New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-14
SPEED OF WAR VESSELS.
COMPARISONS OF THE FASTEST SHIPS

COMP PARSONS OF THE FASTEST SHIPS.
NOW THE PEOPLE ARE DECEIVED BY THE RE
PORTED HI0H SPEEDS OF BATTLE.sHIPs
.xn CRUISERS - REASONS WHY THE
SPEEDS IN ACTUAL SERVICE ARE
MUCH LESS THAN THOSE
MADE on THE TRIALS.
=, one thing in connection with the restoration Of
A.. navel dcfences of this country has attracted more
attention than another that one thing has been 'no
oue,on Of speed of the battleshps and crulSe''
Nor, thought and more criticism has been eApenu'u
nv inc new spapers and by the owners of the new SHIPS
tle people who put their hands into their pochS> Vi
make ont check at least once year Tor t"c sup
mort Of the general and local governments part Oh
which goes toward the building of the new NcS
scI, Politicians and others who hardly k"'"
q shin from a street leaning scow nave Wd>'cu
bours talking about compound triple NpaH'ioN
actng-steeplebeam engines, ana tie no''' az"
merits of forced draft, which they kle" l'l0 VI
nothing about. They have presumed 10 'iI'''' "0
sicncrs and builders the question Vi ",ru'
esl,oess and vibrations. and low iree-board Those
who cxuIt in praisng all that IS " hheHSh uo" 'o'
know and deriving everything tha' j. Vi Ho''c vi"
a,c,iop have not allowed an opportunity 10 pass To
c,,,v a contrast between the foreign and American
Navy .bips and in favor of the former IheV nave
seemed 10 delight in asserting tha' tle h'" s"PH
fail to make the speed that they rcacheu on u"
omcial trial If they had kept themselves informed
,Iov would not fall into gross errors of judgment
they would learn that IL is the experience OF every
builder and owner of steam vessels merchant marine
~, naval that speed such never can be realized
in general service is invariably got ont of vessel on
her original official trial Every ship IN her infancy
,rderroes A number of so-Called speed trials. winch
generally form the subject of congratuatoE reports
in the press but which are. in fact quite mSeaulhS
and nj no real value a. tables of references of the real
capabilities of the vessel.
These trials are conducted when the ship has per
tctv clean hall. when the boilers free from scale
NJ any kind or anything to obstmct the heatlhS sur
faces from their capacity for generating steam qhCN
when picked coal is used and experts haioie IT.
., the furnaces i'm smooth water and under other most
favorable conditions. The whole thing Is admueoE
~ exceptional feat Of skill and forces Yet ever after
end The records Of the trial called attention 10 A.
e measure Of the abilities Of the ship. EnEineerh-
chief George W. Melville Of the Navy Department. no
doubt realized that this misplaced commence "'"
in his report for 1oo7. he recommended t'at every
shin in commission should be tried at least once III
over, six months and more frequently. If possible ior
ej,bt hours under full power 1t would be better Il d
1orcer rim could be made but the number OF men al
Io,rcd will not permit Of II, at full power the
watches have to he doubled and the men cannot Nau
tie strain \ part Of this nun should be maze over Il
measured base in order determine the exact speed
Zach ship should also, wear, be suuJe''eu 10
progressive speed trial, measured base Il pos
sioe The result OF these trials would give the &c
nartmcut a good idea Of the efficiency OF the ma
1hincrv. and would be useful in many WAYS.
To move that the official trials are not constantly u
10 dcncnded upon aftcryad one need only REFER 10
, record, Of some of the TRANSATLANTIC steamers
Tor instance the Columbia. Of the Hamburg AH''I, an
IN. made 20 knots al - = ieNo4utl'hN "H ll,,i
,,ial b. her speed on her first three NoFd-ca Wa "Il
sh,,i l. i knots. The Augusta IC'"Ild' u1 3'n
Inc line i, said 10 have maze ~ hH"'S "i nv.
rial hut on hey first "trip 20 sandy h"oh 'n' ld' %
On record at that time, her average speeu "d9 -"
knots only
DEFICIENCIES IN BRITISH VESSELS.
One marked result Of the recent manoeuvEeS OF me
r,i,i.b naval squadron wa, that it directed ATTENTION
10 the unsatisfactory speed, attained by the new.
vessels, The new armorcd ships showed la'HI- %" ~
reod that caused the owners, the taAPi> err WHO nan
,... immense price, for the new Wai>mp,' >Ip' W.
iii,h they had been led u place the "l"i'', 'u',
tdrrre A. a r-ltu- force. to feel tal t"'H nv
deived A. Il. lie actual value u thclf HN'''
~. no eighto4n new a.1uored ships there va ldIi'-
- n, H. artual speed made at oca from tIdl maui
,be rial ~ 20 lrr cent more. Inc i"II'"4'- nan
(1eo instance. taken from the Ohcal report "i dt.
,or1v ship> Will give idea OF the o'h'Is' anu
., iaoa ~ what the Admiralty may cAprt 70 ~ ~
0f tle new hdtflc,hipS when theN are he MAJ.
tjru0i,lv at sea compared Win "ha' '''f may