Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-14
NO SERIOUS DEFEcrs.
The Cruisers Performance Better than
Was Expected

| SAN FRANCISCO, May 1Sth-At the Office of
the Union Iron Works this afternoon inouiry
developed the fact that the cruiser Charleston
is expected nome either this evening or to- NOR
| row. Regarding the fact telegraphed out from
New FORK that the slide valve had heated and
was not matter to be lightly regarded, Mr..
Scott laughed and said that he had no desire To
deny the fact that the valve was heated
AS the side valve is in the steam chest and
tne Charieston was carrying ninety five pounds
OF steam am not surprised that the valve was
not and 1t always will be and should be when
steam is up. The portion, however that heated
aud caused the hitch was the slide that carries
the cross-head of the rward engine New ad
Justments were needed for this and the only
place the changes could be made was at the
yard " '-'S
In answer to the query as to whether he
looked upon the trip as a failure, Mr.. Scott re-
piled: q A failure? Nol Why, with COO horse
power the vessel developed eighteen and one
quarter knots an hour. with lD9 revolutions.
ms Is much better than the department at
washington expected The idea there was
that with 7.000-horse power the cruiser would
develop speed of little better than seventeen
Knots; but she has gone one knot better with
iOoo less horse power. From all points of view,
the trip has been q success. The vessel after
which she is modelled, and which is now in the
japanese navy, required twenty-five trial trims
| before she came up to the standard The Nesii-
Vlus, lately turned over to the United States
Government, had numerous private trials and
SIX Government trials before she was accepted
The Yorktown had four Government trials in
duultlOll 10 Il NUMBER OF private ones. If we
nad had place in the bay where we could
have run tor four hours in a straight line we
would have given the Charleston some private
trials ourselves
LAS the steamer had to go to sea in order to
reach suitable place, we resolved TO take the
Naval Board on the first trip, in the possibility
that the vessel might come up to Government
requirements. / can at the present time how
ever, r+call no instance where either man-of-
war or passenger steamer did her best on the
nrst, second or third trips. Under the circum-
stances both the builders of the Charleston and
the government officials are perfectly satisfied
with her actions which have been better than
we expected
:" Is there any truth in the statement that the
air-pumps are defective and failed to sustain a
proper Vacuum
Not the slightest. From the kilograms have
received am led TO inter that the vacuum sus-
tanned is greater than is necessary. No, the
only fault is the heating of the engine and
that viii be easily remedied."
The Charleston returned this evening from
Santa Barbara, the builders deciding to go to
the Union Iron Works to redress the slides of
the starooard high-pressure engine before a
second trial. The naval officers detailed to in
spect her declared that with developed horse
power OF 1900 she one of the fastest fighting
ships in the world. With a few modifications
she viii not only exceed 1900 horsepower but
threatens to rival exceptionally fast cruisers
that have covered nineteen miles an h1ur
After leaving Santa Barbara Sunday the ship
was driven at lI.3 knots with natural drafts
making easy steam This was with the de-
yelopment of 4,7S0 horsepower and an average
OF 100 revolutions. When off Point Conception
the thrust bearing of the port engine warmed
up and the ship had 10 be stopped to examine
this. After the examination had been made
the thrust cap was cleaned and replaced and
the cruiser went .ahead at y knots an hour
and reached port without special interest.