128 COALING WARSHIPS FROM COLUERS IN HARBOR. 



ships if not more than 20 feet above the water-Hne. Some of these masts 

 have been raised about 8 feet which should mean that the clamshell bucket 

 can clear the deck of a warship 28 feet above the water-line. As the collier 

 discharges and rises the clearance gradually increases about 12 feet. 

 When' the masts were raised the booms were raised with them. This is 

 an improvement. The point of suspension of the double block is carried 

 higher and this reduces the strains developed when hauling the bucket 

 outboard. To further reduce the strains on the masts and rigging the size 

 of the clamshell bucket has been reduced. The first clamshell buckets 

 carried 2,600 pounds of coal each and weighed 4,000 pounds, 6,600 pounds 

 total, while the new ones carry 1,600 pounds each and weigh 2,600 pounds, 

 4,200 pounds total. 



In the official coaling trials discharging into a barge and using the 

 large bucket — 



The Mars handled 137 bucket-loads, aggregating 117 tons. 



The Vulcan handled* 155 bucket-loads, aggregating 180 tons. 



The Hector handled 175 bucket-loads, aggregating 190 tons. 



Ordinary seamen on board these colliers were drilled to operate the 

 Marine Transfers with the clamshell buckets, from which it has been estab- 

 lished that two fairly intelligent men require about eight hours to become 

 sufficiently proficient to be capable of discharging 100 tons of coal per 

 hour per hatch. One hundred and ninety tons of coal per hour per hatch 

 can be discharged at any time with winchmen of sufficient skill and practise. 



It is worthy of note that on the collier Vulcan, Captain Merithew 

 commanding, after it had been in commission a few months and using the 

 small three-quarter-ton bucket, two men discharged 95 tons of coal per 

 hour. This would require about 133 bucket loads per hour, or one round 

 trip every twenty-seven seconds. 



(, OPPOSITION TO USE OP CLAMSHElvI/ BUCKETS. 



When these colliers were first put into commission there was consider- 

 able opposition to the use of the clamshell buckets. It was feared the 

 bucket would damage the deck or superstructure of the warship. The 

 bucket always swings in the same plane. If it is going to hit anything it 

 will hit it in the same spot each time. That spot can be protected by fenders, 

 planks or suspended bags of coal. Planks laid on the deck will prevent 

 the bucket from damaging the deck. 



*See appendix for the exact time that each bucket-load was delivered and the time for each round trip. 



