The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-04-13
HOW BATTLESH|PS GOAL
Compensating Sea-Cone Sys-
tenn in Vogue on Cruisers.
IDEA OF A LANDSMAN.
Progress In the Difficult Naval
Problem Of Feeding the Bunkers
Of Moving Fleet-Spencer
Mllers Invention Of a Marine
Galloway.

WiiIeT D InVentiOn VI "a' H'S
Galloway.
In the art of warfare on the high
seas in its present highly developed
state there are a thousand and one
vital factors that go with the impos-
ing battleships, the gigantic guns and
the armor-piercing projectiles; but
of all these none is more important
than the matter of coaling the ships.
and the truth of this statement Is
readily shown, since it has been prov
ed in every naval engagement since
the time fighting craft were first fit
ted out with apparatus tor steam pro-
pulsion and the dire need of obtaining
supply of coal during crisis was
rendered painfully obvious during the
Spanish-American war, when Admiral
(tben Commodore) Schley sent to Ad-
miral Sampson the following telegram:
"Coaling off Cienfuegos is very un-
certain. Having ascertained that the
Spanish feet is not here | will move
eastward tomorrow. communicating
with you at Nicholas Mole. On ac-
count of short coal supply in ships
cannot blockade them If in Santiago.
shall proceed tomorrow, 25th, for
Santiago, being embarrassed by Tex
ass short coal supply and our ina
not be able to remain off that port
on account of general short coal sup
ply of squadron, so will proceed to
vicinity of Nicholas Mole, where the
water is smooth and | can coal the
Texas and other ships with what coal
may remain in collier"
Many have been the schemes evolv-
ed for a safe and practical method for
coaling at sea, but the history of
these interesting attempts seems to
date back only to 1888, when Lieu
tenant r. S. Lowry, r. N, proposed
that a number of coal boxes should be
built each having a capacity of one
ton. These boxes were to have air
tight compartments so that they
could not sink, and were to be passed
from collier to the ships by means
of a line, when they were TO be hoist
ed to the deck, emptied and returned
This device was never tried, probably
for the reason that it was deemed i'm
practicable. its operation being too
slow and complex to meet the require
ments Of fleets when in active service
and it would hardly be needed at any
other time.
A marine galloway, however, pro.
oh, i,,ct ~ 4
of fixed points by which the rope may
be kept taut there are the constantly
moving boats, the mGsts Of which &C.
centuate the rise and fall and various
rolling motions. Lieutenant Bell of
the British navy was the first TO pro-
pose the transmission rope method
which he did in 1888, when he sug-
gested that the stern mast OF tho
warship and foremost OF the collier
be connected by a suspended caOio,
just as though they were irmoVably
fixed on land.
Several other cable methods follow
ed, but it was not until 1888 that an
actual experiment was attempted 70
pass coal between two vessels while
a: sea; this was done with an ap-
paratus designed by Philip b. Low,
who improved upon Bells idea, one
end of the cable being attached to
the deck of the warship Kearsarge
and the other passing over a tackle
block on the San Francisco where it
was fastened to massive iron
weight.
BY this arrangement the motion of
the vessels was counteracted to con-
siderable extent. When 1t was desired
to transfer bag of coal it was hoist
ed to the masthead, where it was at
tached to the cable, when 1t readily
traversed the length of the latter by
gravity, the rope being somewhat III
clined.
But at least beginning had been
made, and in March, 1898, just prior
to our war with Spain, Mr. J. J. Wood
ward. a naval constructor OF the Unit
ed States navy with a prophetic in
sight, submitted plan to Secretary
Long, which he recommended, and
that had been drawn up for him by
MT. spencer MllleI, cHBlHccI VI lHc
Lidgerwood Manufacturing company
of New York. for an installation to
be placed on board a collier and by
which the vessel could coal any Of
the warships of our navy in the open
sea.
Negotions between the various par
ties interested were long continued,
and not until Admiral Schley had sent
his famous telegram was the work of
construction really commenced; but
by this time the history of the Span
ish-American war had been made and
written; the lessons it had taught
were vividly impressed upon not only
our naval authorities, but those abroad
as well, for experiments were imme-
diately begun in France, England and
Japan. When the Spanish fleet did
emerge from the Bay of Santiago
there were only eleven of our ships on
blockade duty, while three other ves-
sells, representing an outlay of narly
100000 were at Guantanamo, for
flas, lt,.f. oh