The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
cOALING A BATTLEsHTP AT SEA.
An Invention which Means n Revo-
luton In Naval Affairs.

FROM CollerS Weekly.
'Coaling ship at sea by means of a
trolley system is the latest and most up
, to-date" fashion, set by q bright young
civil engineer named Spencer Miller; and
so successfully was 1t accomplished last
week in sending coal from collier to the
United States battleship Massachusetts
that the system win undoubtedly revolu-
tlonize all other methods
BY this plan It is now possible for a man
of-war TO coal ship" by wire at the rate
OF twenty tons an hour, while the ship
may be kept travelling on her course at a
speed of five knots.
Some three months ago the collier Mar
cellus, lying at the Brooklyn navy yard
was, by permission of the navy depaE1-
ment, fitted with the necessary machin-
cry TO give the Miller conveyer an imp1r-
tial trial by sending bags of coal from the
ship to the shore. In actual operation at
sea the collier is towed by the warship
receiving the coal so in the preliminary
trials the shore station represented the
warship.
So successful were the shore trials, and
50 favorable the reports made by naval
officers who witnessed them, that the navy
department decided to put the Marcellus
in commission with a naval board, Off
GERS and crew, and to send the battleship
to sea.
Both vessels remained at anchor in
Sandy Hook bay that night, proceeding to
sea at eight the next morning. A pair of
wooden shears about thirty feet high had
been erected on the afterdeck of the Mas
sachusetts. AT the top of them was fas-
tened large iron gin, or block. over the
sheave of which the wire cable Travelled
that was to bring the bags of coal across
TO the warship.
When both ships arrived off the Whist
ling buoy at the east end of Gedney' $
channel they stopped. out Of a cloudy
sky breeze from the southwest was
blowing. but the water was smooth and
the conditions excellent for a trial A
whale-boat, in charge of Boatswa;n
Stoakley was quickly manned and low
cred, and in twenty minutes it's crew had
run a nine-inch towing hawser and a
smaller line to the collier
officers and men on board the Massa-
chusetts watched every detail of prepa-
ration with intense interest, having In
mind tho troubles and trials OF "coaling
ship not many months ago In Cuban wa
ters. When, after several delays, caused
by bags falling on the hosting winch the
first bag of coal came flying across the
three hundred feet of space in twenty
five seconds. and was safely deposited on
the ships deck. the tackles" standing
in groups on the after turret, gave vent
TO their satisfaction by ringing cheer,
which must have encouraged the inventor.
During this first days trial the ships
cruised from ten 20 fifteen miles off shore
turning completely around twice The Ca
bic had not saggsd der ng The transit OF
the coal, showing that the principle OF the
reclprocating engine ard of the sea an
Choir was a success.
The next day, Nov %. was SD mt in re-
pa iring and altering some Of the inachin-
cry on board the Marce ius. 10 insure GER
tain connections. and IN the morning of
Nov. "a, the trial was resumed. Much cl-
ter time was made in running tie tow line
and adjusting the cables Ihon m The hrst
day.
There was more swell on maiing tho
collier pitch considerable. also "A strong
breeze from the norsh2as; during the fore
noon, but The trial was eminenliy sue
ce stu. After sending over Two single bugs
Of coal MT Miller began his test against
time, sending Two 1ags--,20 pounis-at
once. The tackles soon owoke 20 he IA
that this was corning ship" ia reality So
swiftly and 50 rsggarly did the TAGS
swing across the water that a gam of
twenty-five men could hardly keep the
chute clear.
For ihirty-elght minutes the trial WIS
kept up, a pair Of bags coming nvcr every
minute Al the expiration Of that tlIne. Nv
reason Of a new man bens mt az me
drum engine one cnd % he cable was
pulled on the drum, md the test had 10
BE- abandoned for tho day.
The third and final test took place on
Nov. ~. and o. was success IN every
way. A continuous trial Of ore hour suit