New-York tribune., 1905-01-09
coALLNG KARSHIPs AT SEA.

Whether or not recent military events on
land avert a collision between the naval COM
mands under Togo and Rojestvensky, the situa-
ton now existing in the Far East serves as
a reminder If not an illustration, of class or
emergencies which are liable to arise In almost
any war which involves operations at sea-
When a fighting ship is near one Of the ports OF
the country to which she belongs a fresh supply
of fuel for her engines can usually be obtained
without trouble. If she is engaged in blockad-
ing distant harbor, or has begun voyage OF
unusual length, GOLFERS can be sent to her re-
lief either from home base or an adjacent
neutral port If the weather be fine and the
sea smooth transfer can be effected from one
vessel to the other with ease, the collier being
able TO come alongside the warshlp and both
remaining practically stationary. Such was
Sampson's plan when off Santiago. Some, If not
all, OF the coal secured by the Russian Baltic
feet since it set out for the Orient has probably
been handled In the same manner A third set
of conditions arises when 1t is desirable to pre-
serve the utmost secrecy regarding naval move
ments or when 1t is impossible to find shell
tered spot In which to conduct operations. The
United States and England have experimental
with a system OF cOaling at such times which
has not yet been perfected, but which excites
hopes Of great practical success.
The collier is taken In tow by the battleship or
cruiser, interval OF several hundred feet be-
ing left between them. and q headway of eight
or ten knots being maintained. A stout cable
such is used on land IN a tramway for the
transportation of ore or other heavy freight,
is now stretched from one ship TO the other, and
is held taut by a combination of influences
among which are the use Of a drag by the fol-
lowing vessel and special mechanism. called ten
sion engines, on both the collier and the war
ship The coal, previously put up In bags, is
then hoisted out OF the coller's hold attached TO
a carrier that runs freely on the cable. hauled
over and lowered through the hatchway Of the
vessel ahead. The Illinois has been able 10
take on board by this means twenty tons an
hour. A British war vessel. the trafalgar.
made a still better showing handling thirty
seven tons an hour for FIVE consecutive hours
The collier in attendance on the Trafalgar could
raise and deliver more than sixty tons an hour.
out WORK could not be continued at that rate
because OF delays in stOwage on the warsbip.
An Increase In the qulckness of transfer is de-
slrabe, because there are many warshps whose
bunker capacity exceeds 1900 tons. and n few
can store 1900 tons. From the reports which
are accessible Ii is not clear whether coaling
can be continued at night or must be confined 10
the daytime, but If IL can go on only for fen
hours day several days might be required 10
coal single large warship. However the feasi.
billty OF the method Itself now seems 10 be be-
yond question, and X has been utilized In
weather rough enough 10 make a collier roll at
angle Of fifteen degrees
The quantity OF coal which a war vessel ra
Quires is not dictated solely by the size Of hess
bunkers. Much depends upon her speed The
fuel consumption per mile is much lower if
she travels slowly than II she Is driven nj the
limit OF her power For instance. the British