The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-12-01
THE THIRD TEST.
Transferring Ceal From Collier Vessel to
q Man-of-War While at sea-It Was
Perfectly satisfactory.

New YORK, Nov. 2S.-As a result of
three days trial of ''coaling ship"
while towing at sea, just completed By
the United Sa~tes battle ship Massa.
chusetls and the collier Marcellus, it
may soon be possible for any war ship
to receive coal by the overhead wire
| system at the average rate of 20 tons
an hour. The vessels named returned
| to port Monday night and anchored
off Tompkinsville, S. l., after having
been away for week, three days of
which were spent at sea giving the
Miller conVeyor a thorough trial
under varied conditions. At the con-
clusion of Mondays trial, the third of
| the series-when 126 bags of coal. each
weighing 40 pounds had been trans
ported in GO minutes without accident,
SO of them being delivered in Al min
| utes-the trial board announced that
the test was ended and that they were
satisfied with the result. The trial
beard assigned by the navy depart
ment to witness and report on the eX-
periments from the deck of the collier
Marcellus was composed of Commander
A. B. NJ. Lille, in command of the
Marcellus; Lieut.. Commander w. D.
Rose and LieuU. John b. Bernardo.
The latter ship and collier left the
city last Tuesday. They made anchor
in Sandy Hook bay on Wednesday
night, proceeding to sea at s o'clock
the next morning. A pair of wooden
shears about so feet high had been
erected on the after deck of the Mas
sachusetts. At the top of these was
fastened a large iron block, over
the sheave of which the wire cable
travelled that was to bring the bags of
coal across to the war ship. At the
east end of the entrance to Ger
ney's channel, and at about four
miles from the Sandy Hook light
ship a boat was lowered from the
battle ship and towing hawser quick
ly run to the collier. By mean5 of
smaller line a sea anchor cable was
sent over to the Massachusetts, and
made fast, it's end having first been
passed through the top of the carrier
"a fat iron block having three
sheaves, one above the other through
which the conveying cables run. This
first cable passed through sheaves at
the foremost and mainmast heads Of
the collier, the wire then leading to
the water where a cone-shaped canvas
bag towing astern, keeps the line
taut and helps to support the carrier
and its load.
A specially contrived Lidgerwood
engine, having two winding drums, is
located close to and abaft the foremost
on the collier. A steel Sd inch cable
leads from one down to the foremost
head, over a sheave, across the block
on the war ships shears, thence back
to the Golfers mast, and Gown to the
rear drum. This engine gives recip
rocating motion to the conveying rope,
paying out one part under tension.
The bags of coal are first hoisted
from the golfers deck to the masthead
upon an iron cage or elevator.
The letter inverted represents the
iron bale with hooks at its end, to
which the bags are suspended, on two
short rods that project from the top of
the elevator. The carrier is fitted with
long pointed hook pivoted at its bot
tom. This hook, driven under the
iron bale, engages it, the elevator
drops and the carrier starts at a speed
of 1, 200 feet minute for the war snip.
When it reaches that end of the route,
a rubber buffer on the block strikes
latch, which releases the hook and the
bars, with their iron bale drop down
the canvas chute to the decks of he
war ship. where the jacl1ies sc .mper
away with it on trucks to the bunkers
Three hundred feet is the distance
maintained between ships during the
operation. The test was success
from the start.