The times., 1899-11-10


capped in n War AGAINST Europe
ar IN south AmcrIcH-The NcEoa
able surye,-ofher Suggestions.
The annual report II Rear Admiral Royal
j. Bradford. Chief of the Naval Bureau Of
Equipment. was submitted TO the Secretary
ol the Navy yesterday The report shows
that s. geo was expended last year by
this bureau. leaving balance OF SL8o90gJ
ou hand.
OF the work al the Washington navy yard
the report says. There are no facilities
Tor equipment work oa ships a. tlis yard.
All signal outfits for The naval service are
manufactured here The output for the
year was as follows lS.G00 red stars;
$4,000 green stars; -.58G rockets: 1.3o5 blue
lights. 30 sets army signal kits; 900 signal
pistols. 250 belts. and 30 holsters"
The total expenditure at this yard were
So 426.08 The Norfolk navy yard ez-
pended sll4sl2s6. There was expended
abroad for equipment supplies S629. 1882.
Regarding the expenditures l0r coal for
the past year The report says.
ga total of 2Sl.I6g ions Of coal. costing
ST b1s 5I0.55. al an average OF S5.g7 per ton
was purchaz-d duFilz the last fiscal year,
Is against s52,5gI tons, costing $2,l22,o05.2S,
al an average Of S4GS per ton. during the
fiscal year ended June 90. 1895 or this
amount S5.a53 tons were purchased abroad
and paid for by ships. costing SAL .155-l5, at
on average Of sob per ton, as against
74II tons. costing $6e1, SS5.53. at an av-
erage OF SSI2 per ton. during the fiscal
year ended June 50. 1885. There were pur-
chased at home during the fiscal year
545- -2l6 tons OF coal, costing, with the trans
pOrtatiOu thereof. the sum Of 81, 23S. .355.+0
al an average OF SG-34 per ton, as against
37S l51 tons costing $3.50. 1870, or at an
average OF S4.02 per ton. during the fiscal
year ended June 81, 1855
The coal supply Of the Navy is considered
very inadequate, and the report says
As matter of fact, il may be stated,
without fear Of contradiction, that ar pres
ent il would be impossible for United
States feet 10 carry on active operations
in war about the coast of Europe Africa,
"a large portion Of Asia, and South Amer
lea. for want Of coal. This country has
assumed a position Of great responsibility
iu connection with the maintenance OF SOW
ereignty Of the territory OF the South
American republics against any aggression
on the part Of any European nation, yet
there is not single port where coal OF
supplies may be obtained in time Of war
hy a United States ship anywhere on the
eastern or western coast Of South America
In the West Indies and in the Pacific Ocean
we are somewhat better of. Il is OF para
mount importance, however, to establish
2 coal depot on each side Of the Isthmus
OF Panama. near the termini Of the 18TH
misn canal
Transportation in War Time.
a great Of space IS devoted by Admiral
Bradford 10 the subject Of coaIiag stations
and means OF ransportatag and obtaining
coal for ships of war
II is necessary under the law that all
merchandise from the Atlantic coast to
san Francisco should be carried in Ameri-
can bottoms. The bureau encountered
many difficulties in carrying out the law,
SO Tar as the transportation of coal is
concerned American ships are scarce and
command very high freight rates. SO far
as the bureau could ascertain there is not
q single large-sized steam collier under
1he American flag The freight alone On
American coal from the Atlantic coast 20
san Francisco IS sometimes as great as
the entire cost OF the best Cardiff coal ship
PED from England and delivered either at
. p
The adoption Of The custom OF some for
eicu Governments 10 contract for supply
ing coal 10 their ships whenever required
il The different ports OF the world has good
results economically. 4 contract was
made with q Philadelphia firm whereby an
excellent quality Of coal is furnished 10
American war vessels al thir-y-oue ports
as required. This effects q saving OF about
= per cent on Inc prices paid under the
system abandoned Admiral Bradford
suggests thar as the Government coIliers
are IG0 small for carrying coal between
The United states and Manila they should
b. exchanged for large ships with carrying
capacity Cf from 5000 J0 5000 tons. 4
review Cf the present general condition OF
coal dspots shows that the depot AT PagO
FlgO Samoa. VIII soon be established and
1Lat the methods Of coaling vessels at Ma
Mia are necessarily slow and often defeat
rapid movements of ships.
Conceruiu. new foreign strategic coal
ing positions for American naval vessels
and the necessity Of having them, Ad-
UIEai Bradford has this TO say.
The DIiHcuItf.-s of CerverH.
'It Is not considered that this report IS
proper place for an extended argument
iu favor Of establishing coal depots or
stations. Attention. however may here be
called 10 the difficulties encountered by
Admiral Csrvera in supplying lis fleet with
coal As spain had landed possessions In
the West Indies. it mag be said that
United States fleet must. If called upon to
&c az any point across the Atlantic ea-
counter even greater difficulties than were
found by Admiral Cervarl.
I'm the opinion gt taa bureau coal.
station should be established near the Eu-
Ca.su passage the Hin5Hard passage
Mona passage and Virgin passage an being
impor.aut strategic locations. The i'm
I9rtaGeC g- cCa.lEg station Ou each side
The lsthmUs Cf Panama cannot ba over
estimated.
Foreign cooling stations which do not
carry With them sovereign rights are q
yrrv lt-fle value. The ordinary cual.uE
stations for commercial ships are sufl-
aielt as rlIe. for War vessels during
Gues o. peace During war however. the
Government must rely upon its own re-
Source
The work o. the collier Nero in survey
frE route for transatlantic telegraph
c. between Honolulu and the Philip
pines IS narrated by Admiral Bradford
After = careful consideration OF the sub
5ec- DC was decided thar the best route
westward from Hoululu 90 the Philip inc
Islands was hy way of the midway lsl-
Hues and Guam. landing cable at con-
FenieuI point en- the east coast Of Luz0a.
as near as possible tu Che Latitude oC Il-
mia. Il Was also decided as desirable to
survey a rours from Guam 10 Yokohama.
The Hll. Cf tE survey consists fu raErv-
ing direct isEes ~ s5uuliues. taken ar all
ternate intervals OF ten and twenty knots
from Honolulu ta the midway islands.
thence 30 Guam ANA -Agula % Llzau. ana
also -rlm Guam t0 J5rau. The return
c1urse re le pursued IS ziE-zaE line