The San Francisco call., 1904-03-13
Army Transports.
BY EDWARD II. LEWIS.
TCaptain Twentieth Infantry, u s. Al
Copyright. 1901, by Joseph 3. BoT.es.)


and the supplies 10 maintain them De
tween San Francisco and Manila the
War Department maintains a feet OF
eight transports, Of which the Logan
is a good example. The maintenance Of
such a feet has been attacked by rep
resentatives Of shipping interests TO
which the business would fall if the
transports were abolished, but a careful
investigation has clearly shown that
the transport service not only moves
troops and supplies at much less cost
than if sent by merchant marine, but
the officers and men are infinitely bet
ter provided for.
Brigadier Charles. Humphrey, quar-
termaster general Of the army, in his
last annual report presents comprehen-
sive statistics comparing the cost Of the
transport service during the year with
what the cost would have been had the
service been performed by private car
rying companies and showing that the
annual saving amounted to SPAS, 439. 1t
is not unusual for transport on a sin
gle round trip to thus effect a saving Of
$500 They are the best transports
in the world and a gratifying contrast
10 the imDrovised ones that proved so
costly during the war with Spain
All Of the transports now sent across
the Pacific are twin screw ships, all
single screw ships being sent via the
Suez canal 70 New York. The reason
for this is that the course followed by
transports is one not usually used by
trans-Pacifc vessels. A serious acci-
dent to the engine. the breaking of
shaft or other such serious misadven-
ture would leave a single screw vessel
with its human load helpless in a situ-
alton where no aid would reach them.
The transport referred to above is
steel vessel $50 feet long. or, to express
il IN other terms. a block and half in
length. She draws twenty-six feet Of
water. and a crew Of 1s5 men is neces-
sary to run her and look after her va
rious departments. Forty-six steam en-
gines form her equipment, divided as
follows: Two main engines that propel
her through the water at a speed of
from twelve to sixteen knots an hour,
twenty-five steam pumps to keep her
bilge clear and furnish water pressure
on board, six hOists, two capstan en-
gines, three dynamos, five ventilating
engines and two to furnish power for
the ice machines. To provide steam for
and operate these various engines a
force Of sixty-two men is required.
Sixty-eight tons Of coal are fed into
her furnaces daily, and twelve gallons
Of oil are necessary each day to lubri-
cate her bearings.
This ship, like her sisters, has been
fitted UP with great care and skill to
meet the many demands made upon
a troopship. Cabins for officers and
other cabin passengers are provided
and resemble those on a second class
liner. They are small, but fairly COM
Portable. substantial, but not elegant,
and they provide accommodations for
a maximum Of 143 passengers.
It is in the provisions made for the
enlisted soldiers that these ships espe-
cially excel those Of other nations. The
lower decks, divided into water-tight
compartments. are devoted to their use
Each compartment is fitted UP with
iron, canvas bottoned hunks arranged
in three tiers, and with passageways
between. Admiral ventilating arrange
ments keep the air cool and fresh. Six
teen hundred soldiers can be cared for,
though the number actually on board
is not often so large. Near the sleep
ing quarters are washrooms and lava
tories and bathrooms with running wa
ter.
A hospital with all Of the latest i'm
provements is provided for the sick
with a surgeon and proper attendants
10 look after them. An isolation hos
pital for contagious and infectious dis
fr ~1r sT1I A
embalmer is always carried on board
and the bodies Of soldiers dying en-
route are placed in metallic caskets,
twenty-five Of which are kept on hand,
and taken TO the United States.
On the mess deck is the messroom.
where the soldiers are provided with
three hot meals each day. Their fare
is plain but abundant, wholesome and
well cooked in large steam galleys pro-
vided for that purpose
The proper feeding of the large num-
Der Of people OF different classes on
board a transport is one Of the mat
ters requiring the most careful atten-
tion Of skilled officers and stewards.
For this purpose all persons are placed
in various classes and assigned to an
-propriate ''messes," OF which there are
five.
The saloon mess is FOR all officers.
their families and other cabin passen-
gers. A charge Of 81 a day is made
TO all members Of thi; mess, and the
regulations provide that the purchase
Of supplies shall be so regulated that
such charge shall meet their cost. The
ships officers mess provides for the
officers Of the ship. The food for this
mess is cooked il the same galfevs
and served in the same room as for
the saloon mess, but without charge
10 its members The petty officers
mess and the crew mess are served
both from tho Same galleys. but in
different diring-rocms. The troop mess
provides for AL Of the soldiers except
certasr of the senior on-commissioned
officers, who are served in the petty
officers mess.
TO furnish food for so many hungry