OUR COAL DEPOTS.

Kumara Times, Issue 842, 12 June 1879, Page 4

OUR COAL DEPOTS.

. [pail mall gazette.] The news received from St. Vincent will. It is to be hoped, have the effect of calling attention to one of the weakest points in our arrangements for the protection of our commerce on distant seas, and for the defence of ontlyir'g portions of the Empire. A telegram published in the Standard, from its correspondent at St Vincent, says :—“ Immense delay is taking place here with regard to the coaling of the transports. The Russia, England, France, Egypt, and Spain are still in the : harbor, and the coaling facilities are altogether inadequate; lam unable to say when the coaling will be completed, but some of the veissels have been here for days, and are far from full.” The inadequacy of the arrangements for the supply of coal to the British fleets all over the world in time of war, has been pointed out over and over again by writers who have taken the trouble to examine how the Empire as a whole may be ; best protected against attack; and the absolute necessity of organising betimes coaling stations provided with facilities for coaling simultaneously a large number of ships on those points of British territory which ;lie on or adjacent to the main lines of ocean traffic, has been strongly urged. Among those points may be mentioned St Vincent, the Falkland Islands, Hong Eong, Vancouver’s Island, and the Gape. Those who were at the last named place during the Indian Mutiny will remember how slowly, laboriously, and painfully the task of coaling vessels hastening eastward with the troops was then accomplished ; and yet, despite this and »ther experience, no adequate arrangements have yet been made for securing a sufficient provision of coal at important points in times of emergency, together with tld ’means for rapidly getting it on board vessels whose bunkers require replenishing. In ; the present instance would it not be advisable. since the tr nst.orts apparently cannot be all coaled at St Vincent without immense delay, to order two or three of th m to go on to Sierra Leone ? There they wil find, at all events, some small amount of coal, and probably one or two men-of war will be lying there whose crews could assist in coaling the transports, while Sierra Leone tself is but a very short distance to the eastward of the direct line from St Vincent to the Cape; and consequently to touch there would not involve any inappreciable loss of time.