Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-12
To SHORTEN
. TIME Of ARMY
TRANSPORTS

War department officials at Wash
ington are earnestly considering the
proposal to convert the United States
army transports, Logan, Sherman and
Thomas, from coal burning to oil
burning steamers, according to ad-
vices received at Honolulu, thus cut
ting out the trip of the big troopships
to Nagasaki for coaling and reducing
the time required for the voyage from
Manila to San Francisco, by at least
six days.
The cost of converting the trans
ports will be about 250,000 pesos a
ship. BY converting the ships to make
them adaptable for oil burning, not
only would the side trip to Nagasaki
for coal be obyiated but a great saw
ing in time would be made on the voy-
age itself In that II would no longer
be necessary TO reduce. the steam pres
sure of the boilers every four hours
in order to clean fires, as has. been
the custom in the past, when using
the poor grade Of coal obtainable at
Nagasaki. This operation with the
Nagasali coal necessitates a drop in
steam pressure from 175 to 1870
pounds and corresponding decrease
In speed of about six knots, or total
loss Of "a knots In each "a hours sail
ing. ga p &
Should the change be made 1t is
figured that the Manila-San Francisco
voyage would be accomplished under
ordinary conditions in from is to 10
days instead of the "a or 26 days now
required The saving in operating ex-,
penses, II is estimated, would pay for
the change within three years, and
in addition the carrying capacity of
all three ships would be greatly in,
creased. .ss$@.f~@~ RS
At least two of the transports.
should they continue to burn coal will,
it is said, require new boilers within
few months, costing in the neighbor-
hood of 10000 pesos a ship, while
In the event of the change from coal
to oil fuel, boiler experts figure that
the life Of the present boilers would
be extended from eight to ten years.
~ ~. ;.
Much Island Tobacco for Coast.
Island tobacco. from the plantations
along the Kona coast of the island of
Hawaii, is TO be forwarded to the
mainland In trans-P Pacific liners, fol-
lowing the arrival of the Inter-Island4
steamer Mauna Loa this morning. IT
was large and varied assortment OF
products received by the Mauna Loa.
Included in the consignment were 81
bales OF tobacco, destined for the
coast Other items of freight con-
sisted OF IL crates of turkeys, %.
crates of pigs, % head Of cattle, 20
bales OF hides, SO bales of sisal, so
sacks of charcoal, 67 crates of chick.
ems, TT punches OF bananas, 17S cases
of preserved pines, 246 sacks of taro,
225 sacks of Coffee 1850 sacks Of
sugar and $40 packages of sundries.
The Mauna Loa is expected will go on
the drydock within a few days, in
which event another vessel will be
substituted on the Kona and Kau runs,
departing from Honolulu for wind
ward Hawaii on next Tuesday.
- I
Thomas Still Much Delayed.
While the hope is expressed that
the United States army transport
Thomas, enroute from San Francisco
TO Honolulu, and delayed presumably
through bad weather, may, make up
some of the time the troopship is not
expected here much before Sunday
evening. Arrangements have been
made with the federal quarantine off,
Gals to pass the vessel should the
Thomas reach the, port at a season
able hour on Sunday night. Consid-
cradle mail from the, mainland is re-
ported as aboard the transport
q. 49,. -
Saint Heiens viii Call at Hilo.
With destination as San Francisco
and the Columbia river. the steam
schooner Saint Helens. having com.
pleted the discharge of 100000 feet
of lumber consigned to the United
States quartermaster department, was
this morning, the vessel to
call at Hilo for shipment Of hard.
wood railway ties. The Saint Helens
was supplied with scrap iron as bal,
last
Wireless Sparks.
kahuku wireless was in touch with
the T. K. K. steamer Kiyo Maru at
s O'Clock last night. The vessel is
en- route from South American ports
and reported. that it would arrive in
Honolulu at O'Clock tonight. The !
steamer Lnrline was reported as being
1874 miles from Honolulu. !