Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-28
ENORMOUS QUANTITY OF
COAL TO Be CONSUMED.
-Four Thousand Tons Needed For
Movement Of Fleet 10
The Pacific.
PART WILL Be SHIPPED FROM HERE
Half of Amount Goes to Naval Sta
ton Along Route, and the Other to
Pacific Coast for Consumption Dur
ing Stay of vcsses-speclaI Per-
NIT to Foreign Ships.

One OF the serious problems con-
fronting tho navy department in send
ing Rear Admiral Evans fleet of six
teen great battlcships to the Pacific
this winter is the furnishing of an
adequate coal supply for the fleet ut
ports along the South American costs
and mt San Franscisco.
1t Is estimated that the fleet will
consume something like 100000 tons
or coal from the time OF their de-
parture from Hampton Roads until
they reach San Francisco and that an
equal amount of fuel will be required
for the vessels while they are in the
Pacific. At San Francisco Admiral
Evans fleet will be augmented by
the battleships Nebraska and Wiscon-
sin and the armored cruisers West
Virginla. Maryland, PENNSYLVANIA.
Colorado. Dakota and California. be.
sides many protected cruisers This
Will mean that the coal consumption
OF the Pacific fleet will be nearly
double Of that of the fleet which will
leave Hampton Roads in December.
Plans for Furnishing Fuel.
The navy department is now pre-
pairing To transport the required
amount Of coal to the Pacific and to
points on the coasts of South Ameri.
ca. This coal will he shipped from
Newport News. Norfolk Baltimore
and Philadelphia, nearly 100 600 tons
being sent from each port. AS there
are not enough American ships 10
carry this enormous supply of coal
to the Pacific, many foreign steam
ers will have to be chartered. This
is against the law. lat President
Roosevelt will issue n special order
permitting the foreign vessels to en-.
gage In coastwise trade. OF course
tho shipments to South America and
the west coast of Mexico will be
classod as foreign shipments and the
vessels OF any nation may be char.
tered for shat service.
Since April total of 54.734 tons OF
coal has been shipped from Newport
News to the government stations IN
the Pacific. ana Baltimore. Norfolk
and Philadelphia have shipped an
equal amount. but the navy depart.
ment announces that an additional
$4,000 tons will be required for the
fleet after 1t reaches San Francisco.
OF the coal sent from this port 81 !.
700 tons went to the coalinc station
MT the Mare Island navy yard San
Francisco, and 33,034 tons went to
the coaling station at Cavite. p. l.
Good Time to be Made
While no official announcement to
that effect has been issued bv the
navy department. it is generally be-.
licvcd in naval circles that the do
partmcnt intends to have Admiral
Evans fleet make n record run to
San Francisco. and In that event the
coal consumption aboard the vessels
would be considerably greater than
II the trip was made under ordinary
cruising conditions.
The first stop Of the fleet for coal
after 1t leaves Hampton Roads will
be in some point In the West Indies.
probably Guantanamo. whore tho
naval coaling station is located. The
next stop probably will he a. Rio
.Ianerio, whore coal will be takon
again. The third coalng point will
be Sandy Point In the Straits of
Magellan. and then. If the opinion of
navigators who have made this cruise