The Washington times., 1903-02-24
THE COAL SUPPLY OF
THE AMERICAN NAVY
Stations Widely Scattered
Over Entire Globe.

ties OF coal bought for the fur
naces OF our warships In the year end I
ing June go 1892 We paid $3.50. .451 to /
supply our naval vessels with coal: in /
the fiscal year Of 19O1-O2 we spent for 4
this purpose 1920 POI. Last year also /
we expended S75O,OOO for developing and |
improving our naval coal stations About I
three-fourths of the coal consumed by |
our warships is from domestic sources;
the balance is foreign coal.
Some interesting facts are observed I
with regard 10 the naval coal supply. II
is found for example, that II Is cheaper |
TO buy Cardiff coal. duty paid. in San /
Francisco than to ship our own coal |
from Atlantic ports around Cape Horn /
to supply our vessels on the Pacific (
station
The Bureau Of Equipment in the Navy
Department has made agreements in
sixty-one foreign ports all over the
world 20 supply cur naval ships with
coal at less than current rates These
arrangements were begun three years
ago and are found 10 be both convenient
and economical. All the large navies OF
t
increasing their facilities for coalins
warships.
We have fourteen coaling stations on
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts fros-r
Frenchman Bay. Me. to New Orleans
{ The only coaling station on the south
/ Atlantic coast is at Port Royal s c.
+ The construction OF the coal depot at
/ the Brooklyn navy yard has made slow
progress. but is now nearl- completed
1 A pier runs out from the Cob Dock into
/ the East River upon which coal pocket
with a capacity Of 5000 tons will be
situated A vessel of any size may be
/ docked on either side OF Ihe pier ano
receive coal from the pocket by gravity
Coal will be distributed throughout the
navy yard by means Of cars which viii
be run under the pocket and loaded by
gravity. 1t will take some time TO build
the pocket. but the contract has been let.
A large amount OF coal viii have 10 be
kept on hand the 5000 tons which the
pocket will hold would go only short
way toward supplying squadrons that
may rendezvous in this harbor- Our new
battleships and armored cruisers have
capacity Of 1000 tons each. while the
older ships OF these types can carry on
an average of 1.5oO tons.
We have i've coaling stations on our
long extent OF Pacific Coast. They are
situated al san Diego. San Francisco, the
Puget Sound Naval Station, Sitka. and
Dutch Harbor on Unalaska one OF the
Aleutian Islands.
Twenty acres Of land has been trans
! ferred to the Navy Department at Dutch
Harbor for its coal depot. The water is
deep. the site is excellent for the pur-
pose and a wharf and coal depot with a
, capacity of about 5000 tons. are 20 be
e built The fact may not be generally
known that the War Department is about
to fortify both sitka and Dutch Harbor
5 The coal storage plant now building at
I the Puget Sound Naval Station will have
e maximum capacity of 10000 tons of
coal As no good coal is obtainable on
, the Pacific Coast il is necessary TO trans
q port all the coal used by our warships on
q that station about 5000 miles by water.
Among our insulaT naval coal sta
:. tions. San Juan. p. r.. is one OF the
4 most useful. supplying coal and water
4 to large number OF ships OF the navy,
! particularly during the winter months
J. San Juan is anything but an ideal coal
, ing station as il can be used only by
ships Of small or medium size. Larger
4 ships are prevented from entering the
o harbor By shoal water at the entrance
: it has been regarded as very unfOrtu-
= nate that We had no other coaling sta
> tion in the West Indies. and the CHIEF
d desirability of buying the Danish Islands
;. was the fact that St Thomas offered
l ideal conditions for a eoaling station
. Now that Cuba has agreed 10 let US have
? coaling stations on the island we will
be very well equipped in this respect in
4 the West Indies.
! The storage capacity at our coal depot
! in Honolulu has been increased TO 30
= coo tons and it is intended 70 keep the
+ depot in good condition as 1t viii be
g several years before the proposed naval
:; station can be established At Pearl Har-
! bor A while ago there was coal
r famine at Honolulu and several mail
G steamers and also sugar plantations
o we're supplied with coal from the nava
G depot It was fortunate that this service
!, could be rendered for otherwise the
= steamers would have been obliged 20 lay
p up and the cane crop would have beer
d ruined for lack Of fuel 10 run the ms
!; chinery.
y PagO-PagO Bay in Tutuila Islands
s Samoa. is now a naval station and an ap-
d preparation is being made to extend the
capacity Of the coal depot. the presen'
p steel shed holding only 5000 tons The
~ improvements will include better appn-
ances for handling coal and larger stor'
Il age capacity.
n The portSof Pago-Pago is the most val
ID liable ln the South Pacific. II is rapid,
. increasing in Importance and is ALREADY
=, a port Of call for the regular line o
II steamers between Australia and SaI
j. Francisco
The retention Of Guam as an American
= possession after its capture was for th'
express purpose OF establishing a naVa
coai depot As yet the appropriation ic'
the improvement OF the port OF S2'
., Louis d'Apra has not been made becaus'
- aHsaA