New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-17
THE BALTLMORE7S FINE WORK.
AN EXCELLENT SHOWING MADE IN EVERY
PARTICULAR 60
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE TRIAL
BoARD-CoMMANDER GLAss's STORY OF
THE TRIAL TRIP-THE CHARLES

BoARD-CoMMANDER GLAss's STORY OF
THE TRIAL TRIP-THE CHARLES
TON AND TIE PHILADELPHIA.
Washington, Sept 16-Secretary Tracy to-day 10
ceived the following telegram from Captain Kirkland,
president of the Trial Board which conducted the tr
of the new cruiser Baltimore last saturday
Trial Of tho Baltimore satisfactorily cOmpletcu;;
Horse power IN excess Of REQUIREMENTS aveIasc pois
per hour for four hours, nineteen and slNtehth
maximum speed for one houf, tWent! anu tsni for
some days
The Baltimoro's remarkable run was the generA
topic of interest at the Navy Department To-Day
Early in the day Commander Glass, who was mem
Der Of the Trial Board, called upon Secretary Tray
and gave him some data relative to the trial, which
pleased the Secretary so we'll that he sent the FOL
lowing telegram 10 ex-secretary Whitney, who pro
cured tho designs for the ships hull and contractor
for her construction:
Navy Department; washpstSn, as Ing %.vy sept TO-
Permit me 70 congratulate you on the masnlnoon'
performance 0i 'n0 BENJAMIN F. TRACY.
What Commander Glass had TO communicate were
facts which will appear in detail in the report
OF the Trial Board but which in substance were as
follows:
The Baltmore's sea trial for collective indicated
horsepower began at 40 a m and ended at i 'fo
D. M Saturday, September Ia There was a Hsh'
long swell the remains of the cyclone Of September
10, IL and L.. The distance run in four hours was
7s3 knots The average speed per hour was lo'o
and the maximum speed for one hour 2O2 knots
A remarkable circumsi lance d one eXhlot M 'no
perec ton OF the mechanism, is that this great spce
OF oO2 knots was made In the third hour, OF ut'r
the boilers and engines had been for two hours urNeh
under forced draft " In fact" says COmmahuor
Glass at the end of the four hours trial the vessel
was in condition to undertake another such run WIN
ont further preparation. The average reVOiuuos
of the screws during the four hours was liza P'i
minute while the maximum for one hour ran up 10
llO.7. The average horse power maintained durlns
the four hours probably as much, II not moro,
than 10000 but the exact figures cannot be obtain
untfl the computations are finished. This ls l,OOo
above the contract requirement Of 5000, and VIII
entte the builders to a premium Of $4,000 The
speed records obtained by the patent log cor
rccted by bearings shore before and after the rum
and verified also by the ordinary chip oS
After the trial tho vessel was put through evo'n
tons to determine her manOeuvcrng powers WIN
both engines running ahead, she made complete
circle of $50 yards diameter in about seven minutes
while with the port engine going ahead and the star
board engine backing, she turned circle Of 23O
yards diameter in about seven and oneeghth
minutes. With full speed ahead she stopped In eight
minutes, and with both engines backing, the
shin came 20 standstll in two and quarter minutes
almost in her own length The vessel was loaded
down with pig-iron TO point even
In excess of her draught when fitted
with guns and stores, and amply demonstrated her
strength Her seaworthlness was particularly excel
lent and under full speed-Or at twenty knots-the
vibrations were very slight, tho greatest vibrations
being about the forecastle and pilot house. and not
noticeable on the lower decks She was so steady IN
seaway as TO cause the officers TO compare her to the
monitor type; and this insures steady gun plat
] c1ftf=gf nfa IN nor
Two men were able 10 steer the ship at any time
with the greatest readiness. Another noteworthy fact
was the comfortable condition Of the fire and engine
| rooms. A duplicate had been provided, with
the expectation Of relieving the fcmen IN two-hour
turns but after the first two hours of the run the
first watch refused to quit work. and Insisted on run
ming tie ship throughout the entire four hours trial
Commander Glass was also a member OF the board
which tried the cruiser Charleston in Pacific waters,
| and is consequently able to make some compari-
sons Of the performance of that vessel and the Ba
more with English ships Of corresponding types He
signed Iv W H. White. then with
Armstrong & Co., but now Chief Naval Constructor
by Cramp Sons her builders. The plan for the hull
was rejected competition with others offered 10 the
the Rena Rcgeuta. which able to do 21.5 knots
over a measured mile only, although more than 1000
design, but II necessary for the builders to i'm
prove the plans for her machinery, and when this had
| Teen done she made 1919 knots at sea, while her
prototype, the NaniwakOn, made but 1S.0 knots after
| twenty trials.
Commander Glass believes that the logic of this
showing Is that tie good results obtained with the
Charleston and Baltimore arc 10 be attributed solely
the superior excellence OF skin and workmanship oS
American shp-buders and mechanics. He finds that
the lines Of the hulls are more nearly perfect, the
skins smoother and the boilers, engine and machinery
Of such excecnt material and workmanship that con
trary to the practice elsewhere. It possible In tho
| of the lew American cruisers 10 show better
result and higher speed at the end of several hours
hard running than at the beginning
The Philadelphia which was recently launched on
the Delaware, has huh practically the the
Baltimore In her there is requirement to
horse power but she Is guaranteed 10 make nineteen
knots and should she do well the Baltimore she
receive 900 for every quarter knot made by the
vessel nineteen knots.