The National tribune., 1902-03-27
NATIONAL WASHINGTON

Charleston and all the transports. Rapidly
she came toward us and as rapidly the
Charleston pushed in her direction, deter
mined TO develop her character in time for
the transports to take care of themselves
should she prove to be an enemy and too
strong for her. The naval officer on board
our transport studied her intently through
n telescope, first announcing that she was
n cruiser and not battleshlp, and hnally
saying that she was the Baltimore, OF
Dewey's fleet, and then there was rcJOic-
ing. She had been sent out to meet us
and had been cruising around in that VI
cinity for Il week, not knowing Of our side
shoot for the capture of Guam.
She came up close to us and mutual
cheers We're exchanged, and then the fleet
resumed its journey south, with the
Charleston on one flank and the Balu-
more on the other. Thus we had not been
entirely without experience of wars dread
alarms before getting into the midst of
the blockadng fleet around CaTite Point.
The landing of troops at Cayite was not
accomplished without difficulty. 1t is i'm
possible for large vessels to approach the
stone docks. and the soldiers and their
baggage, QuartermaSter's stores and Com
missary supplies had to be lightered i'll
caScOeS.
A casco is large scow, usually about 60
feet long and 10 wide, with PROV and stern
high out of water, and steered by huge
wooden rudder manipulated by long lever
of wood. The clumsy craft holds about
100 tons of freight, and is usually COW
cred with an oval roof of bamboo mat
ting, extremely necessary i'll the rainy sea-
son. In a little compartment in the stern,
under a still higher projection of the
bamboo roof lives the owner with his fam
lily and crew of one or two men, and in
the space just below are kept the family
Ill. al. y
could be crowded into n casco with its
equipment, and as we had but four of
them at our disposal, and there were long
waits while necessary stores were also
landed, it took us all day to get the regi-
ment ashore, my own company not land
ing till after dark.
The quarters assigned to the Oregon
regiment were not fit for human beings
to occupy. In going into 4 tropical coun-
try special precautions should have been
taken to house the men in dry quarters as
free from malarial conditions as possible.
yet no special effort in that direction was
made for severa. months after the first
troops landed. A great deal of the sick
ness and death in the American army is
chargeable to ignorance in regard to neces-
sary sanitary conditions in a tropical
country. especially in the matter of quar-
ters and fatigue work and drill in the hot
sun. Commanders failed soon enough to
recognize the fact that what had always
been done in the United States was not
necessarily the proper thing to do in the
Philippines.
The tendency of Regular officers to wor-
ship at the shrine of regularity and army
custom was chiefly responsible for this
failure to take proper note of new condi-
tions. The seat of the evil. of course, was
in the Department at Washington and
Subdepartments at San Francisco, where
routine and custom had their most ardent
and uncOmprOmising devOtees; but il was
my experience that all Regular officers
were more or less fervent worshipers at
their shrines as well. Gradually the les
son was learned. but there are many
graves in the Philippines that should not
he there. and would not I've had those high
in authority known as much about these
things as did many of lower rank, OF
given them the thought and attention their
Importance demanded or the duties of their
official positions enjoined.
ITO be continued