New-York tribune., 1916-07-05
Troops Departing for Bor-
der Have No Place in
BrOOklyn's Fourth.
CCOMMODATIONS
FOR MEN CRAMPED
Lack of Comfort To Be Made up
by Certainty of Hot Meals
DR.. Cadman Goes.

Through deserted streets that echoed
monotonously to the tread Of their 2,2Oo
feet, the 23d Regment-pride oil
Brooklyns National Guard started Tor
Brownsville yesterday afternoon.
As they filed from their armory on
Bedford Avenue, the men were cheered
by a crowd of relatives and friends.
Before they marched a mile the zone oil
Fourth of July enthusiasm mad oeeh
left behind Because it was holiday
Brooklyn was not at home 10 thrill IN
farewell 10 the regiment she regards
with the same affection Manhattan mas
for the 18th.
Lack of Horses Causes Delay.
Col. Frank II. Norton's command
broke all mobilization records Tor quick
entraining. At 5:l5 the first line or
officers crossed Broadway on Chambers
streCr. Within two hours the hrst
section Of the regiment had pulled out
of the Erie station in Jersey CITY,
bound for Chicago, EN- route to the
border The second section left at S;lV
officially, and as far as the saddened
wives and sweethearts were Informed.
In reality, this section was shunted
TO a distant corner Of the smoky Erie
yards, where it waited two hours Tor
ten add tional equipment wagons thal
had beeen left at the armory. Inability
to obtain horses on a holiday was re-
ported to be the cause OF tho only
DELAY in the regiments departure.
Accommodation Cramped.
Excepting the officers. who rode in
Pullmans, the Cuardsmcn did not
anticipate getting much sleep between
Jersey City and Chicago. Three men
to two seats was the system Of accom-
modatiOns in the day coaches.
ITS a shame that the men are so
crampcd for room" Colonel Norton
said just before he hoped on the train.
at isn't right But we are not to
blame. And | don't think the quarter
masters department a. Governors ISL
and is to be held responsible. When an
order comes from the War Department
for regiment TO entrain ell we can do
is obey orders. no matter what the ac-
commodations are
Inadequate sleeping quarters we're
Offset largely by the excellent com
misssry arrangements which Lieuten-
ant Fleming had made Cold beans
and cold meat comprised the menu for
the 18th the day it departed. IN the
middle OF each section carrying the
23d is a box car equipped with COM
plete kitchen.
Troopers Greeted with Silence.
Smoke was curling from the hastily
improvised stacks and the soup was
becoming "done" before the trains
left the station. In the lsrders were
fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs,
plenty of soft bread, and ham and
bacon.
one of the last precs 10 taken by
the officers was 10 ascertain whether
the water supply was adequate. Eleven
hundred thirsty men, entertaining sew
eral hundred thirsty relatives Tor half
an hour before the trains pulled out,
proved severe drain on the tanks.
Three barrels Of water were tossed Oh
the first section before it left, and the
Erie Railroad officials said that the
tanks in the second section would be
replenished during the delay In the
yard
Bugles blared the signal to march
from the armory shortly after $3.50
o'clock. If the 23d had had a band or
even a drum corps to set the pace its
journey to the ferry would have been
assured Of a little vivacity. A few
scattered hand claps in Lafayette Ave
nue., and then Colonel Norton led MS
men through q deserted Schermerhorn
Street. The blinds were shut tightly
on most Of the houses. Occasionally u
janitor raised basement window in Al
idle business establishment TO SATISFY
his curiosity as to what was going by
Manhattan Gives Ovation.
Had il not been for the small crowd
of faithful relatives and a score OF
newsbOys picked up on Clinton Street,
the wenty-third would have been
isolated from its home borough long
before it tramped down the Liberty
Street approach to the Brooklyn
Bridge.
On this long span had assembled
what would have been called a large
crowd on any other day than July !.
But II was not demonstrative crowd.
It. was outcheered by every passing
elevated train. There was plenty Of
room along the promenade at any
minute during the fifteen the regiment
spent marching across. Even the tug
boats pulling barges under the bridge
coOperated m the holiday silence by
refrainlng from footing their respect,
TO the marchers.
With the arrival Of TIE regiment on
Manhattan territory there was one big
break IN the hour Of silence. Since
early in the afternoon police reserves
had been fighting to maintain order in
r. crowd of several thousand that had
crammeL itself under the bridge near
Chambers Street A. soon as IL caught
sight of Colonel Norton and his Off
oers this crowd let out a whoop. They
prolonged cheers.
God Bless You, Colonel"
"God bless you, Colonel" one man
cried as he lodged around "A patr0lman,
ran out in the street and graspsd with
his two hands the right hand of the
commanding officer. As long as the
ranks swung around the Municipal
Building into Chambers Street, so long
the crowd continued its ovation.
Then the picture became olive drab
again. All the wholesale houses. pro-
duce exchanges and other establish
ments that make Chambers Street ami
mated on an ordinary day were quiet
yesterday
Much Of the humor and good-nature
which softened the sorrow among rela-
tives Of the departing Guardsmen radl-
ated from the ample person of the
Rev. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, VINO has
left the Central Congregational Church