Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30. 1907.
THE FLEETS LONG TRIP.

Many Of the details OF the voyage
of the American fleet from the Allan
tic scaloard To the Pacific coas, have
been worked ont sufficiently to cna-
Bile some general forecast OF the M
prcccdcntcd undertaking. Tho total
apparent distance to he sailed is 49,
~ miles. To which something should
probably be added for slight dlvcrGcn-
COS from the most direct course cs-
pccially in entering and leaving ports
or call. A speed of ten knots M hour
the most economical rntc-is To be
maintained. Tho entire sailing time
therefore will be about ffty.cight
days. To this something must lie
added. however, for necessary delays
in coaling, taking un provisions, etc.
Even thus, IL the fleet does not start
before the middle of December, IL
will have plenty of time to reach Its
destination by the first of March.
The time of year is we'll chosen. for
: It will insure the making of most OF
the voyage III the pleasant conditions
of tho Antarctic summer.
Tho coaling problem Is undoubtcd
ly one of the most formidable involv,
ed In the whole undertaking, and II
Is of interest to note the way in
which it has been worked out Al
the coalinE of the sixteen battlcships
Ia to be done from Golfers, which will
accompany the fleet or meet 1t Mt
designated points; and most of the
coal will be taken from this country,
though some Will have to he pun chas.
cd at foreign coallng stations. uf
which there are plenty conveniently
disposed along the route, or In foreign
markets. In addition to what they
will carry In their we'll filled bunkcrs
on starting, the ships will need 10O,-
50A tons. What hey have AT the
start will carry them easily TO Trim.
idad 1880 miles out. There they
will receive $500 tons from four
small golfers which win accompany
them thither, giving them enough to
proceed To Rio de Janeiro, 5000 miles
further. At Rio dc JAnciro they will
receive 10000 tons from the five big
Golfers which are to accompany them
to that place. and. thus provided, they
VIII so on . 233 miles further to San
dy Point (Punta Arcnas). There.
midway In the Strait of Magellan
they will be met by four big GOLFERS
with $4,000 tons-a supply sufficient
to carry them right past such coaling
stations rs Coroncl. Conception. Val.
paraiso and Coquimbo. 2,725 miles to
Callao. AT the great Peruvian port
four more Golfers will meet them
with $4,000 tons, which will carry
them to Magdalena Bay. about 5000
miles further; and at the latter point
final squadron of four Golfers will
meet them. with last !nsalment of
$1,000 tons. enough 20 carry them on
to San Francisco. They will thus re-
ceive on the voyage 100 500 tons. or
little more than the quantity esti-
mated as necessary.
1t is not necessary at the present
time to speculate upon all the pur.
poses which are to be served by the
sending of this fleet on this voyage.
They are doubtless worthy of the en-.
terprise. with all its labor, anxiety.
cost and risk 1t will be great
achievement simply To mako Tho vov.
age in such fashion, carrying in
GOLFERS all the coal needed 1t will
be such an achievement as the world
has never before seen. Single ships
or ANAL sqnadrons may have made