Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05
Uncle Sans Maritime Exchange
Keeps Track Of All Vessels

eyes as though they were beneath heavy
paper and locked by the seal. Where it
used to require three or four days. he, e.
fore, in the transmission OF important
orders 1t now takes but three or four
hours.
Unlike the foreign countries. Uncle Sam
does not control the means of rapid conf
munication in mis- own territory, but a
naval message going over the wires of
the various telegraph companies usually
takes precedence over commercial BUSH
ness. On the coast naval wireless stations
are plentiful and cover the entire coast
line from Maine to Texas and from Wash
ington to California. Even up In Alaska
half dozen or more wireless stations
stand ready to transmit whatever NAV
be sent to them.
In the. office of the aid for operations
there is record thus kept for not only
the past and present movements of each
vessel but of the probable future move
ments: based on orders issued to date.
The office is somewhat of bureau Of in
formation not only for the department,
but for the relatives of members OF the
crews of the various ships. For instance,
at the departure of the fleet from New
York there was an inquiry received at the
office of the future movements of the bat
tleship Minnesota by the wife of men,
Der of the crew. She was at once in
formed that the vessel would proceed
from New York TO Hampton roads. and
oii tHC -UtII vi 4SOFcHlDcT IL NOulu Sail IOT
Newport, r. l.. where it would remain
until the 10th of December. Then she
was told that she could spend the holiday
season with her husband at Hampton
roads.
One OF the greatest feats in the record
ing OF any fleet in the world was accom-
plished when the "round-the- world' feet
ODD &c rir 90
time 1T left the capes of the Chesapeake
1t was reported until nearly to the equa-
tor score of times. Beyond that line
reports began to come. in from Brazil.
argentine, the straits of Magellan, and
so on until well out into the Pacific Even
then they came from Guam and Midway
and 1t was but few hours before Ma
Mia picked them up and cabled them
over. After that it was but q matter of
frequent cable communication until the
trip across the Atlantic, over which YES
sells OF the passenger greyhounds picked
up messages and sent them across. 1t is
said that the fleet was hardly out of COM
munication with the office Of the aid for
operations more than four or five hours
at time.
This was a similar case to that of
the dry dock Dewey. when 1t was towed
sells lay. however. SO much farther
southwark than the usual track of
transatlantic liners that its reports were
not SO frequent, but there was no time
effected in less than twelve hours. On
the voyage out from the Atlantic shores
four battleships lay In relay. and thus
kept in touch with the tow until it
was well across the Atlantic. On the
other side other vessels picked up its
messages and thus forwarded them to
the department in Washington.
1t Is thus that they know when dis
aster befalls any member Of the force.
The naval tug Nina had hardly been
out a few hours before some appre-
hension began to be felt, for while
that vessel was not equipped with wire
less. Its movements should have been
reported by the various stations along
the coast. The non-receipt of REPORTS
and the boats non-arrival at Boston
were the incentives for the issuance of
the orders which sent naval vessels
and revenue cutters rushing to Its aid.
ed by the aid of the office OF aid for
operations was accomplished when the
Oregon made it's famous voy-
age from the Pacific to the Atlantic at
war. Orders for the movement of that
vessel were in it's commanders hands
within a few hours after the fact that
war was imminent. It's first report came
South America. and frequent reports OF
its movements came afterward.
Once each day the office issues regu-
larly printed statement of the move
ment of the various vessels of the fleets.
This list includes the largest battle
ship to the smallest submarine or tug
boat Usually there are from twenty
five to thirty vessels Used uiilJ 1t is
not necessary that vessel sh0nid artu-
ally move to be recorded in this list,
for it includes Vessels in transit and
such vessels, whether they ieIn.iin In
port for few days 1T time or no. are
SO listed Thus in the list For October
al the whole fleet in the North river
was recorded as being in that strcan.
while some additions were recorded as
sailing from the navy yard, New York,
to New York city. 1t is Il snor. dis
lance to travel for a ship, put il is an
important one In the same list the
Mayfiower was reported as sailing from
the East river to the North river.