The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-07
The Trial Trip Of the Cclumb a.

trial trip such as the Columbla's
Is most inspiriting event. It Is time
OF prodigious activity; and this is not
confined to the swift displacement Of
thousands or tons OF water by a most
sienderiy designed steamship hull. There
is more activity inside the ship than
outside In each Of the three roomy
englne-rooms there are pistons. cranks.
eccentrics. pumps, rods and bars I'm a
most confusing but nevertheless rhyth-
mic motion. A blue haze fills each
room, and eight or ten men seem TO
move about in the tangle of machinery
recklessly. but as safely as they would
I'm their own houses. The flying steam
jets. the dripping Of the oil, the splutter-
ing of the hot water, the turning Of the
shafts at the enormous rate of 135 times
a minute. make the landsman spectators
head whirl and he wants 10 go on deck
to get fresh air. In the fire-roOms are
nearly 100 men. shut I'm so tight that the
only fresh air that reaches them and the
boilers comes through the big tunnels
on deck down which IL is drawn by
whiring fans--or blowers" as they are
caled-at the rate of mo-e than 1000 900
cubic feet ID minute. Each one Of the
boilers has eight fires. four I'm each end.
The forced draft sweeps the Goals off
the shovels as the furnace doors are
thrown open. the black coal-dust whirls
like desert sand-storm, and when the
stokers and firemen come out OF their
prison they are blacker than central
African savages. and almost as degener-
ate-looking.
outside of the ship there are
Of course. the slicing bow waves
the curved depression following
them. the white-lecked water
rushing back to the screws. the long
black streak Of smoke reaching away
for miles. and punching itself in
heavy cloud in the horizon, the glisten-
ing wake Of the ship that trails behind
far beyond the range of vision. But the
most picturesque sight was remarkable
foaming ridge Of water that rose directly
behind the vessel over the screw at the
stern. 4 naval offer i'm looking at this
said that the action OF screws on steam
ships was. like woman's moods, past find
ing out. II was thought the screws at
the sides Of the ship would hurl the
water away from the one at the stern.
leaving for that one water practically
unchurned The twin screws seemed TO
do nothing Of the kind They hurled IL
at their long companion faster than IL
could take care OF the mass. Conse-
quently a pure white ridge, estimated at
ten feet high. five feet broad, and thirty
feet long rose out of the sea. and follow
ed the ship as If il We're part Of il. IL
was full Of ranbows. whirling eddies.
and currents. and il hung to the vessel
as il il were some phantom catching
tow. unwilling 20 let go, and impossible
TO shake off. The sea-gOng men said
they never saw a phenomenon like II.
Although one may attempt to describe
the activity inside and out of the vessel
il is almost impossible % describe the
effect on one who shared I'm the struggle
personally How is the intense excite
ment that set every one on board AN
a-quiver. especially as the ship came
Jumping down the hOmestretch after a
contest such as the world never saw. TO
be depicted? How can one adequately
nut on paper that eagles scream, so that /
il shall set the flesh Of the reader creep /
ing as il did those of the actual specta- /
tors2 How shall one describe the throbs
of the engine. the swish Of the screws
the iaunty swaving Of the craft the
play of the shadows and lights on the
water. the furious dash OF the spray
the half-gale force of the wind the
arching rainbows made by the flashing
sun i'm the falling splashes2 All this /
is something for TIE readers magma
ton TO point for itseit.-harpei
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