New-York tribune., 1890-06-28
WHAT An OFFICER THINKS OF HER.
~fIOW1NT WIZ IND 'KT 'TIIs ~ III T N'''1'-
WAR VESSEL tFDOAT

ono of the officers who on thc trial OF the
philadelphia was asked Yesterday what he thought
the vessel had really accomplished. llc said. o.
think that the Philadelphia has proved her-cf the
fastest war vessel anoat. She made an average OF
1871 knots an hour Tor four successive hours aNi h'
yihstanding the fact that the altimorr was reported
H. have made an average of 10 30 knots for Your
coueccutlyc hour- I'm her trial In september last think
the Philadelphia f. the faster. imi Il must Ice h'rnc
in mind that the Philadelphia made her recorded
speed over course carefully and correctly measured
while that of the ial;iT0re was recorded from patent
log the accuracy Of which seriously donbt"h ana
,c.r,c,,,d urnv,d Ia be in error. At the trial on
Wednesday three Of the officers selected - note the
time stood on the deck. each with chronom-
ctcr In his hand. ana they noted ihc cN
act second that the Philadelphia oro-.cd over
the starting line This wi~ l. 20 ~ "''lo'"
Tho tug Hna passed - minutes ana
q, .ccouds later. and 4 ,hc was really AZ the
,cn mile polnt from the start would show that the
philade phia had made rate of % hnots. Ihc Nina
was probably lc-s than ten miles from uc S'"'
However jr.t after passing the Nina We made br't
spurt at the rate Of 20 $40 Imots. ana al one 'h'
the patent oe recorded speed If - knots 'n' 'h'7
,ros with the same instrument that was used bl the
baltimore and was claimed t0 be inaccurate. Inc
next Of the mile -incboat, pu 'ed was inc h""''
Al - minutes 80 seconds from the start II ms boat
,cas actually on her twenty mile station the fhlia
dclphla must have made aircd 10 th' Po''' VI
u > knot, But II isn't lkcly h,t We had made mat
enccd We pas,cd tie E,scN ID reached th' ioriN-m'
stake. Of Block Island. II - .O" mah'ns the
elapsed time hours q minutes and - seconds
Th,, gave an average Of 1910 knots an hour
After making the turn the Ih.lld"phla crossed
the line on the return at = 40 :JG. 1t was EVIDENT
that We were going much IA Ger, but oi course inc
wind and current must b. taken into account Inc
vessel crossed the finish line at ~ :od. making
Ygn ~.
, bour, q minutes and 81 seconds. This would give
spce1 Of an average Of l9.5i2 knots an hour or
more than A half knot In excess Of The requirements
n these results are borne out by the official acatoh'
which will be completed IN Jew day. inc premium
which the contractors viii receive viii be- ~ ~ 4
foot or about 4lO2,iOO In all. The premium "mch
tb.s firm received on the baltimore for an excess OF
horse power va, 3lOG1l1 s0'
The only data Of tides iaI received j. from the
DoluhIn and shows about q half knot countcr tidal
current on the eastcrly course. ON the run back II
gas nearly sack.watcr. but there was a slight cur
rent against the cruiser. The engineer officers 'h
board thc Philadelphia are said To be "i the OPINION
that her engines too powerful Tor the h"ii. ~
one time during her greatest speed on the tIi'i rp
the engines vibracd from onceghth I" one tonrth "'
nm inch ON her run down the coast on Ihutsnhy
morning experiments were made WIN inlihIe uh"''
team from two boilers. 20 the consumption 1i ovdi
II was found that with forced drueht IL o'ok ohH
from 1 / > 10 - pounds Of coal 10 produce one horNe
newer Thls was a most economical result. during
iho trloi rim Inc shin ylbraicd that II was I'M
nosslble to write on board Every portion "l h' nun
nuycred The first course laid OF bN the bahe 10,
INC trial trim vas seventeen ialhDh Hpvt' i'iu
was objected 10 hy the Cramps. The Blake lieh alu
on another course where the water was nOt uhn.I
twenty iathoms a, IT wa, The Philadelphia ran, ran
oro and oncuIarer miles inside the irst course Oh e
cascrn trim and three miles inside on her ~r'tcrn lp'
I'm thn RIM down the Jersey coast on lhursi'iN ~
,crmcnts were made with the steering gear 'huc'
Inc stcam steering gear she answered h'r ncln p'I IL
fcrtly and ,tccrcd EASILY ~ a yacht Du' "h'h II
1,mc IN i.iug the hand Steering gear II TOOK ten men
to put her helm over, and then they tOniu ulil Er
~ " er thrcc minis When the Philadelphia anchored
,, % h.r trioi trn biz anchor wcignQ 800 pound
was let 90, aud was lest. The Cramps say tnat II
va. I,ecausc the pln not IN the ma, N' Don p"'
,har - ,ca eni, t ncIirvc that the friction lhnd was
,. an r vildccat o, .o9r chc king th" anchor ch'in
icforc the anchor had reached he D'''"'' '''" '''
iug a link.