The Elbert County tribune., 1907-10-03

This will prove one of the most
difficult and the most expensive
features of the proposed practice
cruise of the Atlantic squadron from
its base on the Atlantic coast around
the southern point of South America
and up to San Francisco.
Naval experts at work on the de-
tails of the coming cruise figure that
it will cost s3,O0O.00O to provide the
fuel which will be needed to steam
tho 16 great battleships, the five or
six auxiliary cruisers and the torpedo
fiotilla over the 13.000-mile course.
According to present plans the fleet
VIII set sail in December and be-
tween now and that IIme the greatest
question of all the many relating to
the success of the cruise-that of fuel
must be settled and arranged for.
Five or six coaling stations at least
must be touched between Hampton
Roads and Puget sound during the
two months and a half or more that
will be required to make the mo-
mentous excursion. Certainly, there
will be several Golfers waiting upon
the fuel needs of the battleships and
those denominations of all naval Off
GERS, torpedoboats, but their supplies
will by no means meet the require
ments of the fighting machines. Much
will depend upon the supplies ordered
weeks ago by the navy department
through the consular agents at the
coaling stations where the fleet is ex-
pected to collect during the long and
tedious itinerary.
That the extraordinary demands
upon the usual fuel stores to be
found at authorized stations to be
made by the great feet will result in
a proportionate increase of price is
admitted by the navy department, but
unfortunately there is no way of OBJ
tanning cheaper coal. Hence it is
known in advance that the cost per
ton will be from eight dollars to $13
! on the Atlantic coast station, while
i from s13 to SIT may be the price be-
tween Sandy Point, in the Strait of
( Magellan, to Puget sound. AS most
of the warships will consume from
60 to 100 tons per day. it is readily
seen how very expensive their trip
from ocean to ocean will be.
! Most of the men-of-war can steam
I between 5000 and 5000 miles with
out recoaling, so that it will be an
, easy matter for them to junket along
! between the established stations. But
the torpedoboats will require the con-
stant attention of the colliers. 1t is
said that their average fuel endur-
ance is between 1000 and 1,500 miles.
Besides, they will need the constant
SitrVai1Ia f,f 10 oh;
| frail craft and liable to many dam
ages. The fiotilla will keep close to
the coast While skirting down the At
lantic and up the Pacific, and may be
/ the cause of numerous delays on the
: part of the whole fleet Therefore 1t
is small wonder that the entire naval
force reviles this type of vessel 1t is
the general conviction among the old
| er officers in the navy that the tor
| pedoboat has demonstrated that it is
| utterly worthless in active warfare.
and the American sea-fighter is too
much of a utilitarian to tolerate the
| impracticable.
The first station to be drawn upon
for coal by the armada will be st.
| Thomas, in the Danish West Indies.
1t will be remembered that the Unit
ed States government some time ago
, offered $7000,O0O for the possession
of this port and the Danish posses
sions in the Antilles-an offer which
was first accepted, to be refused later
on mature consideration.
Very likely the delicate little tor
f, pedo fiotilla will find it necessary to
put into San Juan, Porto Rico, for
fuel this being the only port CON
trolled by America in the Antilles.
and so hamper the progress of the
armada.
The next coaling station on the
route is Bahia. At this picturesque
and historic town several of the
smaller vessels will be obliged to
stop in order to amend deficiencies
in their coal bunkers, although war
ships of the greater magnitude NAV
be able to proceed to Rio Janeiro with
out taking aboard fresh supplies of
fuei' The entire fleet will probably
average eight knots an hour, which
will enable the big ships to keep their
fuel consumption at a minimum.
Fleet to Assemble at Rio.
All of the vessels will assemble at
Rio Janerio. whether or not coal is
needed, for general survey by Ad.
miral Evans. After this there will
be no stop along the Atlantic coast
of South America until Monteyideo
| Uruguay, at the mouth of the Rio de
la Plata is reached. Here there will
be another inspection and a general
recoaling preparatory to the long voy-
age to Sandy Point, in the Strait of
Magellan.
Isolated as Sandy Point is. it is yet
a thriving port. Commerce fiourishes
and many supplies haefhes fuel will