Adjutant-General Eighth Army Corps, Manila, P.I.
SIR,--I have the honour to report my arrival with the steamship
_Siam_, chartered as a United States animal transport. I left San
Francisco, California, on the night of the 19th of August with three
hundred and seventy-three animals aboard. We experienced ordinary
weather, and arrived in Honolulu, H.I., August 29th, leaving there
September 6th.
After leaving Honolulu, and until the 17th of September, we had
fairly good weather, and up to this date (a month away from San
Francisco) all the animals were in perfect condition. The duties of
horse veterinary and nurses were then sinecures. On the morning of
the 17th a heavy swell from E.N.E. and N.N.E. struck the ship and
made her roll considerably. This swell continued. The next day,
Monday, the 18th, the wind rose from S.S.E., and continued to
increase in force until it became a gale, blowing from S. and
S.S.E., with a big swell from S.S.W. and S.E. This rough sea was
extremely trying on the animals; as many as fifty would be thrown
from their feet at the same time, and for forty-eight hours I was
not able to spare a moment for sleep, and the greatest rest that any
man of my detachment had was six hours. I, at this time, sent a
written order to the captain of the ship to change the course of the
vessel to any direction that would give her the least roll.
According to this order, he changed the course to S.E. We were
driven several hundred miles out of our course. Wednesday morning
the wind abated; we were able to resume our course, and passed the
Ladrones, north of Saipan. Wednesday morning the storm began to
abate; Wednesday evening and night we were busy caring for the
injured and taking stock of our animals. I found two hundred and
thirty-three animals injured more or less severely; of these, six
(6) died. The greatest care was given to the injured, and they all
pulled through remarkably well.
Everything ran smoothly, fair winds and fair seas, until Saturday
night, September 30th. We arrived at the head of the island of Luzon
(Cape Engano). It was after dark--there was no light--the weather
looked threatening. The captain and I discussed the matter and
finally decided that it was not safe to try and go through this
passage on a stormy night without being able to locate any
landmarks. The captain was directed to cruise outside until
daylight. About twelve o’clock that night the wind started blowing
from N.N.W., gradually increasing into a gale; the vessel was headed
into the wind and sea and rode very smoothly until Sunday morning,
October 1st, when the wind began to shift, increasing in force, and
for the next two days continued changing direction. Until the storm
abated Tuesday morning, the wind was blowing from the S.E. The sea
raised by this circular wind was tremendous. From Saturday night at
twelve o’clock, for fifty-six hours, every man on board the vessel
worked like a Trojan. Animals were continually being thrown from
their feet, and the men worked getting them to their proper places.
As the storm increased, so increased the labour--the men, almost
exhausted, continuing their task. I cannot give them too much praise
for their utter disregard of danger, and the heroism they displayed
in trying to save their charges.
Monday morning, October 2nd, at five o’clock, the captain of the
ship gave orders to close the hatches to save the ship, and just
then a tremendous sea swept over the vessel, throwing from their
feet every animal on the port side of the ship and most of the
animals on the starboard side; the vessel continued to do sharp
rolling, so that these animals would shoot from one side of the deck
to the other. It was absolutely impossible to do anything for them;
some men had been injured, and I gave up the fight. I ordered every
man to a place of safety in the forecastle, cabins, and chart-room,
and we were forced to let the animals stay where they were.
Three hundred and sixty odd animals shifted from side to side of the
vessel, and it became too great a risk to make men face it when
nothing could be accomplished. When I knew the captain had ordered
the hatches closed (which I felt meant suffocation for those animals
still alive in the holds), I knew he would not take this step if
ingenuity or human skill could possibly avoid the danger. For a few
hours I had no confidence in or hope of saving even the vessel. The
wind was so strong that she was perfectly helpless; she would not
mind her helm though going at forced speed, but had to drift
helplessly in the direction the wind drove her.
As soon as it was possible to go upon deck, every effort was made to
rescue those animals still living. A few that were fortunately
thrown on top of the heap of mangled horses and mules were brought
out. Many died from their injuries. Six were saved, but I doubt if
they will be of any service for a long time to come.
It is my opinion, and also the opinion of everyone on board this
vessel, that had the weather continued as fair as it was up to
September 17th, the ship would have arrived in the port of Manila
without the loss of a single animal. As it was, every animal that
died on this trip did so from the effect of the storms encountered.
A detailed report and copy of the orders on which this vessel was
run, and such suggestions as I have been able to make from the
experience I had in these two storms, accompany this report.