employees working in houses now too much congested, to minimize fire risks, and to provide floor space for improved machinery which the bureau wishes to install in the interest of increased efficiency and

economy.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Storehouse for nitrate of soda, $15,000." Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. Congress, by the last appropriation bill, has authorized the Secretary of the Navy to exchange for sodium nitrate potassium nitrate now stored at the powder depot at Malden, Mass. The amount to be received in exchange is approximately 7,000,000 pounds, which is being stored temporarily at the Army powder factory at Picatinny Arsenal.

The construction of the building at Indianhead is considered necessary for the storage of this material and for the accumulation of a more extensive reserve for use in time of war, in view of the fact that the source of supply is entirely without the United States.

The CHAIRMAN. Why not store it in the house out of which the other was taken?

Admiral STANFORD. The department desired to vacate the structure at Malden to eliminate the only reason for maintaining that station.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Purchase of additional land, $200,000." Is that on account of the suggestion in the reports that the firing of experiments down there interferes with the marine rifle range, and they want to change the rifle range?

Admiral STANFORD. It is especially desired because of the greater range of fire of the large caliber guns that are being tested. Mr. BUTLER. Are they going to move the butts?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUTLER. How many acres is it proposed to purchase?

Admiral STANFORD. It is contemplated purchasing the land known as the Indianhead Peninsula, which is immediately south of the present proving ground and comprises about 1,650 acres; also about 7,500 acres in Charles County, Md., in order that the operations of the proving ground may be carried on over a land range, and thus not be dependent on the freedom of the Potomac River from traffic, as it is now. After this land is acquired it is proposed to construct a new firing and velocity battery about half a mile south of the existing battery and so located as to have a line of fire down a range over the newly acquired land. The total cost of this improvement is estimated at about $425,000, in addition to such sum as may be paid for the land.

Mr. BUTLER. That is $425,000?

The CHAIRMAN. In addition to the $200,000?

Mr. BUTLER. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the trouble which they have had? Admiral STANFORD. There are many interruptions due to the passing of commercial and pleasure vessels up and down the river. The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Government landing, Narragansett Bay, R. I.: Water-front improvements, $2,000." Please explain that item, Admiral.

Admiral STANFORD. That is an item to provide for improvements in the landing facilities at the Government landing. The increased capacity is required at such times as the vessels of the fleet are

assembled at Newport or when vessels of foreign navies may visit that point. The present facilities are not sufficient for the landing of the large number of men who are put ashore from this assemblage The CHAIRMAN. Where is the landing at Narragansett Bay; at what particular point?

Admiral STANFORD. It is on the Newport water front, almost directly across from the naval torpedo station.

The CHAIRMAN. What size of landing have they now?

Admiral STANFORD. It is a pier with a shelter house and a small landing stage, with brow or gangway connection.

The CHAIRMAN. How many men are landed there ordinarily during the course of the year?

Admiral STANFORD. I can not state exactly. The capacity is sufficient, except during the portion of the year when the fleet is assembled in that vicinity. The number of men using the landing at any one time depends upon the size of the liberty parties and whether or not parties were granted leave simultaneously from the different ships.

The CHAIRMAN. How many ships do we have there?

Admiral STANFORD. There were about 45 vessels assembled last

summer.

The CHAIRMAN. The maneuvers last about how long?

Admiral STANFORD. Maneuvers lasted about two months last summer, but I am informed that they will probably require five months this year.

The CHAIRMAN. The next item is, "Naval coal depot, Melville Station, R. I.: Extension of wharf, $10,000." Have we an existing coal depot at that station?

Admiral STANFORD. One of the largest coal stations operated by the Navy is at Melville. The station is about 6 or 8 miles north from the training station.

The CHAIRMAN. How many coal depots have we already?

Admiral STANFORD. Including limited facilities at various navy yards, there are a total of 25 stations.

The CHAIRMAN. Some of the stations have been discontinued? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Why?

Admiral STANFORD. The policy of the department.

The CHAIRMAN. What are the names of the stations which have been discontinued?

Admiral STANFORD. At Frenchmans Bay, Me., near Bar Harbor, and at New London, Conn.

The CHAIRMAN. How much had been expended upon each one of those stations in construction?

Admiral STANFORD. The Frenchmans Bay station cost $476,262. The station at New London cost about $424,000.

The CHAIRMAN. Have any others been discontinued?

Admiral STANFORD. Dry Tortugas.

The CHAIRMAN. How much had been expended there?

Admiral STANFORD. About $890,000, including dredging and claims allowed by court.

Mr. BUTLER. That was destroyed by the wind, storm, and fire? Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUTLER. Was there nobody to look after it?

Admiral STANFORD. There was an attendant.

The CHAIRMAN. Had that station been abandoned before it was blown away?

Admiral STANFORD. Practically. The station, according to the records, handled altogether a little less than 20,000 tons of coal, the first of which was put in the station in 1904 and the last of which was removed in 1909.

The CHAIRMAN. There was an expenditure of $900,000 to build a station to handle 20,000 tons of coal?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUTLER. When was that station built?

Admiral STANFORD. It was begun during the War with Spain, in 1898.

The CHAIRMAN. I think the time has come when the question of the establishment of these coaling stations should be looked into. Admiral STANFORD. The General Board is giving the matter much careful consideration.

Mr. Foss. What is the capacity of the plant at Frenchmans Bay? Admiral STANFORD. There are two bunkers, one located on the pier in such position that coal can be drawn by gravity from the bunker into barges, and the other is under a shed on shore, into which coal is run by overhead trestle and cable cars, and from which it is removed by gravity through holes in the elevated floor into these same cable cars.

Mr. Foss. What is the total capacity of the plant, how many thousand tons ?

Admiral STANFORD. About 12,000 tons.

The CHAIRMAN. And cost $476,000?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. ROBERTS. Including the land?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir; 56.4 acres cost $24,650.

The CHAIRMAN. Was that a part of the $476,000?

Admiral STANFORD. That is included in the total amount.

Mr. Foss. Was there anything unusual in the cost of this plant as compared with other plants?

Admiral STANFORD. It is not unusual as compared with the cost of similar plants which were constructed at about the same time.

The

cost was great because the storage is all elevated to permit the dropping of coal by gravity from the storage into cars. The storage is not placed directly on the ground. Similar stations have cost from $14 to $75 per ton.

Mr. Foss. This station was built on the recommendation of the department?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir; the Bureau of Equipment.

Mr. Foss. As I recall, it was done because at that time, a number of years ago, the fleet had most of its summer operations and maneuvers up in that locality, and they regarded it as necessary at that time. I do not know, Mr. Chairman, with the department changing as it does constantly change, how we are going to get an established naval policy for the coaling stations or anything else.

The CHAIRMAN. I asked the admiral to bring up the blue prints of the plant proposed at Honolulu.

Mr. BUTLER. What year was this plant established?
Admiral STANFORD. At Frenchmans Bay?

Mr. BUTLER. Yes, sir.

Admiral STANFORD. In 1902

Mr. BUTLER. Please insert in the hearing where the appropriation came from, whether it was inserted in the bill in the House or the Senate.

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Admiral, you can explain the Honolulu program.

Admiral STANFORD. This [indicating] is a small scale plan of the coaling station. This [indicating] shows the shore line. This [indicating] is a pier 400 feet long. This [indicating] is the coal bin, which is 900 feet long by 360 feet wide, designed for the storage of 200,000 tons of coal. The coal bin is connected with the pier by means of a track system carried on an elevated trestle and so arranged that there are a number of tracks crossing the coal-storage area, and which are connected directly at each end with the main circuit passing over the pier, so that the cars handling the coal will travel continuously without any backing or interference with other trains.

Mr. ROBERTS. Will they travel by a cable?

Admiral STANFORD. No, sir; a steam locomotive will be used. These [indicating] larger details show more fully the scheme proposed. This [indicating] is a section through the pier and through the coal storage and shows the pier located with its outer edge on the 5-fathom line and a section of a typical collier alongside. It also shows the elevated trestle on which the cars will operate and one of the steeple towers that will be required for removing coal from a vessel into the cars. The track system over the bin is carried at an elevation of 30 feet above the floor level. The tracks crossing the bin are on lines 30 feet from center to center. These tracks [indicating] will be carried on reenforced concrete or noninflammable supports. Between the bents supporting alternate tracks over the bin will be reenforced concrete bulkhead walls rising to a height above the floor level of 25 feet, and at intervals of about 148 feet there will be transverse reenforced walls to a height of 25 feet, the result being that the area of 900 feet by 360 feet for the storage of coal will be divided into 48 pockets, which will each have a capacity of about 4,200 tons. The coal will be dumped into the pockets in the bin by gravity from pneumatically operated dump cars which will be handled by locomotives and which will receive their supply from the steeple tower on the pier. Coal will be removed from the bins by means of locomotive cranes which will operate on the tracks crossing the bin, and which will dump their coal from clamshell buckets into cars on an adjacent track, the cars being controlled by the locomotive. The cars passing from the bin to the pier will discharge by gravity from the pier into a chute, the elevation of the track being such that the coal will chute directly into the vessel receiving it.

Mr. ROBERTS. Is there water enough for the vessels to come alongside?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir. An essential feature of the scheme is the pipe system which underlays the storage area. This system consists primarily of a loop of large diameter which surrounds the storage area and which is connected with a big pump which takes its supply from the sea. This loop will have laterals, one of which will

open into each of the 48 different bins, and in case of overheating in any one of the bins, by properly controlling the valves, that bin can be flooded to a depth of 25 feet.

Mr. ROBERTS. Without flooding any of the others?

Admiral STANFORD. Without flooding any of the others, and the temperature absolutely controlled.

The CHAIRMAN. It goes in by gravity?

Admiral STANFORD. No; this is not submerged storage. The floor of the bin is above tide level and water must be pumped into the bins. It is contemplated, in order to store 200,000 tons, to spread the coal to a depth of 30 feet. That depth of storage in a tropical climate would be prohibitive as tending to induce spontaneous combustion if it were not for the absolute control of the temperature which the flooding system permits. After flooding the coal the water can be withdrawn by reversing the flow through the flooding system, and by taking coal from the top of the pile, coal can be obtained which has been properly dried before being delivered into the vessel.

The scheme has the following principal advantages: The coal is stored directly on solid ground and obviates the need of the expensive construction which would be required for overhead or elevated bunkers. The rate of discharging colliers can be increased by increas ing the number of steeple towers which are operated on the pier and by increasing the number of locomotives and cars.

Mr. ROBERTS. The pier on which the steeple tower operates you contemplate now being 400 feet long?

Admiral STANFORD. Yes, sir.

Mr. ROBERTS. You will have to have a much longer pier if you are going to operate on more than one collier?

Admiral STANFORD. Only one collier can be unloaded at one time, but coal can be removed from more than one hatch by having several

towers.

Mr. ROBERTS. You are not designing a plant large enough to operate on two colliers at once?

Admiral STANFORD. No, sir. The removal of the coal from the bin to the pier and to vessel is accomplished by means of locomotive cranes in conjunction with locomotives and dump cars. Units in this equipment can be increased in number to any desired extent.

Mr. ROBERTS. Do you contemplate one of the locomotive cranes for each line of track that runs over the basin?

Admiral STANFORD. That all depends on the rapidity with which they wish to discharge coal from the bin. One crane will probably have a capacity of 75 tons an hour, two would have twice that many, and ten, ten times that many.

Mr. ROBERTS. Do you know the rate of handling coal aboard ship, how many tons an hour?

Admiral STANFORD. Into a battleship's bunkers it is not very rapid, but into a collier it would be.

Mr. ROBERTS. I think I have seen it stated as about 75 tons in the case of a battleship?

Admiral STANFORD. In that case one crane would give the necessary capacity. If 150 tons an hour can be handled, there would be two cranes in service. In other words, it is a multiple unit system. Mr. ROBERTS. What are you proposing at the outset, more than one crane?