12.18.2009

Typhoon


Typhoon in Otaru, by Matt Boyle


If you haven't heard Episode 1, check it out here.

12.09.2009

More on Episode 1 Journey to the Land of Bear

Click Here to Listen to Episode 1

This drawing comes from George Voegeli's album. It was given to him by some school children from the Namagachi Primary School in Japan.



Here is a photo of the journals as mentioned in the podcast.


I want to to provide a little bit of history of the U.S.A.T. Logan, or as George calls it the Transport Logan. Not a lot of information is easily accessible on transport ships, especially those used so long ago. What follows, however, is some of what I could find on the U.S.A.T. Logan, the ship that brought George Voegeli to Siberia.



The U.S.A.T. Logan was previously the U.S.A.T. Manitoba. It appears as though the system of Army transport started following problems with transport during the Spanish American War.

According to patriot.net, prior to the creation of the U.S.A.T.,

The Navy would escort the transports with combatants, but did not provide what today would be called sealift for War Department, i.e., Army, use. One has to remember these were separate Departments at Cabinet level until formation of the Department of Defense. Getting the War Department and Navy Department to cooperate was probably at least as difficult as getting State and Defense in full cooperation today. Each had its own mission and parochial interests with aspects of jealously and competition for resources. Out of this chaos on the Cuban beaches came the Army's own sea transportation service. I even speculate it had strong support from that Navy advocate "Teddy" Roosevelt himself since it is reported that one of his horses was among those lost.

The U.S.A.T. ships were crewed by civilian employees of the Army and some of the ships had additional Army staff on board to provide support services. The U.S.A.T. fleet was apparently small leading up to WWI but was grown to some 500 ships during the war.

For more info on the U.S.A.T. check out this link.

12.08.2009

In Siberia Episode 1: Journey to the Land of Bear

Episode 1 Journey to the Land of Bear (<---- click me)

This is it. Episode 1. Thanks to Jessie and Matt and Evan and George.

In the first episode of the In Siberia Podcast we follow George Voegeli as he heads to California by train, crosses the Pacific to Japan, and sets sail for Siberia.

12.07.2009