The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-07
Coaling
Warships

some plan for coaling war vessels at sea
when neutral ports are closed to them.
Naval engineers claim that in a war
like the present the coaling Of war ves-
sells is as important rs taking ON ainmu-
milton. All the energies of the govern
ment have been put forward toward inn
proving armor, bettering ammunition
and providing for shipping and storing
it. The equally important subject OF
taking on coal has been allowed to take
care Of itself, because in time Of peace
the process presents no difficulties. The
result is that the coaling question has
not advanced one step beyond the condi-
ton it was in when steam was first in
troduced on vessels of war.
A fortune is spent every year In coal
ing single ship Take vessel like the
auxiliary cruiser St. Louis or the Har-
ward. Over 5000 must be spent in
one year by each one of these vessels for
the item of coaling--not for the coal
but for handling 1t, for transferring
this coal from the pier to the coal bum
kers of the steamship. This enormous
sum applies only to a ship which is be-
ing coaled at her dock in New York
city or Liverpool. II the figures were
at hand giving the cost Of coaling tho
same sort of vessel at sea, the amour.
would be at least double. In some West
Indian ports at present coal is held at
from S12 to $40 ton, and the cost OF
lighterage is in proportion.
Coaling vessel at pier in the North
river is child's play compared to the
difficulty, excitement and danger Of
coaling the same vessel at sea. When
steamer like the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse is moored to her pier in New
York, she is approached by two or more
coal barges from Jersey City. These
barges are moored close to the side Of
the vessel and half dozen or more ma
nilla tenders are let down between the
barges and the side Of the ship to keep
the vessels from scraping holes in each
others sides. Even under these favor
able conditions the manageme mt of the
steamship line to which the st. Louis
and st. Paul belonged before being pur-
chased b. the United States government
have been compelled to expend over
81, 600 for tho transfer of coal from the
cars to the bunkers of one ship. The
best time the st. Paul could make in
coaling alone in port was 40 hours for
5000 tons.
Down in tie West Indies the United
States warships get their coal bunkers
filled in picturesque manner. When
steamship needs coal, it is towed up to
a separate pier called the local wharf. "
A stout gangplank is showed from the
stringpiece to tho lowest deck, and the
bunkers are filed, not by derricks, but
by native women. who to the number of
about 200 throng the wharfs all day eager
to get 'coaling job. " Their baskets
hold each an even hundred pounds
of coal, and as each basket is filled the
sturdy women lift them to their heads
and march along the wharf and up the
gangplank to the ships coal bunkers
without once bending under the weight.
Matters are vastly different, and dis
agreeably so, when it comes to coaling
war vessel at sea. When thu captain
of big ship finds himself in the middle
of the ocean with little or no coal left,
he is compelled to pursue drastic meas
ures to fill bis coal bunkers within q
day at the longest. The moment he
sights the collier of his feet the captain
of the war vessel pounces upon her as q
hungry cat jumps mt o large, fat rat.
The work Of coaling when no neutral
port is open requires not only daring
but very ingenious daring in order that
the coal may be dumped into the war
vessels bunkers instead of into the sea-
Even on calm sea coaling is not all
beer and skittles. The ships roll aad
toss like two hugo drunkards Of the sea,
pitching toward each other and then in
opposite directions. -----
Whether the sen is calm or the waves
arc dashing over the decks of the ves-
sells the work must be done at once, as
the weather brooks no delay In order
to keep the vessels from separating each
end Of tho collier must DO secured to
tho warship by stout cable, and this
itself is no easy matter to accomplish
when every minute may sink one vessel
or tho othor. While some of the crew
are engaged in keeping the vessels from
crushing into each other by tugging at
tho helms or by dropping heavy an
Choir as the officer in charge directs 9TH
ers stand by with huge rubber tenders
to drop when the sides Of tho vessels are
plunging toward collision. None but
sealnen with level heads is detailed to
this task. Sixteen scamen Of the collier s
crew arc ordered to the hold, where they
shovel the coal into canvas bags Of
triple thickness. Others raise the derrick
which has been lying lashcd to the
deck, and the cable and clamps are fas-
tened to the proper place in the engine
room.
From tho side Of their vessel the men
ON tho warship let down steel platform
which has served as door TO "a large
port, and here from four to six bluejack-
cts stand with ropes tied to their waists
and held securely i'm the hands of other
bluejackets inside the ship. ThSlerri,k k
descends into the hold Of the collier al
comes up in few moments gripping
three TO five racks CT coal in its iron fist
When raised TO the proper height, the