The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-12-01
THE THIRD TEST
Transferring Coal from . Collier
n Man-of- War while 1T sea-.It
Perfectly Satisfactory.

NEW YORK, Nov. Is. AS resu bf
three days trial of 'coaling p"
| while towing at sea, just completely by
the United S','es battle ship Massa-
chusetts aud the collier Marcellus IL
may soon I've 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. ). l., after having
been away for week, three days of
which were spent at sea giving the
Miller conveyor n thorough trial
under varied conditions. AT the con-
clusion OF Mondays trial, the third of
the scries-when 1876 bags of coal. each
weighing 41O pounds had been trans
ported in &c minutes without accident,
So OF them being delivered in "A min
utes the trial board announced that
the test was ended and that they were
satisfied with the result. The trial
board assigned by the navy depart
ment to witness and report on the cx-
perimcnts from the deck of the collier
Marcellus was composed Of Commander
A. H. NJ. Lille, in command Of the
Marceilus; Lieut. Commander W. u.
Rose and Lieut.. John Il bernardo.
The latter ship aud collier left the
city last Tuesday. They made anchor
in Sandy Hook bay on Wednesday
night proceeding to sea at $ 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 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 boat was lowered from tie
battle ship and a towing hawser quick
ly run to the collier. BY means o, q
smaller line \ sea anchor cable sAs
sent over to the Massachusetts and
made fast its end having first been
passed through the top Of the cartier
"a fat iron block having three
sheaves, one above the other through
which the conveying cables run. IBIS
first cable passed through sheaves at
the foremost and mainmast heads of
the collier, the wire then leadisg 10
the water where a cone-shaped canvas
bag towing astern, keeps the lac
taut and helps to SUPPORT the carer
and its load.
A specially contrived Lidgervood
engine. having two winding dru M, Is
located close to and sbaft the forernSst
on the collier. A steel 3-4 inch cAlle
leads from one down to the f0rokax.
head. over a sheave. across the block
on the war ships shears, thence back
to the Golfers mast. aud down 70 the
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
epch ~ AAOA NhE W N'N'"eSA'
The letter inverted represents the
iron bale with hooks at It's 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 he
iron bale, engages it, the elevator
drops and the carrier starts at speed
of l. 200 feet a minute for the war sip.
When it reaches that end OF the route,
a rubber buffer on the block strikes
latch, which releases the hook and ne
bars, with their iron bale drop down
the canvas chute to the decks OF he
war ship, where the jackies sc ,mper
away with it on trucks TO the bunkers.
Three hundred feet is the distance
maintained between ships during ne
operation. The test was success
from the start
Mrs Hubert Ar ested.