New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-07
ACTIVITY In THE NAVY.
YORK LARGELY ROUTINE.
No Sign of Unusual Preparation for
Trip Of BatHeships.
by The Assoclated Press. !

hrEation of the reports that had been so fire.
quently denied in the beginning These bureau
| chiefs assert that they are engaged only in the
routine work of the department, and that they
! are making no unusual preparations for the
great undertaking. They also assert that they
have had orders to do otherwise. And on the
surface there are few signs of abnormal activity
in Washington; many of the chiefs away
| the naval General Board is scattered the usual
proportion Of subordinate employees are
| leaves Of absence, and the War and Navy de-
partments appear to be in the usual summer
| lethargy.
But it is undeniable that the plans Of the de-
partmeEt workers for this particular summer fit
| in well with the eXgences of the moment. In
regard TO coal supply. for instance. 1t may be
that the movement of this fuel to the Far East
| and the Pacific Coast is simply equal to the
| average demands of the naval service. In fact
| It is said that the coal would have gone forward
before this had the money been available, which
| 1t was not until the beginning Of the new fiscal
! year. Then the supply of reserve naval guns
| and ammunition and OF torpedoes is found TO be
! much nearer the needs OF the service than IT
! has ever before been at this season Of the year
The construction Of guns for the new ships is
| going on well, and without doubt the armament
for the armored cruisers about to be turned over
| to the government VIII be found to be ready by
! the time the contractors have finished the hulls
! and the fittings Of the ships. Roadway has even
| been made in the fabrication of the great guns
| for the two big 20000-ton batueships, although
| the contracts for these have not been finally
| signed Orders for the forgings for these guns
We're placed two months ago with the Bethle-
! hem. Midvale and Carnegie works. Some oe
| these forgings already have been delivered at
| the Washington Navy Yard, where most Of the
| guns to be finished and assembled. and much
| Of the steel has been delivered at the army gun
foundry at Watervliot N Y.
GUN BUILDING POLICY.
| It IS recalled that some curiosity was
| expressed Il few months ago when it was an
| nounced that the navy had adopted new policy
| Of building some OF it's guns in the army gun
! factory. That curiosity not gratifed at
! that time, but It may develop fortunate
| circumstance that as n result OF tho adoption OF
| that policy the naval gun shops are not now In
| danger OF being taxed beyond their ability
! only the routine expenditures under the ord
! nary heads Of appropriation for construction
! and repair and on account Of yards and docks
| are being made on either the Atlantic or Pacific
| coast. according to the officials here. but
! Secretary MetCalf pointed out one Of the items
IS q drydock the naval station 1T Puget Sound.
and il would not he surprising il n special effort
| were made to d-edge out the channel at the
! Mare Island Navy Ward. as to make Il Access
! not now. There Is q fine dIydock In the Mare
Island yard, which might well be In China
far tho American navy "a concerned. unless
| 4 channel IS drcdgod out 10 bring & within
reach Of ships IN need OF cleaning and repairs.
Last year tho Navy Department found it i'm
possible TO spend an Of the money that Congress
had appropriated for the building and operation
OF machinery plant IN tho Irenertou Navy
| Yard. That was because the materials could
not readily Do had. hut moro serious difficulty
was the lack Of trained mechanics ard skilled
| labor. As this is tie only dock on the Paclqe
Coast now ready to handle a big battleshlp, some
special Inducements must be held out by the
department to get trained navy yard workers to
make their homes n Bremerton. and {, Is be
neved that steps have already been taken IN this
direction.
There is n total absence II any appearance II
| furry or anxiety among Ge few officials who
! remain IN Washington. though much useful work
Is being done IN regular way 70 put not only
the navy but the army coast defencos IN as good
condition as the appropriations made by Con-
gress VIII permit.
COAL SUPPLY QUESTION.
Tie question Of keeping on hand an adequate
supply OF coal TO meet the needs OF the battle
ships 10 TO sent to the Pacific Coast IS one that
tho Bureau Of Equipment win have 60 settle.
| Under ordinary conditions tho bureau has no
difficulty IN meeting all demands made upou il
by the ships OF the Pacific fleet but to supply
| sixteen large battleships and several cruisers
in addition presents n problem that will
have 10 be met Supplies OF coal at San Fran
cisco were lessencd considerably during the last
| winter by the demand upon tho NAVY Depart-
! ment incident 10 tho coal famine on the coast
| the Bureau Of Equipment parting with a large
| amount ii had on hand at cost price TO public
! institutions and to vessels CARRYING United
| States malls across the Pacific. There also
| We're some public demands for coal at the Puget
! Sound station which the government supplied.
! When the present season opened contracts
| were let for furnishing and Transporting to the
| coast 10000 tons OF coal, half Of which was in
| tended for Puget Sound and half for tho Marc
| Island Navy Yard, at San Francisco Little of
| this is on its way to tho coast. The department
was badly handicapped by the requirement OF
| law which compes the shipment Of coal in
! American bottoms when available. There were
| not enough American vessels to be had, how
ever and, taking advantage of q provision OF
! the Revised Statutes. Secretary Metcalf was com
| PEELED TO resort to the use OF foreign bottoms
! for its shipment. Accordingly, contracts were
| let, and a small portion of the coal Is now on
! its way to the coast The shipments are made
/ by way Of the Strait of Magellan, and five or
six months required to get the fuel to its
! destination. The few ships propelled by steam
make the trip. however, in much quicker time
! There Will be o considerable delay therefore,
before the department has any material supply
Of coal on hand on the Pacific Coast If shipment
| by water IS relied entirely
In emergency the railroads could be called
! on and the fuel could be landed on the coast In
| less than two weeks For tho purpose Of having
| coal available for the vessels going around Cape
! Horn the bureau of equipment has contracts
with various firms at ports en- route. Tho prices
are frequently high running up to SIG n ton: but
| there is the satisfaction of knowing that with a
| contract in existence there Is some assurance
| that tho fuel will be hand when called for,
| There are about fifteen colllors now in possess
| sion OF tho navy n number sufficient with the
| coal at ports at which the ships can stop en-
route to coal them until they reach Mare Island
| At Manila the Navy Department has on hand
| about forty thousand tons of coal and thirty
! thousand additional under contract for delivery
he bV Of