Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-13

time, at 24O knots day. II days; estl-
mated days In port, IS.
En- route to San Francisco the fleet
will coal Ave times. First at Trinidad.
next at Rio, then at Sandy Point, in
the Straits of Magellan, then at Callao,
Peru, and last in Magdalena Bay.
There are only nine navy golfers avail
able for the purpose on the Atlantic
side, and one, the Saturn, on the Pacific
small golfers, the Hannibal, Sterling,
Marcellus and Nanshan, each carrying
1900 tons, shall be sent to Trinidad.
They will supply fuel sufficient to carry
the ships to Rio, where five of the large
navy golfers will be in waiting for the
battleships. These Golfers will be the
Ajax, Abarenda, Brutus, Caesar and
Nero. each carrying approximately 1000
tons. To supply coal at the three other
points it will be necessary to contract
for its delivery in chartered ships. Ar
rangements to this end already have
been begun.
Whenever it is possible American
ships and American coal will be used,
but when this is not practicable foreign
bottoms and foreign coal will be used.
Four golfers of 5000 tons each will be
sent to Sandy Point, four. with a SINH
lar amount to Callao and four to Mag
dalena Bay. There is. or will be, suffi-
Gent coal afloat in San Francisco to
fill the bunkers of all the battleships
when they reach that point. The tor
pedo boats will coal in dock, or from
merchant ships at various points along
the route. 1t will be necessary, how
ever, to coal all the big ships at sea,
the collier being towed astern of the
ships receiving coal from her and OBJ
tanning the coal over huge steel rope
over spars, carrying buckets back and
forth.
The fleet will be accompanied by the
Panther, floating machine shop; the
Arethusa, water tank; the Glacier, a
loaded cold storage warehouse contain
ing fresh meats, and the Culgoa with
all sorts of stores.
According to schedule, the fleet will
reach Magdalena Bay in Lower Cali
fornia some time between March and
10, and there they will engage in target
practice, arriving in San Francisco
some time between the middle and last
of April.
The lack of naval GOLFERS developed
by this fleet maneuver may solve the
problem of work for the thousands of
in the eastern navy yards,
as it is probable the next congress will
authorize the building of several of
these ships and that the work be done
in the several navy yards
1t will require 125.000 tons of coal to
make the passage and its cost will be
enormous, as freight on most of it of
from 81 to SO per ton must be paid.
Politics and favoritism have crept |
current in naval circles that the de-
partmental bureau officials and many
leading officers are opposed to the voy- |
age, citing the only benefits to come |
from it to be chance for the admiral
to handle a great fleet and the ex-
perienee of coaling such fleet at sea
and on long voyage. Some officials
point out that the guns installed on
most of the ships are used up and that
several of them lack certain equip
ment they should have. The question
of changing commanders. too. has
raised a row, and official Washington
is stirred deeply over the matter.
The Pacific coast assignment is one
eagerly sought by all officers, and to
hold command in such a fleet is an
honor highly priced, not only for its
professional dignity, but for the social
side of the case when the fieet shall
have ended its tactical labors.