Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-30
NEAR TWENTY KNOTS
rur CRUISER SAN FRANCISCO
aeeAks THE SPEED RECORD.
RI. rramps Forced to Yield the Palm to
Their Worthy Rivals. the Scots
Z of the Pacific Coast.

Co... p.pn.aA. CAL. August 28.-The
cr,;ser San Francisco was thrown open to
,;o;tors aeon after the conclusion of her
tr,al trim Yesterday. and great crowds of
people visited her in the afternoon ana
evening. During the last two evenings,
while the San Francisco was lying at an
Choir. her search-lights were tested under
the direction of Lieutenant Grant. Rays
were thrown in every direction and every
mart of the barbor was brilliantly iilumi-
mated. The principal reason ior waiting
here until this morning was TO give Ihe
crew n rest before resuming the trip TO Ban
Francisco. 49,.
o'clock this morning and will probably
arrive in San Francisco at O'Clock 10;
morrow morning. The report OF the naval
board appointed for the triai UP
was Forwarded to Washington from
santa barbara this morning. The re-
mort comments upon the trial IN the
most favorable manner and says that the
AVERAGE sneed maintained throughout the
four hours, run was 1871 knots. which ~
about .O2 of a knot in excess of the recent
record of the Philadelphia
The first figures. which we're calculated
roughly immediately at the conclusion OF
the trial Yesterday, gave her an average
speed of 1875. but the trlai ooard nero non
sideratiop the fact that several minutes
had been lost by the stoppage OF one or
tbe fans ON account Of water getting into
the chamber which supplies the furnaces
with a current of air. After careful con.
sideration the board calculated the speed
AT 1877 knots, but sent this figure SUBJECT
to correction, as there are stili some calcu-
latiops to be made based on tidal ana cur
rent observations. which, it Is expected,
w;Il give the San Francisco q still higher
rate of speed. and possibly an average rate
of 1915 knots.
The hoard also states that the maximum
rate of speed attained by the cruiser was
Oh OG knots. and that this rate was mace
in the last ten knots of the run and after
tbe engines already had been under forced
draught for over four hours. better idea
of the speed can be obtained when IL Is
considered 20. 06 knots is equal TO twenty
tLroa land miles. and that the cruiser
travelled half that distance In less than
half an hour.
The horsepower developed by the en-
zines during the run will not be definitely
known for some time, as corrections LOT III.
dicator-springs will have To be made, but
calculations made so far indicate that the
average horsepower used IN drlvlhg 1he
shin 1917 knots will not exceed S,3oO. TX,
perts claim that this shows an easy model
a nd fiat tbe resistance. or what may be
Technically termed fractional reslstances,
of the SHIN IN moving through the water
will he less than the Charleston. Nanlwa-
kan. Baltimore, Reiva, Regente, Orlando,
or Philadelphia. As the San Francisco was
built entirely on plans prepared by the
Bureau of Steam Engineering 1t is regarded
that these facts speak well for the WORK OF
the department.
OFFICIAL REPORT.
WASHINGTON. ID. c., August 2S.-Commo-
dore John Irwin, president OF the Doard,
telegraphed Secretary Tracy tins morning
that she had made 1877 knots without allow
ing for correction for tidal retaTdatl0n, anu
President Scott, of the Union Iron WORKS,
teleoraphed to Engineer-in-Chlef Melvllle
tbafthe corrected speed over the measured
course of eighty knots will be 1916. Inc
ACREAGE speed of the run, taken by
n Walker patent log, Is given as
2545 knots, but the patent log IS
in disfavor for measuring fast speeds,
and this will not be used III making up her
record. 1t is interesting however, tor CON-
parison with the Baltimore, which. accord,
inc TO a Walker log, attained o speed OF
q. O6 on her horsepower trial trip;
The San Francisco has beaten this, using
the same means of measurement, and she
has beaten the record of the Phlladelpha
az 10 67s knots on the measured course. It
"a believed AT the Navy Department that. II
the Union lron-W orks will ask for another
trial. thew can attain still better results, as
the speed was cut down very materially py
the water getting into the AR ducts whlcn
q little yatchfulness would have obvlated.
The fairest basis Of comparison as to the
efficiency of the machinery Will he fur-
nished by the horsepower report When III
! is received. The engines OF the san fran-
| cisco were designed about the time that
| the craze for extreme hghtness OF ma
| chinery reached its height I'D European ma
v;as Some English ships had been de-
| signed for ten-horse power per ton OF ma
| chinery. and Mr. Whitney, then at the mead
of the Navy Department, called on Engi-
neer-,n- Chief Melville to do as well. The
| horsepower report of the San Francisco
| will probablv show over eleven-horse
mower per ton without any of the reported
| k-iowns that almost invariably oc-
Cured in the Englis vessels with light ma
| chinery, some of them having as many as
seven or eight unsuccessful trial trips,
The San Francisco will be accepted and
| mt in commission as soon as possible, WIN
| raptain William I. Sampson in command.
| Her battery, which is similar to that OF the
| philadelphia. consisting OF twelve slx-lnch
| gnns aud numerous rapid-tire- and machine.
| 9uns il complete at the ordnance-toundry
in this city. and orders were gwen to-day
for its immediate shipment to the Mare
Island navy yard. The San Francisco had
been expected to go to China as the nag
shin of that station, but pressing need OF
more ships on the Pacific station Will pro-
| baby result in her staying there for the
nresent. and Admiral Brown may transfer
mis- flag to her from the Charleston.