The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-26
A MILLION TONS OF COAL.
Expected Consumption by the Navy
During the Present War.
So. Louis Gloes>Demt

During the Present War.
ST. Louis Glohe-Democras-
The navy department expects 10 use at
least I.tas go tons OF coal during the 2rsf
year Of this war, II II lasts so lcng. Last
year the consumption was iS3iS tons.
costing $50 80: but .ss requirements are
very different now. when every ship in the
service IS a. sea. ard hundreds OF auxiliary
cruisers and mosquito craft are being uti.-
lied The navy has TO pay al sorts OF
prices FOR coal. from Si.9e TO SIS a ton; ls
comes 10 the latter figure in some ports OF
South America. Al Key West, before the
scrap began. Il cost tAo government $3.50
ton; now Uncle Sam pays $50 for 1t at
that point.
The navy department IS now building
for war purposes two steel coal piers at
the Dry Torrugas. each OF them SlA feet
long. I, is also constructing as rapidly ss
possible two steel sheds. each OF which
will hold 10 900 tons OF coaI. These sheds
are equipped with up-to-date hosting APP
paratus, which is able 10 handle coal IN
enormous quantities and with wonderful
rapid.y. Giant shovels. holding two tons
apiece. dive down in;0 the holds OF coal
laden vessels and grab the coal, lifting il
out. and then running back on carriages
over a bridge and dropping the stuff into
the sheds through matches in their roofs
BY the same means the coal is hcisted out
OF the sheds and loaded upon lighters
WHICH, WNen EilSG, are tlNSd pS tugs 10
the warships. Then one or more ports are
opened like doors in the side of the ship,
and the -hluejackets carry the stuff on
board in bags and baskets. Chutes are
used As far as practicable. The work il
done with amazing rapidity. the sailors
swarming over the vessel ike 50 many
bees. until at length the ounkers are All
filed. deep channel runs close by the
key on which the piers and sheds de-
scribed are building. and dredging is be
ing done. so that our men-of-war VIII be
able 10 come right up 10 the wharfs and
take their fuel aboard direct. This VIII
save much time and labor.
The channel referred 10 viii be lighted
on bots sides by electric heacons. 50 that
the vessels may steam IN al any hour In
perfect safety. Ii is not Wide enough for
a big ship TO turn in. but the man-of-war
can enter At one end and go out at the
other. Such deep channels in the coral
formation are numerous ard intricate. and
this is one reason why the buccaneers OF
old resorted TO the Tortugas which form
the most western group of bays TO the
southwest OF Florida. On one Of them is
built Fort Jefferson an obsolete struc-
ture OF masonry, that cost Uncle Sam S14-
600. 600. and here are placed the new piers
and sheds The name OF this little arch-
pelago signifies turtles" the keys being
much freQuented by those reptiles at lay
ing time. On East Key a Spanish sa..eon
laden with gold was once wrecked. and a
lighthouse keeper in the neghborhood IS
said TO have found S20.0oo Of 1t.
1t takes lot of coal 20 run a warship.
The Oregon at Rio last week loaded loo
tons into her hunkers. What is termed
her normal supply is only 40 tons, hut
FOR a long voyage she gobblSS four times
that quantity. Travelling at the ordinary
cruising rate of eleven knots an hour, she
consumes about seventy-hve tons in TWEEN
.y-four hours. SO that she could Keep GO
ing at this speed for tventy-one days.
covering in that time 5.5ii knots. or $685.
statute miles. Under forced draugHt she
could go at a speed of nearly seventeen
knots but her fuel consumption would
run up to 2o) tons every twenty four hours
and her coal would last only little over
six days. Every foriy-three tons OF Goa
she takes on board sinks her one inch in
the water. The big cruiser New York
AN carry l.290 tons of coal. and Is able
to steam at rate of thirteen knots, with
an expenditure of 100 tons a day. Goi1g
az twenty-one knots. she uses more than
three times that much.
The water consumption of a big warship
is likewise enormous. Not less than thirty
tons, or $500 gallons. OF this indispensable
fluid are used by the Indiana every day
two-:hirds Of the quantity for the boilers
and the remainder for drinking. washing.
cooking. etc. The cruiser Brooklyn re-
Quires about the same amount. Each fight
ing vessel when starting from port, car
ries only enough fresh water 10 fill her
boilers; for further supplies she depends
on her evaporators. distiIling the sea wa
ter Every batteship and cruiser has evap-
orators and the most important reason
why special distiing ships are desirable
Is that they save the war vessel the coal
that ia required TO run the water stills. The
ships consume no more water for steaming
when going fast than when going slow: Il
is simply that more heat is put into the
same quantity OF water - burning more
coal