Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-12-08
SHE IS A FLYER.
The Cruiser Marblef1ar
FQlfllS Expectations.
1894 KNOTS AN HOUR
Her Average Speed Over o
Seventy-Two-Mile Course.
The Story Of an Interesting Trial TriI
Told In Detail.


ton-built cruiser Marblehead has prove
herself a worthy successor 70 the crack
warships OF the old navy that had then
birth in the shipyards II the Bay state.
On her official steam trial trip she aver
aged for distance of ~ nautical mi es,
36 a. ainst and 38 with the tide, speed o
lS9 knobs, subject To the correction foi
tidal influence
About $50 the navy launch Lily cam,
alongside, and the naval board, headed
by Admiral Beknap, came aboard. Pre-
parations for the start were hurried,
and 10y 9 O'clock all was In readiness Al
$40 the ant hor was wei he'd, and as the
ship slowly turned toward the sound the
melting frost on her sides glislened In the
sunlight of an ideal day. Aud the Mar
hlehea improved her opportunity. for be
fore she ayaln dropped anchor in front o,
Fort lrumhul she had made her record
aud snug fo tune for her builders.
The star ing point off Plum island was
In sight at $50, and rs the Marblehead ap
prouched the tamou, OH Kears rye she In
creased her speed perceptihly. Every
thing that Offered any resistance to the
wind had heen removed from her decks.
and all except those Immediately inter
In charge were rrirred from her upper
decks during the trial.
On with . Rush.
At full speed she crossed the line at 1908.
There was light wind blowing from the
southwest, and the tide was with her for
the first six mil 3, and soon the second
stakeboat, the F,rn, was in sight. The
Marblehead was doing her prettiest as she
dashed thr ugh the water.
The tide was against her after passing
the six-mile buoy, and her spe d dropped a
little for the rest Of the westward run.
The third stdkehoat, the ID Dolphin, was
7l-2miles ON the Fern. the distance being
covered in 26n 5s. sn average speed Of
II 20 knots. She could undoubtedly have
made il faster had IL no b en- { IT the reg
ulation limiting tie steam pre- sure TO 165
pounds per square incn with 5 per cent
added She could easily have carried more
steam her boilers were making more
than could b. usei
The next ma king boat was the Narketa.
located ~ mie from the ID lphin The
cruisers time for the distance WAS 24:2).
The tug Fortune was next in line aud
her exact distance from the Do phin WAS
not known. The time for the stretch was
S6:4S
The dynamite cruiser Vesuvius marked
the end of the frs half OF the run. Tue
last interval was CT, cred in 22:l3 The first
hglf OF the course, 80 miles. had been COW
cred in III 5Sm., being an average OF 1873
knots An hour.
About 20 minutes were occupied in turn
ing around for the return trip, this being
deducted from the trial time. The vessel
turned easily aud very stlffiy, there belu z
but very little vibral ion.
On tho Homestretoh
The Vesuvius was passed on the return
trip at 1926, aud the race down the hOm'-
stretch was commenced. All the coud-
lions were favorable. The wind and tide
were with her and she was working
finely.
The first Is miles OF the return trip was
was made ut IN average speed OF 10 knots
an hour. Then the engineer let her out
another notch. The vessel trembltd from
stem to stern. and dashed toward the
finish.
When the Fern was reached the engi-
neers urged the flyer on for the Hnal lap
As the Kearsarge, the last boat, was
passed, the timers stopped their watches at
2:l6:4S. The last six miles had been made
at An average speed Of 2i :66 knots an hour,
nearly five knots faster than required
Once over he Il Q the big white vessel
OF war lost much Of her headway, and
dropped to half speed.
The naval board then experimented with
her steering gear for short time. the time
limit Of the trial being up, and tired her
ability to change her course quickly.
During these experiments the brackets
holding the steering drum were broken
aud the steam-steeriDg gear disabled.
She proceeded TO New London guided by
the twin screws and while the builders,
cap ain and engineers w,re receiving the
congratulations Of all aboard she dropped
anchor off For Trumbull At 335 o'clock.
The last half of the course, 30 miles,
had been made in In. Som. approximately,
and the half had been run ut the rate OF
967 knots an hour. The ~ miles had
been made in 3h. sm., at an average rate OF
1894 knots an hour
The contract for the vessel called for y
ep.ed OF IL knots an hour. For every
Quarter knot over this the builders re-
ceivs t25,OOO. and for every quarter knot
below il they would forfeit $1,000. BY
the record made IL II estimated that the
Marblehead has made for her builders
t175, 900. The Official report OF the naval
board, with the variations brought about
by the tides, may make her record for the
~ miles n little less than 1894 knots, but
il l. believed that II will not fall below
is rs. and IL may 10 increased To 10 knots.