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Show HOW "FIGHTING BOB" EVANS SAVED COAL Once across tho lino tho question of coal supply becamo a very serious ono. Theoretically the supply in tho bunkers bunk-ers Bhould tako us saiely to Rio with several hundred tons to spare, but whai about the equatorial current and how could wo best avoid it7 After a careful care-ful study of all tho charts and sailing directions by tho chief of staff and myself my-self it was decided to stand well out to the eastward to avoid tho strength of this current, but whon this had been douo wo found a knot, and a half and sometimes two knots per hour against us. Tho Maine" waV eaing up- coal at an alarming rate if I couldrcly absolutely on her noon report each day, and ono of the new ships had tho samo undesirable unde-sirable tendency, remarks Admiral Robloy D. Evans m his intensely interesting inter-esting naval scries in Hampton's Broadway Broad-way Magazine. I havo seen considerable considera-ble servico in battleships and I know that thoir engino room forces were, like those of othor ships, givon to coming com-ing out ahoad on the coal question, and I had nover been caught at sea completely com-pletely out of coal, so I did not allow the situation to trouble mo much. Whon the now ship, mentioned above, seemed to' be approaching tho dangor line in coal consumption I mado signal to her that when her coal on hand was reduced re-duced to a certain amount tho Kansas would tako her in tow, and that ended the trouble. Her coal consumption was immediately reducod to that of other ships of her class. It seemed to me that even tho most economical ships lowered their consumption as a result of this signal. Wo arrived in Rio, as all now know, without trouble and with a comfortable reserve of coal in our bunkers. Tho question of how to improve the efficiency of tho firemen of tho fleet was one that had given me much serious concern. They were not up to the standard established by tho men at the guns, and I determined to mako them -so if possible. With the assistance of tho able officers of my staff, a comprehensive com-prehensive general order, covering tho wholo subject and giving full details, was prepared and issuod. Competition among all the ships of tho fleol. was demanded by the order and suitable rewards re-wards offered pwidod congress could bo induced to givo us the necessary small sura of monoy, about $2000. This order was issued at Rio, and, from tho time wo loft thero until wo reached Magdalona bay, resulted in a saving of 1400 tons of coal, which, in dollars and cents, at tho contract price of coal, was enough to pay the prizes to bo awarded for four years. Congress did not, however, how-ever, givo us tho mouej', but the navy department and tho servico generally highly aTinroved of tho order, and we live in hopo that some other congress will treat us better. |