The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

324 THE MECHANICAL HANDLING OF MATERIAL him some years back, and he believed it was the only way in which it could be done.” Lieutenant Bell’s Requirements.—Lieutenant Bell says : “ Any satisfactory plan of coaling at sea must satisfy the following requirements(1) Rapidity; (2) safety; (3) ability for the ships engaged in the operation to proceed with the minimum diminution of speed. These three requirements are absolutely essential to the success of any plan, but there are others of no little importance; (4) necessity of keeping coal dry; (5) minimum of labour to be employed ; (6) little cost for material necessitated. Lieutenant Bell’s Plan.—The plan suggested by Lieutenant Bell is that shown in Fig. 464, in which it will be seen that he first took the collier in tow of the warship, and then added an inclined and elevated cable attached low down to the aftermast of the warship and to the top of the foremast of the collier. 1 o this elevated line a. trolley was suspended capable of running along the strand. Two ropes are shown, one fastened to the rear and one to the front of this trolley, the one leading to the warship and the other to the collier. The hawsers, in his system, crossed from the stern of the warship to the bow ports or other convenient places of the collier. He proposed to carry five bags at a time, carrying about 220 lb. of coal per bag. The bags were to be hoisted, by some arrangement not shown, from ths deck of the colliei to the suspended cable, and there attached by a man stationed on the foreyard for that purpose. By these means he pro- posed to satisfy all the requirements he had laid out —namely, rapidity, safety, etc. In referring to the fact that his appliance costs but a trifle, he added— “ I would at the same time insist that no expense should be considered too great to carry out this most important, I may say all-important, operation, in those cases where it may be essential to the success or safety of any ship or ships in the Navy, or any expedition that may be engaged in.” Fig. 464. Diagram showing Bell’s Plan for Coaling at Sea. Discussion of Lieutenant Bell’s Plan.—The discussion that followed was very severe, for, as it will be observed, there were no means provided for maintaining a uniform tension on this elevated and suspended wire, and if the vessels so rigged were pitching ever so little, one of the two following events would occur, and probably both after a short time. By the ships pitching toward each other, the coal bags would be likely to be dropped into the sea, and by pitching away from each other the foremast of the collier would be unshipped or the suspended cable snapped. Commodore Campbell said : “ I do not agree with him, but I admire his principle, and I sincerely hope that this paper will help to give another blow to the happy-go-lucky system, and assist us in bringing about that systematic organisation of every detail for which the Navy is now crying out with one voice, and which is now happily receiving the special attention of our rulers.” Lieutenant Tupper said, amongst other things : “ I think the practice of coaling ships at sea ought to be made just as much a drill and evolution as are many other operations which have to be performed.” The chairman of the meeting, Admiral Boys, said in relation to Bell’s plan : “ But if these ships should get in any seaway whatever, the operation, I believe, must break down.” Lieutenant Tupper’s Plan.—Lieutenant R. G. O. Tupper, R.N., submitted a different plan for coaling vessels at sea, as shown in Fig. 465. His plan provided an endless rope, starting from the stern of the collier in tow of the warship, passing over an elevated support on the foreyard, thence to the aftermast