The Washington herald., 1907-02-10
WOULD SEIZE HARD COAL
Admiral Evans Wants Government
to Control Anthracite Supply.
SmOkeicsS BueI, He Argues, a Great
Strategic Factor-Adyises
Storing OF Supplies.

While the supply Of bituminous coal is
practically inexhaustible that Of anthra-
cite. the smokeless product which Is OBJ
/ tanned only from American mines. is SO
/ limited that the next forty OF fifty years
/ Will see the exhaustion Of the supply
/ that is. If the present rate OF consump-
/ ton is maintained
/ Rear Admiral Evans. now commanding
/ the Atlantic fleet, would have the ma
tionaI government pre-empt all Of the an
/ thracite that is left and I'm the current
I North American Review gives reasons
which are startling. The admiral asserts
4 that no other maritime nation possesses
7 naval weapon Of such tremendous pow
/ az as does America in the anthracite
( fields of Pennsylvania, and urges that the
fields be Instantly appropriated by the
national government and reserved for its
f own uses.
Recounting costly experiments which
I the Navy Department had made in an ef-
/ fort TO determine the comparative value
OF liquid fuel and coal the results being
disappointing 10 the advocates Of liquid
fuel. the admiral says anthracite alone
is capable of developing great power
without producing smoke. And a para
mount consideration in naval warfare, he
contends. is invisibi!ity.
logically" Admiral Evans says
this IS one OF the greatest factors either
for Ofense or defense. The ability 10
creep close upon an enemys ship with
out detection Is an enormous advantage
IN the attack, ara it goes without saying
that the possibility Of accomplishing a
safe retreat before "a superior naval force.
OF OF slipping undiscovered through an
euemy's line Of battle, is not 10 be disre-
garded"
Continuing. the admiral says his OWN
/ experience on the flagship Maine has re-
vealed another and q grave objection %
I the use OF bituminoUs coal in naval war
fare. ana that is the confusion Of signals
caused by smoke. The clouds Of dense
black smoke" he says. frequently So
obscure the signal flags that they cannot
Dee read by the signal men on the other
ships Sometimes 1t even became neces-
sJry for the flagship TO surrender the po-
sition IL the head Of the fleet and 10 fall
astern and 70 the rear, in order that her
signals may bee seen. That might be dis
astrous in tine of war
Urging that every ton of anthracite be
.
Havy. Admiral Evans. says; pile it up
In our naval stations az home; make
great stores of it at the coaiinS stations
we now have abroad. and acquire more
OF these stations from friendly nations
n convenient points in foreign lands n
"a way It win be safely stored for al
though We may be deprived of il. the
ships Of other maritime power can use
IL. for reason OF the construction OF their
boiler furnaces. while our own ships may
use their bituminOUs, in case of need. by
few simple mechanical changes in the
CRATE bars
Picture the fate Of a vast hostile
fleet assembled OF the Atlantic seaboard.
with its colliors and tenders laden with
soft coal. belching great clouds Of smoke
Of inky blackneSs by day and columns of
FIRE by night. while around them circled
our swift scouts and cruisers and torpedo
boats and within convenient signal
range. our great battle ships, each repre-
sentative Of a sovereign State-au well
nigh in visible. but ready TO dash IN At
an opportune moment and deal a vital
stroke And all because Of anthracite.
Would il not pay2'