The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-11-16
Over 200 Ships viii Be Required
Constantly to Supply the
American Force.
GREAT AREA FOR SEA BASE
Estimated That 100 Pounds Of Freight
Per Man Per Day Must Be un-
loaded at the Port of De-
barkation.
CHARLES II. eRAsTX.



London. - The American army In
France will need some transporting.
Here are figures that are at least APP
proximately correct.
It is estimated that 100 pounds of
freight per man per day must be un-
loaded at the port of debarkation.
Therefore, when at the end of two
years, we have, say, one million men
In France, we must unload daily 100.-
100000 pounds of freight, or $4,000
tons.
Three thousand tons can be I'M
loaded daily from good-sized ship !;
hence II ships at the wharves, each of
them unloading 5000 tons, will fill the
requirements. In the United States
IL ships must be loading $4,000 tons a
day. This makes a total of "a ships
at the docks. Taking as basis a g.
600 ton dead weighD ship, we see
that IL ships must leave New York ev-
cry two days and II ships leave some
French port every two days In tran
sit with army freight. Assuming ten
days as the time of passage, there
would be 40 ships (6,000 tons) en-
route to and from the United States,
which, added to the "a at the docks,
viii make total of 204 ships, assum-
ing no loss or delay.
Enormous Supplies Needed.
To indicate the quantities Of GER
tain articles required, fuel for cooking
for six months, on basis of half a
cord per day per hundred men, would
amount to 1880 cords. Owing to
scarcity of fuel part of this may have
to be brought to France.
With 100000 men, there will be ap-
proximately 100000 animals. At IA
pounds of hay day. there would be
required for six months over 6,000,-
900 pounds of hay, which must be i'm
ported. and also 360,000,000 pounds Of
oats. Rations will require S15,000,00O
pounds. Ammunition will run into bill
lions Of pounds.
This freight calculation does not
consider what would be required in
building or rebuilding railroads or can
tonmenrs. The space required for store
housing at the base would be about as
follows: Rations, etc. $50 acres; fuel,
$50 acres forage, 450 acres; remount
depots. $50 acres; environments for cas-
uals, etc. 800 acres sick and wounded,
1000 acres; engineer, ordnance, and
signal corps, 1900 acres. Allowing for
roads, Office buildings, barracks, etc,
the total would be about 5000 acres.
Confusion in Figures.
= Always there is considerable confu
sion about shipping figures. There is
no one on this side of the Atlantic, so
far as am able TO find out, who can
tell precisely the difference between
gross and a net ton. AS a matter of
fact, net tonnage is not fixed term.
In referring to submarine sinkings,
gross tons are always used, together
with the English reckoning of 2240
pounds to the ton. In general way
cargo carrying space is figured in cubic
feet and then divided by 100 to get
gross tonnage. Displacement is quite
another matter. That kind of tonnage
means the weight of the ship itself, as
i understand 1t, although the word
suggests the weight of the water dis
placed by the ship. Those who follow
the submarine news should bear in
mind that tonnage given is gross and
that weight of cargo is not included.