The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-26
HEAPS OF COAL.
Half a Million Tons to Be StOr-
ed at Various Points
For Use of the U. S. Navy in
Emergencies.
AROUND CAPE HORN.
100000 Tons Will Be Sent to
Pacific Stations.
Guam, Honolulu and PagO-PagO
to Be DepOts.
AROUND CAPE HORN.

New York, Dec. ga special from
Washington says:
The navy department is going to he
prepared for any emergency that may
hereafter arise in the Atlantic and the
racine oceans by carrying on hand the
enormous stock of nearly half million
tons of steaming coal for Warships. This
supply OF the most important of all sin
eWS of modern war is to be SyStemati-
cally distributed in American posts most
conveniently located for the cOaling of
ships for any operations the navy may
conceivably be called upon to under
take, extending along the Atlantic and
Gulf coast line, from Frenchman Bay,
Maine, to Porto Rico, as we'll as to the
commanding portions along the lines of
commerce which have been already Sc
cured by the United States in the Pa
cific 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 100000 tons are to be
promptly and systematically stored in
accordance with the recommendation Of
the chief strategistS of the service and
at least 100000 tons will be sent around
Cape Horn to the great western ocean
where American interests have sudden
~ become second to those OF no other
nation and where the influence of the
United States will not hereafter be sub
ordinated to that of any European pow
er.
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 expe-
ditiOuS cOaling of war vessels for which
time is a most essential element dem
Onstrate how gravely and thoroughly
the authorities have matured their
plans. The number of tons which viii
be held in reserve at the various coat
ing stations west of the American con-
tinent have been fixed for the present,
as follows: Manila $4,000; Guam 10000;
Honolulu $4,000; PagO-PagO 10000; San
Francisco $4,000 and BremertOn, Puget
Sound $4,000.
on the Atlantic coast, in addition to
the fuel supplies already esta blished at
the various navy yards and naval sta
lions the recommendation of Admiral
Belknap's board which made its invest
igattOns early in the Spanish war, will
probably be adopted without modifica-
ton with the addition of several re-
quisite ports in the West Indies. The
locations of these naval bases, with the
tonnage of coal supply will be as fol-
lows: Havana $4,000; Santiago de CuDa
10000; San Juan de Porto Rico 5000;
TOrtugas and Key West so. 900; Port
Royal S G, $4,000; Norfolk 5000; Wash
ingtOn 1000; League Island 5,000 New
York 5000; New London, Conn, $4,000;
Boston $1,000; Portsmouth, N. H, 10000;
Frenchman's Bay, Maine, Is, 900.
In addition to these the naval author
tiles are satisfied that they can always
depend upon securing at a moments
notice at Hampton Roads as we'll as at
New York, at least fifty thousand tons,
such amounts being always available q
those ports for commercial marine
uses.
With strong coal bases provided in
this arrangement within easy steaminS
distance of every vessel in the naval
fleet the effective protection of the At
1antic coast will be more than doubled.
as compared with its condition six
months ago. With the exception of the
long stretches around the South Amer
lean continent where in case of the en-
forced neutrality of the Latin-American
republics, United States ships cannot
purchase coal in the ports, a continued
recourse to armed Golfers will be una
VOidable. The government is now fort
unately possessed of II of these invalu-
able vessels with an aggregate carrying
capacity approximatng $4,000 tons and
1T is the intention to keep these vessels
filled to their capacity and constantly
ready for immediate service