The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-12
THE TRIAL OF THE MONTERREY.
The Pacific Const Protector Il Now to Show
How Much speed She HHs

The Pacific Const Protector IL Now to show
How Much Speed She Has.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 11.-This week the tests
OF tho first OF our modern steel harbor defence
war ships are to begin. The Miantonomoh is
useful coast defender but was modelled
long ago. has an iron hull and Is not armored
as n completely new vessel would have been.
The Monterey is q steel vessel. and besides
carrying heavier battery than the Mianto-
nomoh. has moro effective armor and other
modern requisites
The trial trip will take place along the
southwestern coast OF California. which has
become tho accepted race course for war
vessels built on the Pacific coast. Long ago
the contractors. tho Union Iron Works OF san
Francisco. had como about as far as they could
with tho vessel rs some OF the armor was
lacking. which the Pennsylvania makers could
not deliver At last Secretary Tracy has con-
scented to allow the speed trial by putting on
weights to represent the missing armor. This
can the moro properly be done since the trip
will be made with the heavy guns Of the Nom
terey aboard. Frequently ship is tried for
speed without her battery. an equivalent In
weight being substituted. With the Monterey
the guns will be there. an the substitution
will be for q part OF her stoel plates. Tho
],
this will be followed by tho one under the
charge OF the Government officers.
The Monterey is the last CT the new vessels
to be tested under a contract providing for
horse power instead of speed. That was the
Old principle in building our vessels. the theo-
~ icing that II the ship was designed by the
Government all it could ask tho contractors
10 90 was to promise specified amount OF
engine power: and whether the vessel went q
little faster or slower might depend on her
displacement, her lines. and SO on. which the
tho ground that since speed is the real thing
desired. 1t is not important how much or how
little horse ITpwer Is furnished to get tina:
speed with. lhe Government ia accordingly
accustomed to consent to some minor atera-
tions. by which contractors believe that they
can produce MORO speed and 80 earn more
The Monterey Is expected to earn premium
on her horse power Her engines are OF tho
twin screw. vertical triple expansion type,
guaranteed to deveope an aggregate Of $500
Indicated horse power, as the average for four
her an average OF sixteen knots during the
same time For each unit Of horse power ex-
Unit fh9 5 doe w sff 1r
iet n like amount. so that it is q matter Of i'm
port!nce beth for them and the Government
instruments are deemed to be never bsolutely
accurate. but they are STANDARDIZED. as the
% wR Ry T tHs IL S.e
SaTy M housSt TO- 20 ans the
indicators which were forwarded TO San Fran
cisco were tested some line ago. With the
hall dozen in jicators can b simuitaneousiy
tested by one operator at difference Of per-
hapss 'iye Or ten pounds pressure throughout
" An iaieres,inC feature 0, the Monterey's
trial VIII te that coil boilers, are supplied to
naval engineers; i competition in coil Boilers
Monterey. This competition resulted in in the he
sS tS cs Ward I. Of Hsa esdn %
The demand made upon the four Ward boilers
hsy the to Ie sa
l!ed by the two Scotch boilers It has been
spsn rs the Ssmer }leld Go and
the contract and such totai, Of 800 would
mean $4,000 e premium :. for the MYnteEeys
a n steel. low freeboard coast defence ship.
h"yng Two ,s,ee 6atssttS turrsts The act
25u feet, her breadth so feet. and, her IN ean
Placement OF 4. 1873 tons. Her side armor was
lon: age. complete and fastened on. It is is
regular ties, at tho proving grounds. Her for.
stter hSrsettts he's i s:!nch While tie torwsrdd
pcon e this srmo nor to e pro Set ths bal.
Originally the side armor provided for was
~ inches thick at the maximum, at the centre
Of the ship on tho water limo belt. with in.
ches and then Ginches forward and atai, OF
the lO-inch belt. taperinR. however. In each
armOr shelf. She was also to have carried
MS her main battery q l3-inch gun. 10
inch and six 4-inch guns. besides Xalinski
pneumatic gun in the bow. But the latter was
soon donc away with. and the other guns dis
placed 10y two l2inch guns for the forward
barbette and two lO-inch for the after, all
mounted on turn tables and protected By suit
armor was altered from rs to IL inches as
already Indicated, These changes are un-
doubtedly great. improvements and in fact
no l6-nch gun has yet hecn constructed In
this country. or will DO for several years to
come. II ever. The arrangement o.! having
12-inch guns In the forward barbette and
1U-inch in the latter was required by the re-
moval OF the pneumatic gun from the bows.
because otherwise to restore the original trim
have been necessary. The six finch guns
were also sacrificed to save their weight and
that ot jhe projections required for them
Her secondary battery contains six U-pounder
and fou. l-pounder rapid-are guns and two
:, The koel Of the Mont Grey was laid in 1880 by
ths snop Iron Works whose ,h success with
former the fastest Of our cruisers yet In SER
new craft, She was launched April %. 1891.
Mrs. Harrison naming her. When the trOu bios
with chill broke out, much reliance WAS put
hurried forward. The sunply Of her lacking
armor will be effected during tho coming
hui lie. d. k.D a