1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 205 Perry and the Early Fourth Class (4K)

Perry was very interested in Vanderbilt's North Star.

Perry worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York in his early years, serving as the director of the shipbuilding institute and the director of the factory. He designed and built the USS Fulton, the first steamship of the U.S. Navy.

In terms of shipbuilding, especially warships, Perry is also a front-line expert and technician.

Perry was accompanied by some naval officers.

Before and after arriving at the Polaris, Perry assigned tasks to these naval officers and divided the work.

Some people were responsible for sketching the appearance of the Polaris, and some were responsible for visiting the ship. Perry himself carefully inspected the transom engine and asked the ship's engineer to start the engine to facilitate his observation.

"How fast is the Polaris?" Perry asked Vanderbilt.

"11 knots (21km) per hour, maybe faster, but not more than 11.5 knots." Vanderbilt replied.

"This engine has greater potential."

Perry stared at the pointer on the tachometer, then reduced the throttle, controlled the engine speed to 14.5 rpm, and listened carefully to the sound of the engine.

"Using this rotation speed, the speed of the Polar Star can not only be increased to about 12.5 knots, but also more fuel can be saved."

"It seems I have to thank you for saving me a lot of money on coal." Vanderbilt jotted down the speed.

"No need to thank you, the Navy wants to purchase your steam engines, and I hope you can give me a more favorable purchase price."

Perry clapped his hands, trying to shake off the soot that stuck to them.

"Who can refuse an order from the Navy?" Vanderbilt said.

"It's just that my shipyard is being transferred to Mr. Liang. I'm afraid you have to discuss these issues with Mr. Liang."

"Colonel Liang, I was going to New York to visit you, but I didn't expect you to come to Baltimore."

After hearing this, Perry turned around, shook hands with Liang Yao, and then stepped off the Polaris.

The technology of the Polaris is very advanced, especially the beam engine used on the Polaris, which has better performance than the beam engines used by the Navy's active warships.

"Nice to meet you, but I'm curious. This is your first time contacting the Polaris. How do you determine the optimal engine speed?" Liang Yao asked curiously.

"If you have been dealing with steamships for more than ten years like me, you will also master this skill." Perry said.

"When I was on the warship, I listened to the sound of the engine every day. Now I can judge the status of the engine from the sound of the engine."

"I think you should know that paddle steamers using beam engines are somewhat outdated, while hidden steamships using horizontal engines are the trend in the future," Liang Yao said.

He has no objection to selling some beam engines to the navy, but in the future his shipbuilding focus will be on hidden ships, and he is more inclined to work on horizontal reciprocating engines and invest more resources.

"As long as your shipyard can produce a concealed ship that satisfies the Navy, I can persuade the Navy Department to purchase the entire warship directly from your shipyard," Perry said.

"As a qualified naval general, you should not only consider whether the technology is advanced, but the maturity and cost of the technology are also very important indicators."

As Perry spoke, he took Liang Yao to his office.

On the way, Liang Yao saw two companies training on the playground.

The soldiers wore field uniforms, cross-body sash and belts, and carried rucksacks and blankets on their backs.

In addition, each soldier has a sword and a kettle on his waist, and is fully equipped.

The uniforms of these soldiers are very different from the navy sailors just now. They seem to be the American Marine Corps.

"Is this the Marine Corps of the Navy?"

Liang Yao pointed to the group of soldiers who were training and asked Perry.

"They are indeed members of the Marine Corps. They are responsible for protecting the Navy's military facilities at the Baltimore base." Perry glanced at the Marines who were training and said.

"These Marines are well equipped."

Liang Yao praised.

The Marine Corps at this time was not yet a fourth-class soldier, and the equipment and equipment of the Marine Corps soldiers were even better than those of Colonel Mason's infantry regiment.

Colonel Mason's infantry regiment is already the most well-equipped and well-budgeted infantry regiment in the army.

"The equipment is very good, but it is also very expensive. The cost of raising one Marine is enough to raise two Army infantry."

Facing Army officer Liang Yao, Perry said proudly.

The relationship between the U.S. Army and Navy is not harmonious. The Navy considers itself superior to the Army. Even a far-sighted naval admiral like Perry is not exempt from this.

"It's cheap."

Liang Yao lamented from the bottom of his heart that the monthly salary of ordinary army soldiers is 8 US dollars. Taking into account the wear and tear of equipment, the cost of supporting a Marine Corps soldier will never exceed 20 US dollars.

Compared with the expensive salary of the California Infantry Regiment, the cost of supporting Marines is already very cheap in Liang Yao's opinion.

He dares to support a brigade of such high-quality and cheap elites.

"Not everyone is as rich as you."

Perry lowered his face and muttered, but Liang Yao's reaction left him speechless.

Arriving at Perry's office, Perry asked the accompanying adjutant to exit the office and close the door.

Later, Perry showed his map to Liang Yao.

Although Liang Yao's plan for the expedition to Japan has not yet been completed and has not yet been submitted to Fillmore, he knows that the expedition to Japan is a certainty.

Perry had the same idea as Liang Yao, and believed that the expedition to Japan was imperative, whether it was for the purpose of promoting the prestige of the United States in the Far East or for Japan to obtain tangible benefits.

The reason why Perry's attitude is so determined is because of his understanding of President Fillmore.

After meeting President Fillmore on the Mississippi, Perry was certain that President Fillmore would definitely agree to the expedition to Japan.

In preparation for the expedition to Japan, Perry had already begun to prepare plans early, assembled the East India Fleet, and asked Colonel Fox of the Marine Corps in Washington for a regiment of Marines to undergo specialized training in Baltimore.

You know, at this time, the U.S. Marine Corps had only two regiments in total, with less than 2,000 men.

A few days earlier, Fillmore had revealed to him that the California Infantry would also participate in the expedition.

This made Perry feel very complicated.

The addition of the California Infantry Regiment could alleviate the manpower shortage problem, but the Navy Department wanted the Navy to complete the expedition alone and did not want the Army to steal the spotlight.

Liang Yao also knew what Perry was thinking, but Liang Yao didn't care about Perry's attitude.

He is an officer in the army and is under the control of the War Department. People from the Navy Department have no control over him.

For Fillmore, the expedition to Japan could only succeed, not fail. Even if Fillmore only considered his own future, he would choose a more reliable joint expedition plan between the navy and the army.

Liang Yao stared at the map displayed by Perry.

Perry planned to set off from the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia, cross the North Atlantic to the Canary Islands, then go all the way south to St. Helena, and then sail into South Africa to resupply at the port of Cape Town.

Perry's fleet then sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and began sailing north to Ceylon (today's Sri Lanka).

After leaving Ceylon, the fleet headed eastward through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore into the South China Sea, and then continued northward to Hong Kong. After resting in Hong Kong, it continued northward along China's coastline to Shanghai.

Finally, we departed from Shanghai and headed to Edo via Ryukyu.

This route is relatively safe, but the more troublesome part is the supply points along the way. Ports such as Cape Town, Ceylon, Malacca, Singapore, and Hong Kong are all under the control of the British.

If you want to supply supplies at these ports, you need to negotiate with the British. The empire on which the sun never sets in the 19th century is not just a title. Most of the ports on the chokepoints around the world are almost controlled by the British.

If Perry knew that Liang Yao had built a transfer station in Hawaii, he would definitely overturn his current plan.

If the expedition fleet circumnavigates South America to California for replenishment, and finally carries out final replenishment in Hawaii, even a fully steamed fleet will not have to worry about fuel problems and can directly reach Edo, Japan.

"Your plan is very sound, but whether it can reach Japan smoothly depends on the attitude of the British." Liang Yao said directly.

How could Perry not know this?

But facing the British maritime hegemony, he also felt very helpless.

This is already the most reasonable and safest plan that Perry can formulate.

"Do you have a better plan?" Perry asked.

"Yes, the port facilities in San Francisco are very complete. Our fleet can be repaired and resupplied in San Francisco, and then cross the Pacific Ocean to Edo, Japan." Liang Yao said loudly.

"Across the Pacific?" Perry shook his head, thinking that Liang Yao was still an amateur after all and didn't know much about the navy.

"The carrying capacity of warships is already very limited. Supplies and ammunition already occupy a large part of the space. In the end, the space that can be used to store coal is very limited. This coal is not enough to allow our fleet to cross the Pacific."

"What if we replenish the coal supply in Hawaii?" Liang Yao said, staring at Perry.

Perry's eyes lit up, and he immediately measured the distance from Hawaii to Edo, and came to a conclusion after simple calculations.

"If we can replenish coal in Hawaii, it will be more than enough to reach Edo! Have you built a supply station in Hawaii?"

"Yes, the Hawaiian port can now be used by the U.S. Navy, and Global Shipping Company will also dispatch cargo ships to serve as supply ships for the naval fleet, providing specialized logistics support for the naval fleet.

This route across the Pacific to the Far East is also frequently taken by the fleet of Global Shipping Company, which can provide navigation assistance for the Navy’s expeditionary fleet.”

The ports and warehouses that Liang Yao worked so hard to repair in Hawaii are now finally put to use.

He was able to enter Hawaii thanks to the French navy's invasion of Hawaii last year.

If the French high-level officials were not anxious and sent the navy to invade Hawaii rashly, which made the British dissatisfied, it would be difficult for him to have a chance to get involved in Hawaii.

"Great!" Perry high-fived and exclaimed, "If there is a transit station in Hawaii to provide supplies, our expedition will not have to look at the British face at all, and the voyage will be shorter.

But how do we get back? After all, in the Far East, the United States does not have ports or supply points to replenish coal."

"As long as the Japanese are forced to sign a treaty, supply ports will naturally be available. As for coal, I will have people purchase enough coal from Hong Kong in advance and transport it to Japan."

Liang Yao said.

Liang Yao is not worried about the coal-burning problem on the return journey. The ships used by Global Shipping Company are also steam ships and they also burn coal.

He has a special coal-fired warehouse in Guangzhou Port, which stores coal purchased from Hong Kong for use by global shipping companies.

Even if the British don't sell coal to him, he won't panic, because there are ready-made coal mines in the Baiyun area of ​​Guangzhou.

"Now I finally know why Mr. President said you would be my best partner for my expedition to Japan. You think about things more thoughtfully than I do," Perry said with emotion.

Now he has completely changed his original attitude and believes that Liang Yao is an indispensable member of the military expedition to Japan.

"It will take some time for the fleet to go around South America and reach California. I hope your fleet can leave for California early to save more time. The port in San Francisco is large enough and has enough docks for the navy's warships to berth."

Liang Yao said to Perry.

"I will get the order from the Navy Department as soon as possible." Perry nodded and said.

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In the New York Telegraph Office, amidst the noisy noise in the telegraph room, Charlie was concentrating on sending and receiving telegrams.

Charlie takes his work seriously, is meticulous and conscientious, and is no different from an ordinary telegraph operator in the telegraph room.

No one would have thought that this clerk at the telegraph office was the "Wall Street robber" that the entire New York citizenry was searching for.

A Wall Street robber who is rumored to have made nearly two million dollars on Wall Street in one year.

Just a year ago, Charlie had another name: Little Brannan.

He is the younger brother of Sam Brannan, the first millionaire in the West.

After coming to New York, due to the crimes his brother committed in California, Brannan had to take his nephew incognito, change his name to Charlie, and settle down in New York.

Charlie did not choose to squander the property left to him by his brother, but looked for opportunities to make a comeback in New York.

Charlie's business sense was no worse than that of his brother Brannan, and soon Charlie found new business opportunities in New York.

telegraph!

Before the advent of the telegraph, the exchange in New York used a very traditional method to communicate market information to the outside world.

When Wall Street traders want to convey trading information to Philadelphia, the fastest way is for traders to use semaphores to convey trading information to the other side of the Hudson River.

The staff responsible for receiving information on the other side quickly added the information conveyed by the traders and rode non-stop to Philadelphia, 100 miles away.

The fastest Philadelphia can receive trading information from Wall Street is the next day.

But in the financial market, stock prices change rapidly. Not to mention one day, even one hour, even one minute, one second, the price difference caused is enough to cause investors to suffer huge losses.

Therefore, before the advent of the telegraph, jockeys who owned many fast horses were very popular on Wall Street. These jockeys shuttled between New York and surrounding major cities, racing against time but also against wealth.

Until the advent of the telegraph, these riders who were responsible for delivering transaction information finally lost their jobs, and these riders were replaced by telegraph operators in the telegraph room.

(End of chapter)