Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-28


at Is ali very well 20 talk about the wonder
10 progress are making in nayal matters,
SAID gentleman well vsrsed in all sorts Of
t'p.es but those relating 20 the sea to q STAR
reporter the other day, but what are we to
t-.uk when one Of the fast cruisers, built at
enormous expense and proclaimed TO be the
fastest atioat' tries to go 10 Europe and finally
manages to get there IN d fortnight or three
w-eAs. | say what ve to think. after all
t,-,t has been said and done, after We have
scamcd 10 come near the mark? 1t seems to
4.. t;sa. the recent trip Of the Baltimore to
Way with the remains OF Ericsson should
"...r. .f.a eve, Of the officials who arc doing so
ra..a 81 ms. about the speed Of the new cruis-
az and the.r general excellence. Why, the
t.3gt~t tramp steamers making the trans
atlantic trip can beat them"
not ~ THE RACING Eusryrss
The gentleman WAS correct in that i. takes
tire government vessels a long time to make
tL-ir cruises but ne did not stop to think that
tie government Is Tot in the racing business
Just now and that there il consequently not so
rucn demand for great speed now AS there was
daring the war. when there was chasing to do.
j., represents a good many other people who
are inclined to wonder why more is not done
~ these Je4utI'ul and costly new ships when
thy 80 20 sea IA the way Of record making,
40 TIL builders OF those ships that the true
state OF affairs should be made plain. 1t costs,
ON an average. abont $500 900 year TO coal
IL" Eavy. and tbs sum Ia annually increasing,
OWING 10 the high powered vessels that are
beng added TO tine lists and the gradual
l.@Clu-r 0f the OLD sailing ships with those that
are IDt provided with nasts except for battery
purposes. Ii costs relatively more 10 run a
Ship TO miles at ten knots an hour than IL does
tae sane distance at twenty, this being shown
BIZ actual CLy grlmCEtGtIUn.
RATES or COAL TO SPEED.
For example, in the statements in regard to
TIC dimensions. DC. Of the vessels the an
thorIties make such remarks these: Gun boat
No. 2-Trtrcl; at y Knots. her MAXIMUM, will
q; ana -, knots q day aud burn 30.6 tons OF
coal, while at knots. which is the minimum
C.rstT..lv TcckOEcd for such ship. will steam
IL k..ut, and bum SIS tons OF coal day. In
other words. she Will run ISL as TAR and viii
burn los ~ much cCal. Or, to make the conf
lari-on closer End more striking. she steams
over half far with an expenditure of less
than OIe-sIIth - much coal Inc proportion
o. coal ana distance remains about the same IN
O.icr lengths OF time and rates of speed but
varies some hat N the larger and more power
~ yt~ses. Ia the ease Of the Baltimore her
self IT," figures are as follows: At 10 knots. her
T-aN.l.Uul speed. sine steam5 40 knots a day By
lUgi.,HsS 2iJ&S tons Of coal, while at 10 knots,
her ordinary cruising speed, she makes 2i0
Knots and burns ZJ02 tons. Here the
disparity between the cost of tho
two days performances Is even more
,,artIug Al the lower speed she makes
10 as much Of run and burns .1O5 much
c.aL Perhaps the best way 10 show the ne
c-S-ity for economy IN the way Of speed is by
stating that the Baltimore can carry $50 tons
OF Goa, with her bunkcrs crammed full On
this supply she can make a total run, at her
maximum speed. of 1867 knots. or about one
Ealf OF the distance Travelled by one OF the
transatlantic liners in single run. This would
take her, 10 be sure. but three and half days.
but would leave her in midOcean without
Means of helping herself. Suppose. however,
that she should content herself with little |
slower speed and 20 but fifteen knots all hour |
81" would make total run, on her supply, of
40 knots, more than the entire distance |
10 Europe. taking ll-ol days. Or, supposing |
hsr 20 adopt tie speed Of seventeen knots, she !
con 4 lust about make the passage. steamug I
CG- knots III 7.52 days, or just little longer !
tLau Is now taken by the fast liners On such !
a showing she would make record OF which [
her officers might be proud. but this. too. !
would leave her without coal and would !
stretch the margin Of safety to the limit. On |
Tie other hand. suIpCslng coal to be scarce !
away from home. sue might steam at the rate of |
ten kuots and make total run in thirty -four |
days Of S,lJJ knots. or across the ocean and |
back again. with plenty of GOAL to spare.
No Necessity FOR GRrAT SPEED.
Taking into account the fact that the officers |
and men on board these vessels are paid ty the !
is seldom OF never. in these times of peace |
any necessity for haste it Is not at all strange
IL Il the V s-cl should 1t were, loaf along
instead Of keeping up the highest pitch OF her
speed, burn ng all of her coal and strainiug
her frames and her engines. simply in order
that the prIde of few people at home might
not suffer. We're the vessels OF the navy run
Ike those Of merchant lines. with salaries paid
Cu.y iU- the run. and with every desire on the
part Of the managers to make the quickest
I he q tel ybp-fa
The economy of coal would DO waste IL the
ED.
There is another matter that must DE noted
IN tAIs connection. II il sometimes the
tL-t even these new vessels are not able TO go
faster tI.u ten and twelve Knots an hour. even
though they are but fresh from the HANDS of
the contractors with records OF eighteen and
twDutv knots. Their bottoms are so fOulcd
with rarnacles and weeds that By the time they
AZ, ready 10 make their return trips from their
first cruises they are nothing but slow coaches
and do well 10 creep along III the wake OF sail
tTs. THIS has become one OF the most import
ant of problems to naval architects. and 1t Is
beng discussed with interest all over the world
wherever ships are being built Of iron and
steel There was day when the bottoms OF
ships were never coated with anything but the
best o; copper, and foaling was not such a
problem - II Is now, but since the advent of
The steel hull there has been the greatest diff
Guilty II keeping the sliding sides of the raOu-
~. r IN proper shape. II seems that copper
rsAiO-la-Es or causes the deposit on It's sur
face exposed 70 the action OF the sea water OF
~ certain peculiar substance that prevents the
baruacles obtaining hold upon it. go that the
vibrations OF tie vessel when i'll motion are
sufficient 20 shake them loose until they fall
into the sea again. whence they grew
DiFFICULTIEs ~ TIE WAY OF CoPPERISG
Sat there are difficulties in the way of cop
Pcr!ns, such the added cost o. that metal
AID the danger OF electricity being formed by
the union o; the two substances copper and
IrnH steel This action causes the Gisinte-
grafton Of the bottom until there are large
holes eaten out and leaks are thus formed
This : avoided, however. by the Interpolation
between tho me tais o, a sheathIng Of wood SO
b. those who have made d study OF this subject
that the cost Of cOpperiug and sheathing a ship
would more than DC saved by the economy OF
cDaI during the life OF the ship. winch would
lie greatly prolonged. A. ii is now the bot
TINS u ships have TO be scraped AT frequent
Intervals and IL Is a process involving danger
G. -futit;lOn Of the metal, SO that holes and
weak spots are apt 10 be developed
50 ,Hat Il - not very strange why the new
cruiser Charleston, less than six months in
Commission. after magnificent run OF over
Itr--t-u knots. should return home from a
cruise 20 the Sandwich Islands at but about
eight knots, ali that she could make by any
Ies-.-lIty. Her bottom was thickly coated
y Ia hs-ulclcs and had to be locked at once
(. .4r L.r refyrr In -la Pacific the QrOxtbSo al