COALLESS WARSHIPS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 286, 30 May 1912, Page 6

COALLESS WARSHIPS

DEVELOPING NAVAL OIL FUEL DEPOTS. London, April 12. Extensive arrangements have been : made by the Admiralty for enlarging the oil-fuel depots at various, places round the coast, particularly on the North Sea. A large depot already exists at the mouith of the river Medway, near Port Victoria, and it was decided last year to \ enlarge this at a cost of £45,000. 'The ■ Admiralty have now determined that the cost of the extension is to be increasedto £130,000, or three times as much. A similar addition is to be made to the work in progress at the mouth of the Humber. The original estimate for this depot was only £42,000, but this has now been increased to £ 120,000. The greatest proportionate increase takes . place at Invergordon, in Cromarty Firth, where the original estimate of £BOOO is now replaced by one of £44,000. The nditional depot at Portsmouth is also to be considerably larger th>ui at first intended, the estimate being increased from £1,1,000 to £50,000. In the course of the present year work will also be begun on the new oil-fuel depots at Pembroke, Haulbowline and Hongkong, to cost respetcively £13,300, £7,700 and £25,000. The existing storage accommodation at Portland is to be enlarged: at a cost of £25,000. The reason for the extension of the oil-fuel depots on the east coast is the number of oil-burning destroyers that will be stationed in the North Sea under the new scheme of organisation. There will be thirty-six oil-burning destroyers!—the First and Secondi Flotillas —based on Rosyth, and twenty-four oilburning torpedo-boats- (the Eighth .Flotilla) base'd on Harwich, making a total of sixty ships of war in the North Sea which will burn nothing but oil. Sixteen other oil-burning destroyers—the Fourth be based on Portland.