The record-union., 1898-12-27
FUEL FOR OUR
NAVAL FLEETS.
The Navy Department Preparing fol
Any Emergency.
Vast Supplies Of Coal to Be Promptly and
Systematically Stored.

At Least One Hundred and Twenty
Thousand Tons Sent Around
Cape Horn to Pacific Ocean Sta
tions, While Three Hundred
and Fifty Thousand Tons Will
Be Stored at Atlantic Points.
NEW YORK, Dec 26.-A special to
the Tribune from Washington says:
The Navy Department is going to be
prepared for any emergency that may
hereafter arise in the Atlantic and Pa
ciflc Oceans by carrying on hand the
enormous stock of nearly a half-million
tons of the best steaming coal for
warships that can be procured. This
supply of the most important of all
SineWS of modern warfare is to be syS-
tematically distributed in American
ports most conveniently located for the
coaling of ships for any operations the
navy may conceivably be called upon
to undertake, extending along the At
lantic and Gulf coast line from French
mans Bay, Me-, to San Juan de
Porto Rico, as we'll as to the command
ing positions along the line of COM
| merce which has already been secured
by the United States in the Pacific
Ocean, stretching from San Francisco
and Puget Sound to Manila and south
ward to Samoa. In the naval sphere
of activity in the Atlantic about 300,-
OOO tons are to be promptly and sys
tematically stored in accordance with
the recommendation of the chief STRAIT
egists of the service, and at least 120,-
600 tons will be sent around Cape Horn
to the great Western ocean, where
| American interests have suddenly be-
come second to those of no other ma
ton, and where the influence of the
United States will not hereafter be sub
ordinated to that Of any European
Power.
The distribution of immense piles of
American coal for naval purposes in
the Pacific indicates the unalteraole
attitude which has been adopted by the
Administration regarding the future
policy of the United States in that di-
rection, as the initial expense involved
IN transporting the proper quality of
fuel for use in the marine engines. as
we'll as the elaborate character of the
apparatus which might be installed for
the expeditions coaling of war yes
| sells, for which time is a most essen tai
element, demonstrate how grayely and
| thoroughly the authorities have ma
tured their plans.
The number of tons which will be
held in reserve at the various coaling
stations west of the American conti-
nent have been fixed for the present as
follows: Manila, 25,00O; Guam. O0O0
San Francisco, 25,OO0, and Bremerton
Puget Sound, 25,000. On the Atlantic
coast, In addition to the fuel supplies
ALREADY established at the various navy
yards and naval stations, the recon-
mendatlons of Admiral Belknsn's
board, which made it's Investigations
early in the Spanish war, will probably
be adopted without modification. with
the addition of several requisite ports
| in the West Indies.
The location of these naval baeos
with their tonnage of coal SUNNY will
be as follows: Havana, $4,000: Santi-
| ago de Cuba, 10000; San Juan de Porto
Rico, 25.OOO; Tortugas and Kew West
$1,000; Port Royal, S. c., 25,O0O; Nor
folk, Va, 5000; Washington. O0n.
League Island, 5000; New York, 5000:
New London, Conn, 25,OO0; Boston.
$1,000; Portsmouth, N. H, 10000:
F'renchman's Bay, Me-, $4,000.
In addition to these, the naval an
thorities are satisfied that they can al
ways depend upon securing at a mo-
ment's notice at Hampton Roads as
well as New York, at least 10000 tons
such amounts being always available
at those ports for commercial marina
uses
With strong coal bases provided IN
this arrangement, within easy steam
ing distance of every vessel in tba
naval fleet, the effective protection of
the Atlantic coast will be more than
doubled as compared with it's condition
! six months ago. With the exception of
the long stretches around the South
American continent, where in case of
enforced neutrality of the Latin Amer
ican republics United States ships can-
not purchase coal in their ports. a con-
| tinuous recourse to armed colliers will
| be unavoidable. The Government is
now fortunately possessed of seventeen
of these invaluable vessels. with an
aggregate carrying capacity approxi-
mating $4,000 tons, and it is the inten-
tion to keep these vessels filed TO their
capacity and constantly ready for i'm
| mediate service.
These coaling arrangements. how
ever comprehensive they may seem.
and however great the Improvement of
the conditions that existed at the out
break of the hostilities with Spain. are
still far from satisfactory to the naval
experts who have devoted themselves TO
the consideration of these important
subject. Stretches of 1900 miles or
more will still separate several of the
stations in the Pacific, and longing
eyes are cast upon islands with excel
lent harbors that could be utilized to
break in two these tedious and irving
voyages, which must gravely test the
lcoaling radius of some of the most ef-
fective United States warships.
There is no concealment among naval
officers of the almost priceless value
that the possession of the Carolines
would contribute to the maintenance
of American interests in the widest az
| oceans To Spain this archipelago can
never be more than burden and ex-
DenSn which must now appoar 49,