176 REFUELING WARSHIPS AT SEA. 



to be seen from the forecastle of the collier. The Liguria is a third-class cruiser of 

 only 2,280 tons. The marine cableway for the collier Sterope was constructed in 

 England by the Temperley Transporter Co. The sea trials of this equipment took 

 place in the fall of 1906. The distance between the ships was 400 feet. This marine 

 cableway was supplied under a guarantee to trans-ship 40 tons of coal per hour. In 

 the trials 60 tons per hour were actually transported and the Trial Board reported 

 that the demonstrated capacity of the machine was from 70 to 80 tons. 



This experiment is of interest because in the United States there have been no 

 attempts to coal light cruisers with the marine cableway. Furthermore, in none of 

 the experiments in the United States has the towing speed been as high as 12 knots. 

 It is also of interest to show that 60 tons per hour can be taken on board a light 

 cruiser and disposed of. 



The author will not attempt to describe the Sterope's equipment beyond saying 

 that the operating machinery was too complicated for general adaption. It has since 

 been greatly simplified, as indicated in the Cyclop's equipment. 



No sea anchor was used in the trials, the entire equipment being carried on the 

 collier. 



OIL BUNKERING UNDER HEADWAY AT SEA. 



The British Admiralty require a towing speed of at least 10 knots while refuel- 

 ing at sea. They coaled at sea in 1906 at a speed of 11 knots. The British Admi- 

 ralty's tank steamer Petrolium trans-shipped oil at sea at towing speeds above 12 

 knots. The method they employ is practicable when the sea is smooth and is il- 

 lustrated in Fig. 15, Plate 67. Shipping Illustrated, November 2, 1912, says: — "The 

 operation of bunkering at sea while steaming at a rapid rate is regularly carried out 

 by way of training. * * * Other nations have now adopted this method which is 

 very efifective but needs great care in seamanship and no little practice." 



The British battleships tow the oil tank ship. One hawser tows and a secondary 

 line supports the oil hose by hangers at frequent intervals. This plan was tested 

 by United States ships with a small hose. 



The tank steamer Petrolium carries 900 feet of 5-inch diameter flexible bronze 

 hose, weighing 9 pounds to the lineal foot, a total of 8,100 pounds. The distance 

 between ships is about 600 feet. The greater portion of the hose drags in loops in 

 the sea. This results in great longitudinal strains, which damage the hose. The 

 loops gather down against the bow of the towed ship, which affects the towing. They 

 form many shary bends which shorten the life of the hose. Eighty tons of oil per 

 hour are thus trans-shipped. 



The United States Trial Board, testing this method between the fuel ship 

 Arethusa and the destroyer Warrington, used a 2 J^ -inch hose. They reported the 

 difficulties substantially as mentioned above. 



Figure 16, Plate 68, indicates diagrammatically an improved method for 

 supporting the oil hose while trans-shipping oil at sea. The same-sized automatic 

 tension engine and carrying cable used in the marine cableway are required for a 

 proper support of the oil hose free of the sea. 



