The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-01-02
HOW BI1H.ESH|PS COIL
Compensating Sea-Cone Sys-
tenn in Vogue on Cruisers.
IDEA OF A LANDSMAN.
Proorcss in the Difficult Naval
Problem of Feeding the 6unkers
of Moving FIeet-sPeneer
MlIler's Invention of a Marine
Cahl smau

In the art of warfare on the high
seas in its present highly developed
state there are thousand and one
vital factors that go with the impos-
ing battleships, the gigantic guns and
the armor-piercing proJectlles; OuI
of all these none is more important
than the matter of coaling the SHIPS.
and the truth of this statement is
readily shown, since it has been prov
ed in every naval engagement since
the time fighting craft were hrst NJ
ted out with apparatus for steam pro-
pulsion and the dire need OF obtaining
a supply Of coal during crisis "'as
rendered painfully obvious during lhe
Spanish-A,nerican war, when Admlral
(then COMMODORE Schley sent to Ad-
miral Sampson the following telegram:
"Coaiing off Cienfuegos is very un-
certain. Having ascertained that ne
Spanish fleet is not here l will move
eastward tomorrow, communicating
with you At Nicholas Mole. On ac-
count of short coal supply in ships
cannot blockade them if in Santiago
7 shall proceed tomorrow, 25th, fol
Santiago, being embarrassed by Ic"'
ass short coal supply and our ma,
bility to coal in the open sea. sha'i
not be able to remain off that port
on account of general short coal sup
ply of squadron. so Will proceed 10
vicinity of Nicholas Mole, where the
water is smooth and | can coal the
Texas and other ships with what coal
may remain in collier
Many have been the schemes eVolV-
ed for a safe and practical method for
coaling at sea, but the history OF
these interesting attempts seems 10
date back only to 1889, when ] ten'
tenant Il. S. Lowry. R. N. proposed
that a number of coal boxes Should De
bujlt. each having a capacity OF one
tonx These boxes were to nave ar
tight compartments so that the9
could not sink, and were to be passed
from a co lier to the ships by me ms
of p line, when they were to be hoist
ed TO the deck. emDtied and returned
This device was never tried, probably
for the reason that it was deemed i'm
practicable. its operation Deing 100
slow and complex to meet the require
ments of fleets when in active service
and it would hardly be needed at any
other time.
A marine galloway, however, pre-
sents obvious difficulties, for instead
of fixed points by which the rope may
be kept taut there are the constantly
moving boats, the masts OF which ac-
centuate the rise and fall and various
rolling motions. Lieutenant Bell or
the British navy was the first to pro-
pose the transmission rope method.
which he did in 1888, when he sug-
gested that the stern mast OF the
warship and foremost of the collier
be connected by a suspended cable.
lust as though they were immovably
fixed on land.
Several other cable methods follow
ed, but it was not until 1899 that an
actual experiment was attempted 70
pass coal between two vessels while
at sea; this was done with an ap-
paratus designed by Philip B. Low.
who improved upcn Bells idea, one
end of the cable being attached 10
the deck of the warship kearsarge
and the other passing over tackle
block on the San Francisco where 1t
was fastened to massive iron
weight.
Ry this arrangement the motion OF
the vessels was counteracted to con-
siderable extent. When it was desired
to transfer bag of coal it was hoist
ed to the masthead. where it was at
tached to the cable. when it readily
traversed the length of the latter by
gravity, the rope being somewhat in
clined.
Eut at least a beginning had been
made. and in March, 1898, just prior
to our war with Spain, Mr.. j. j. Wood
ward, a naval constructor of the Unit
ed States navy, with prophetic in
sight, submitted plan to Secretary
Long, which he recommended, and
that had been drawn up for him by
Mr.. Spencer Miller, engineer of the
Lidgerwood Manufacturing company
of New York. for an installation TO
be placed on board a collier and by
which the vessel could coal any OF
the warships of our navy in the open
sea.
Negotions between the various par
ties interested were long continued.
and not until Admiral Schley had sent
his famous telegram was the work OF
construction really commenced; but
bv this time the history of the Span
sh-American war had been made and
written; the lessons it had taught
were vividly impressed upon not only
our naval authorities. but those abroad
as we'll. for experiments were lmme-
diately begun in France, England and
Japan. When the Spanish fleet did
emerge from the Bay of Santiago
there were only eleven of our ships on
blockade duty, while three other yes
sells, representing an outlay of narly
s1O,OOO.000, were at Guantanamo, for
ty.five miles away, coaling ship.
The full-sized apparatus was COM
Melted a little later, and the govern
ment designated the collier Marcellus
as the vessel to be equipped for the
practical demonstration. but before
this was done the equipment was set
I'm ON land. where it was inspected