COALING WARSHIPS FROM COLLIERS IN HARBOR. 131 



order from the Department to "coal and sail immediately " would probably 

 result in the employment of every available collier to coal the battleships. 

 When the battleships have coaled, however, it might still be desirable to 

 have some of these colliers accompany the fleet. At this time, however, 

 the colliers would be all partially empty. With the use of the rapid self- 

 discharging appliances capable of discharging 1,000 tons per hour a few of 

 the colliers could discharge their remaining coal to the colliers desired by the 

 fleet. In this way, with a minimum delay of the fleet and with a few men 

 employed, the colliers can accompany the fleet with full loads of coal. The 

 empty ones can return to be refilled. Thus it may be observed that exi- 

 gencies may arise in which the efficiency of the fleet as a whole might depend 

 entirely on the efficiency of the collier's coal-discharging equipment. 



THE FATIGUE OF THE MEN. 



To coal a battleship at a rate of 500 tons per hour using the old-fashioned 

 "Yard and Stay" method with bags would require on the collier alone 

 not less than 350 men from the battleship. If the work of 350 men in the 

 hold can be done with 10 men, then 340 men will be saved from fatigue. 

 Furthermore, the 340 men would lighten the labors of those on the battle- 

 ship. This question of the fatigue of the men may have no value what- 

 soever in times of peace but may be of the utmost importance in times 

 of war. 



The British Admiralty has spent and is spending a vast amount 

 of money in order to find a method of filling coal bags by mechanical appli- 

 ances to save manual labor. An admiral with a fleet of battleships, in 

 time of war, entering a harbor to take on coal before a flght, would wel- 

 come any improvement which would keep the crew in proper condition 

 for the impending action. Again, suppose the men had spent the night 

 before on deck ready for threatened attack from torpedo boats, they should 

 rest, not coal ship. j, 



- A 



MODIFICATIONS OF THE MARINE TRANSFER. 



First Officer Shurtleff, an old deep-sea sailor on the collier Vestal, 

 has found two interesting modifications in the employment of the Marine 

 Transfer which illustrate its flexibility. He has found that he can reach 

 parts of the battleship better by detaching the outboard swinging rope 

 pulley from the boom and attaching it to the battleship. He can reach 

 farther with the coal bucket or coal bags in this way. Amidship coal 



