to be
known as the Hearse OF the Sea dur
ing the second year OF her service. for
one trip was made from Santiago de
Cuba To New York carrying the bodies
OF several hundreds OF those Ameri-
cans who died in the battles before
that city and during its occupation, OF
the fever. But this was not the only
peculiar trip, for later IL was given TO
the ship 10 be designated one OF the
Of the Atlantic. and the
pupils of the trip were teachers gath
cred from the Antilles for transport tn |
New England, where there was con- /
Quoted "a summer school for their in |
struciion in American methods of ped
agogy.
The tip from New York to Manila /
YVES one Of the most pleasant Captain /
ever took, as he spoke OF his (
yesterday. He said:
We had. a most delightful voyage in
every way. We stopped just often
enough wtj,s going through the Med
iieITanean sea to bring us in contac:
len That the stops We're tiresome To the
officers. We had q rough passage
across 10 Gibraltar. occupying two
weeks. but there was smooth water al
most all the rest OF the way. and al
though the change OF climate might
rave been expected 10 bring some Ill
hess. among such large body OF men.
here was not a SINCE soldier in the
'cspital when we reached Manila.
We had an opportunity to become
acquainted with the Philippines on our
irst stop there, as we were ordered To
axe troops TO the south. which meant
run down 10 the ports OF Mindanao.
nd We saw some of the country and
,ad a. chance To get in touch with the
'crts. Then We went up TO Nagasaki
md on TO san Francisco. We had the
NEST trips that any ship could have
nd we are now making our first out
rars voyage TO Manila. There Is much
ak about the sale Of the transports.
IN. know that the Crook viii be re-
aimed as long as any other vessel The
hip ranks sixth. easily. in the list Of
he Arm. vessels. The Sherman. Sher-
Ian. Grant. Logan ,and Meade. all
rom the Atlantic transport line, are
he largest and best, with our ship
ext.
10 nt4lTNe LAGlt Will Pt any
ale OF the transports perhaps for some
me. as the uses OF the ships are such L
hat the Government could hardly a
ope 20 secure as good service from '
Merchant line. For instance the ships. :
hen they reach Manila. are always =
able TO be ordered right down TO the a
'uth-rn islands with their men. This a
ouid greatly interfere with a regular
ner and perhaps might initiate G
Eainst the success of such a service. q
hen. too. there Is a better service q
ven 10 the army now than could be b
al under other conditions. The men q
nd the officers are we'll treated in
rery way. and the men have comforts el
lat they could not hope for II they a
ere being carried by contract service. o
have seen the transports OF almost
'ery country and even those Of Eng
nd are not TO be compared with ours. .
here Is more room. better ventilation =,