New-York tribune., 1900-12-11
PACIFIC COAST MA WAL BASES.
ADMIRAL BRADFORD BACK FROM A
TOUR OF INSPECTIoN-FoUR SITES
FOR COAL DEPOTS
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BUxE.l ]

Washington, Dec. l0.-Rear-Admiral Royal B.
Bradford returned Washington to-day after a
months absence official tour of inspection
of the harbors of the Pacific Coast. with special
reference to the necessity of establishing first class
naval coaling stations. with modern automatic ap
plances, TO enable warships TO remain in port for
minimum periods and spend their time to better
advantage on the high in case Of hostilities-
Limited by the restriction that a naval base OF
operations must be defensible by shore works 10
insure the mobility of the fleet, Admiral Bradford
finds only four ports on the western coast line OF
the United States adaptable coaling stations
They are Puget Sound. Columbia River. San Fran
cisco and San Diego He visited these places,
studied the available sites and brought back in
formation Of considerable Importance the sub
ject of naval operations in the Pacific which will
depend in large measure the facility with which
fuel can be furnished to ships on that ocean. To
this end he proposes TO store at San Francisco
10000 tons and at Puget Sound. Columbia River
and San Diego 5000 tons each. These storage
plants to be established Immediately. and
little later he hopes to provide similar depots at
Dutch Harbor, Unalaska and Pichilinque. Lower
California.
From Washington month ago the Admiral
went direct 70 Seattle whence naval tug took
him 70 the naval station at Bremerton. where the
Government has the only dock the Pacific Coast
where a batteshp be taken out OF the water.
Here there is coal hulk with 2O00 tons aboard
from which ships replenish their bunkers in order
10 MAKE the run 10 san francisco. Tle place Is
impreEnable 70 an enemy and with increased
appropriation the $4,000 already available Ad
mral Bradford expects to establish pier and steel
coal sheds within the next fiscal year At Tacoma
he examined the large coal elevators Of the Northern
and Southern Pacific railways. which. while ca
pacious. not quick enough to I'll warships when
hostilities demand their presence almost eontin-
uousy at sea.
At Portland where Congress has been asked TO
establish drydock. Admiral Bradford says there
,r,Tr~
site on the Columbia River for naval station is
Astoria and the Navy needs base there with the
least possible loss of time. He will urge this view
on Congress. At San Francisco he visited Mission
Rock, or Island IN the harbor. where he proposes
10 establish the largest naval coal base owned by
the Gc-ernment plant fifteen times the size OF
those az Tortugas, Key West and New-London.
Such large reserves on the Pacific Coast. he de-
clares indispensable account OF the great
expense at times of transporting good steaming coal
to the coast. Under the law all merchandise from
the Atlantic coast to San Francisco must be carried
in American bottoms. and for the last year or two
American ships have been scarce and command
high freight rates. In consequence the best Cardiff
coal be delivered at San Francisco for what it
costs to carry Atlantic Coast coal 10 that port
Ihere Is no good coal for naval purposes mined on
the Atlantic. Owing &c the uncertainties Of trans
portation for such long distance by water, the
and Changes in freight rates the Navy has had to
rely on local dealers who proved IN the late war ar
any rates In case OF war with strong Power
in the Pacific, Atlantic Coast coal would Of neces-
sity have 10 be sert the continent by rail at
enormous expense, and the only remedy is to keep
on hand large amounts OF the best coal in store.
The title Of the Navy TO Mission Rock is now
being cleared in the courts and $3.50 600 has been
asked from Congress with which TO build the coal
sheds and handling appliances. AT san Diego
Admiral Bradford found excellent site
Government reservation Of LOO acres controlled
by the War Department for defences. This will be
utilized soon as Congress furnishes the money.
The location Of San Diego is regarded most i'm
portant TO a naval base 1t is the extFems
southern limit OF the United States, on the coast.
and with slight dredging large ships enter at
high tide, while there good sheltered waters
near by where the heaviest ships safely anchor
until the harbor improvements completed At
the site he selected for the coal depot there is
plenty OF water for any battleship in the Navy.
On his way to Washington last week Admiral
Bradford looked at the New-Orleans naval station.
where the large floating dock is to be located, and
selected a site for a coal depot there.