The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-28
126 Bags of Coal Transported from
the Collier to the BattIeship in
Sixty-Six Minutes.
NEW THINGS IN TELEGRAPHY
INVENTION THAT is AS MARVELLOUS
AS THE ROENTGEN RAYS.
Messages Sent Through Walls and
Iak-Virag Rapid System Tested.

NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-As result Of three
days trial of "coaling ship" while towing
at sea, just completed by the United States
battleship Massachusetts and the collier
Marcellus it may soon be possible for any
warship to receive coal by the overhead
wire system at the average rate OF twenty
tons an hour. The vessels named returned
to port tonight and anchored off Tomp-
kinsville S. L. after having been away for
a week, three days of which were spent at
sea giving the Miller conveyor thorough
trial under varied conditions. AT the con-
clusion of to-day's trial, the third OF the
series, when 126 bags of coal, each weigh
ing 40 pounds, had been transported In six
ty-six minutes. without an accident, IS of
them being delivered in forty-four minutes
members of the trial board announced that
the test was ended and that they were
satisfied with the result.
The trial board assigned by the Navy De-
partment to witness and report on the ex-
periments from the deck of the collier Mar
cellu4 was composed of Commander A. B.
NJ Lille, in command Of the Marcellus;
Lieutenant Commander w. d. Rose and
Lieut.. John B. Bernado. The battleship
Massachusetts, and the collier left the city
last Tuesday. They made anchor in Sandy
Hook bay on Wednesday night, proceeding
to sea at the next morning. A pair of
wooden shears about thirty feet high had
been erected on the afterdeck Of the Massa-
chusetts. 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 warship.
At the east end of the entrance to Ged-
ney's channel, and about four miles from
Sandy Hook lightship, boat was lowered
from the battleship and a towing hawser
quickly run to the collier. By means of
smaller line sea anchor was sent over
to the Massachusetts and made fast, its
end having first been passed through the
top of the carrier-a fiat iron block having
three sheaves one above the other, through
which the conveying cables ran. This first
cable passed through sheaves at the fore
mast 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. specially con-
trived Lidgerwood engine having two wind
ing drums, is located close to and abaft the
foremast on the collier. A steel three-quar-
ter inch cable leads from one down to the
foremast a sheave, across the block
on the warship's sheers, thence back to the
Golfers mast, and down to the rear drum.
This engine gives a reciprocating 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 in
verted 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 it's bot
tom. This hook, driven under the iron
bale, engages it, the elevator drops and the
carrier starts at a speed of 200 .eet a min
ute for the warship. When it reaches that
end of the route a rubber buffer on the
block strikes a latch which releases the
hook, and the bags, with their iron bale,
drop down the canvass chute to the decks
of the warship. where the tackles scam
per away with them on trucks TO the bunk
ers. Three hundred feet is the distance
maintained between ships during the oper-
alton