The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

334 THE MECHANICAL HANDLING OF MATERIAL “ Retvizan,” in a letter of congratulation to Mr Spencer Miller, the inventor, wrote as follows : “Witnessing this last success, I am sure that your system of coaling at sea will be adopted by all the navies of the world. . . . The Trial Board reached the conclusion that the marine cableway works very satisfactorily, and is well worth adoption for general use on board war vessels.” During the Russian-Japanese War ten of the largest battleships and cruisers of the Baltic Fleet were fitted with marine cableways similar to that installed upon the- “ Retvizan ” to enable the fleet to coal at sea in their journey to the Far East. These Fig. 473. “ Retvizan” receiving Coal from the Cruiser “Asia.” cableways permit the ships to be 300 ft. apart in a smooth sea, and 800 ft. apart in a rough sea ; at this distance, however, the loads have to be reduced to half a ton. G-. Lene’s Plan, to Keep Ropes Taut.—His method to take up the slack of the rope, and pay it out if necessary, is as follows. The conveying rope descends from the mast-head of the coal-receiving ship over an apparatus resembling a hydraulic cylinder with plunger and multiple sheaves, similar to that used in manipulating lifts, except that it is for compressed air. After the rope has passed over the sheaves of this apparatus it ascends again to the mast-head, and returns to the winding engine of the collier. If the distance between the ships is reduced the plunger of the pneumatic