The record-union., 1898-09-05
The MONTEREY
AND The BRUTUS,
How They Steamed Together Across
the Pacific.
They Encountered Only One Gale on the
Route.
A Spanish Lighthouse Keeper Who
Evidently Did Not Know There
Was War-Believed That the
Monitor Could Have Made the
Trip in Heavy Weather-Thc
Towing Gable Broke.

MANILA philippine Islands), Aug 4.
The United States coast defense ves-
sci Monterey and the collier Brutus ar
rived here to-day with all well on
board, after a long and uneventful trip.
having left San Francisco on June 7th
last and San Diego on June 11th.
The trip was remarkable for nothing
save the wonderfully fine weather that
both vessels had all the way over, with
the exception of one gale on July 31st.
During this voyage of 1900 knots the
Monterey was towed 1925 knots by
the Brutus and two stops were made.
one at Honolulu. the other at the Island
of Guam in the Marina group. At each
of these places the Monterey was coal
ed, in Honolulu from the shore and at
Guam from the Brutus. The distance
towed and that steamed without coal
ing We're as follows: June 18th to June
23d, towed 112 knots; July 9th to July
22d, towed 2.J41 knots; July 25th to
July 18th, towed 412 knots; steamed
without towing, 3,S15 knots. Total, T.
600 knots.
The 1S0th meridian was crossed be-
| tween the Sth and 18th of July, so that
the 9th and 10th We're but one day and
the total number of towing hours We're
o51 and 6.16 knots were the average
rate at which the Monterey was hauled
| across the Pacific by the Brutus.
In entering San Bernardina Straits
the lighthouse keeper on Kapul Island
hoisted the Spanish flag and saluted
with it as the two vessels passed OF
course this set everybody to wonder
| ing If peace had been proclaimed.
Compared with the trip of the Oregon
| from the west to the east coast of the
| United States the voyage just finished
| by these two vessels is devoid of the
| dramatic interest that characterized the
| battleship's great home run; but as a
matter Of fact the trip of the Monterey
was really the more venturesome Of the
two, the Oregon could fly with her own
wings as we'll as fight, but for the
greater part of the way from Honolulu
20 Sae Bernardina Straits the Monterey
would have been helpless but for the
Brutus. The monitors steaming radius
was only 1000 miles, while the Brutus
| steamed the entire distance of 1000
miles, gave the Monterey 26S tons of
coal in Guam and then arrived in Ma
Mia with about $500 tons in her bunk
| erS.
| AS an experiment the trip has proved
| nothing more than that with phenom-
enally fine weather the vessel intended
| for coast defense may with her own
steam and a tow cross the Pacific
Ocean. What tale there would have
been to tell had much rough weather
been encountered, is, of course. another
story. There is reason to believe that
such a voyage can be made even in
heavy weather. And in the Pacific
Ocean it is always possible to choose a.
route along which favorable weather
will probably be encountered.
The Brutus, which was formerly the
Norwegian collier Peter Jebsen. was in
no way, except coal carrying capacity.
especially designed for such work. 1t
was simply a matter of Hobson's choice.
She was taken because there was MOTH
ing else on the Pacific Coast to take.
and, besides, she had nearly 5000 tons
of coal in her bunkers. There was no
time to fit her up for the work, but she
was able to steam, she had the coal.
and there were three big fourteen-inch
towing hawsers on board of her. This
was practically the extent of her equip
ment when she left San Francisco June
9TH. She vas built in 1894 and sea go
ing, and, evidently, it was meant to
keep her going as long as possible to
earn as much with her as possible. and
then to put her to rest in some bone
yard.
Red lead and the Brutus had long
been strangers when she fell into the
Governments hands, but she was given
a good overhauling and her condition
to- day is fully 100 per cent. better than
when the Government bought her.
After the two vessels left Honolulu
the good work done on the Brutus be-
gan to tell and in the long tow from
July 9th to July 22d she showed the
good stuff that had been put in her.
reeling off for a days work about 1853
knots. On July 18th the towing haw-
ser parted and that part between the
break and the Monterey, 800 feet in all.
was lost overheard, and became thing
to make the fishes wonder.
Before it broke the Monterey had
been towed by this hawser 2,603 knots.
The spare hawser was gotten out, and
after only a few hours delay the two
ships were on their course again. BY
that time every one on the vessel
knew that the critical part of the trip
was over, and that the Monterey was
then in striking distance of her own
coal. The lifting of the responsibility
as Guam drew near was very notice
able, and it was easier breathing on
both ships after July 25th.
Such a long sea voyage, in all fifty
three days at sea out of fifty-seven
without a break in the delightful
weather, doubtless must seem to lands
men monotonouS in the extreme. But
the days were well filed with the work
of keeping the ship going and caring
for things on board. 1t is seldom that
a long voyage is so destitute of events.
There were no hardships except that
the heat on the monitor was almost
intolerable, and life on her would have
been simply unbearable but for the
constant buzz of the electric fans as
they stirred up the close atmosphere
below decks. In crossing all this waste =
of waters only one vessel was sighted. a
Continued on Eighth Page.l