The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-05-20
FIX TRANSPORT FLEET
SHIPYARDS GIVEN ORDERS To
RUSH WORK IANEDIATELY.
War Department is Preparing to
Have Enough Ships to Transport
at Least Sixty Thousand Men.

New York shipyard owners Sun
day were notified to have their en-
tire working organizations assigned
to the government contracts. The
instructions were given by the In
spectors OF the army quartermaster' S
department, acting upon orders from
Washington.
The feet in course Of preparation
and held by steamship companies
along the Atlantic coast for federal
orders would accommodate, accord
ing to the quartermaster department
schedules, $4,000 troops and suftl-
cient mules for their land operations
For the first time since the Span
ish war the three Big South Brook
lyn sh!pyards, owned by Shewan &
Sons, Morse Iron Works and the
Robins Erie Basin Company, are
operating on day and night basis
employing an aggregato OF 5000
skilled carpenters, plumbers ard
caulkers. They are under contract
to have the steamships City of Macon,
City Of Memphis and Minnesotan
ready for sea wednesday.
AS soon as these ships are taken
from the dry docks their places Will
be taken by others which are being
considered for troop ship service to
join the Aotilla now being fitted up
in Southern ports. Estimates and
contracts have already been prepar-
ed, so that there will only be Heces-
sary the fomalityof signing the bonds
before actual work is begun.
A penalty of $1,000 day will be
levied by the government on the
owners OF shipyards who fail to have
transports ready for sailing within
four days after the signing OF the
contracts, and a bond representing
25 per cent. Of the contract price is
required frc2a the shipyard owners.
On board the City Of Macon, which
was chartered with the City Of Mem
pris early Saturday, work had pro-
crossed so far that she was taken out
OF dry dock at 7 a. m. THURSDAY.
Immediately after the ship IS made
fast to a dock coal barges will be
foated alongside.
The City of Memphis was being TT
ted for the accommodation Of 1000
soldiers in Robins shipyard early
Thursday and is also expected to be
ready for sailing orders late Friday.
At the Morse works the Minnesotan
had her decks made over before Fri
day night for 1900 mules.
shipbuilders who accepted the geT-
ernment contracts estimate that 1t
will cost $4,000 to fit each trans
port. This includes the supply OF
hammocks, wash rooms, hospital
wards, baths and additional water
tanks.
Under the government arrange
ments with the steamship companies
whose vessels are held for army SER
vice. q daily rental Of $500 is paid
for the passenger carrying vessels
and $1,000 for the smaller ships.
Before the vessels are returned to
their owners the government is re-
quired to place them in the same con-
dition as they were at the time OF
their acquisition.
Army officers who were superln-
tending the work on the three SHIPS
being prepared under rush orders at
the South Brooklyn yards said the ac-
tivity of the war department and the
demand to have the feet under way
in four days from the signing OF the
final contracts foreshadowed move
ment of regular troops, which would
be preceded by a call for volunteers.
II the ships now being selected for
transport service are all placed IN
commission the army officers said II
would be necessary to draw on sew
eral brigades of the State militia to
make up the full quota Of men.
In anticipation OF an order to re-
place companies of artillery now On
duty at the harbor posts with militia
artillery organizations, Col. R. Foster
Wlaton, adjutant general of the New
York division, and Adjt. Gen. Hamll-
ton held a conference with Rrlg. Gen.
Austin, commanding the artillery
branch Of the militia.