The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-12-27
COAL TO BURN
Navy Department Decides to Here
after Have Half a Million
Tons OH Hand
Distributed at Various Points in
Atlantic and Pacific
Waters.
Will Be Placed in Accordance
With Recommendations Of
Belknap's Board.
Two Hundred Thousand Tons to
Be Distributed to Pacific
Stations.

New YORK. Dec. o..-.A special from
Washington says: The nav department
is going to be prepared for any emer-
geucv that may hereafter arise in the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans by carrying
on hand the enormous stock of nearly
half a million tons of the best steaming
coal for warships that can be procured.
This supply of the most important of all
sinews of modern war is to be systemat-
ically distributed III American ports
most conveniently located for the coal
Ing OF ships for any operations the navy
may conceiyably be called upon to un-
dertake. extending along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts line. from Frenchmens
bay. Maine. to san Juan de Porto Rico.
a. we'll "a at positions along the line of
commerce which have already been
secured by the United States in the Pa
citic ocean. stretching from San Fran
cisco and Puget sound to Manila and
southwark To Samoa. In the naval
sphere of activity in the Atlantic about
10000 ton are to be promptly and svs-
teinatlCally stored in accordance with
the recommendation of the chief strate-
glst OF the service. and at least 100. 900
tons will be sent around Cape Horn to
the great western ocean. where Ameri-
can interests have suddenly become sec
II 10 those Of no other nation. and
whore the influence Of the United States
will not hereafter be subordinated to
that Of any European power.
Indicates Our Attitude.
The distribution Of immense piles OF
American coal for naval purposes in the
Pacific indicates the unalterable atti-
| tude which has been adopted by the adj
ministration regarding the future policy
Of the United States in that direction,
as the initial expense involved in trans
porting the proper quality Of fuel for
use in the marine engines as well as the
elaborate character Of the apparatus
which must be installed for the expedi-
tious ~coaling Of war vessels for which
time is a most essential element, demon.
strates how gravely and thoroughly the
authorities have matured their plans.
The number Of tons which will be held
in reserve at the various coaling stations
west Of the American continent have
been fixed for the present as follows:
Manila, 5000: Guam, 10, 900; Honolulu,
5000; Page Page, 10000; San Fran.
cisco, $4,000, and Bremerton, Puget
sound, $4,000.
On the Atlantic Coast.
On the Atlantic coast in addition 70
the full supplies already established at
the various navy yards and naval sta
tons, the recommendations of Admiral
Belknap's board which made its invest.
cations early in the Spanish war, will
probably be adopted without modiica.
ton, with the addition of several
requisite ports in the West Indies. The
locations Of these naval bases. with
their tonnage Of coal supply will be q
follows:
Havana, %, 900; Santiago de Cuba, TO-.
600; San Juan de Porto Rico, %, 900;
Tortugas and Key West, $4,000; Port
Royal, s. c., $1,000; Norfolk, Va, 5000
Washington, 1000; League Island, 5000;
New York, 5000; New London, Conn.
Is, Boston, $4,000; Portsmouth, N.
H., 10000; Frenchmans Bay, Me-, ID, 900.
In addition to these the naval author.
ities are satisfied that they al always
depend upon securing at q moments
notice 1T Hampton Roads, as we'll a. al
New York, at least $1,000 tons, such
amounts being always available at thosl
ports for commercial marine useN.
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