Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-17
BUOYs BLOWN OUT OF COURSE.
Why Yesterdays Trial of the Colum.
bia Was Given Up.

The postponement of the official trial OF
the United States cruiser Columbia OF Cane
Ann yesterday was caused by the buoys
marking the course being blown from their
fastenings by the gale. Impelled by her
powerful machinery. the Columbia pounded
her way over the course, passing the second
buoy, behind which the tug Irwana was
stationed, in six minutes and sixteen sec
onds from the time of her start The dis
lance between the two buoys is 2y knots
and her speed was. therefore, at the rate OF
Z "a knots. The third buoy. with the his
toric kearsarge on guard, was e.6e knots
away, and by the time two-thirds Of the
distance had been made Capt Sargent dis
covered that something was wrong.
Veteran Luke Chambers was doing the
steering. and his effort to steer straight for
the kearsarge threw the Columbia nearly
five points off her course.
This was explained soon after when Il was
found that the kearsarge, unable to hold
her anchor, had been blown nearly a mile
out to sea. The buoy behind which she
should have been stationed was not visible
ana IL Is supposed the wind had carried IL
TO sea also. This mishap destroyed all
chance of going over the course properly,
ana at ii O'Clock Mr.. Cramp ordered the red
flag lowered, thus announcing the tempo
rary abandonment Of the trial.
Inc otner points on the course were
marked by the Fern, Leyden. Narkeats,
Fortune and Vesuvius. in the order named
| and 1t was afterward found that all OF
these vessels had been blown out Of posi-
| ton.
Another Trial Tomorrow.
Slowly, and with apparent reluctance.
Capt Sargent turned the Columbia around
and headed her for Boston bay.
Before proceeding far the ship was
stopped. and by Admiral BeIknap's order
| the Leyden, which was seen making for
| anchorage. was signaled to come alongside.
The admiral sent by this steamer orders to
the others to get all misplaced buoys in
proper position for another trial today, Mr.
Cramp having decided to make another run
then Before the Columbia reached Presi-
dent roads, however, the wind had increas-
ed to a gale of nearly forty miles an hour.
Seeing the uselessness Of attempting to test
| the ships speed today, Mr.. Cramp recon-
sidered his previous determination and an
nounced that If the weather permits the
trial will be made tomorrow.
| Arriving at the rendezvous In President
roads, the anchor was cast. and the men,
bers Of the trial and engineer boards. guests
and newspaper men were. with some difh-
\ Guilty, transferred TO a lighter and brought
to Boston, landing shortly before O'Clock.
| According to enc of Cramps engineers.
the engines. at their highest velocity, aver
aged follows: Port, lao revolutions; star
| board, 13s; center, 1856
The air pressure averaged half an inch
| whereas the contract limit is one inch- The
steam pressure was below the limit OF 40
pounds at all times. The greatest horse
power development during the short time
the machinery was on forced draught was
1850.
| Remarkable Speed.
| The exact although OF course unofficial
| figures, were given out yesterday in connec-
ton with two remarkable bursts of speed
made by the Columbia during her unofficial
run on Tuesday. Going UP the course that
day the engines were worked up to forced
1 draught speed by the time threefourths of
| the run had been made. Then, with every
pound OF steam in use, the ship made the
7.74 knots between the seventh and eighth
| buoys in ~ minutes seconds, or At the
rate of 242e knots an hour.
| The engines were slowed up for q wide.
i easy turn. and again approaching the line
| for the return test, all possible speed was
damned on. This time the distance between
| the almost incredible time of Is minutes 81
| seconds. at the rate OF PASS knots an
\ hour. The men who held the timepieces and
made the calculations could scarcely believe
| the evidence presented by the figures. and
hesitated some time before concluding 10
give out the result for publication.
| Combining those two remarkable bursts Of
| speed gives the Columbia a record OF Is IL
knots, at the rate of 24.e2 knots an hour.
The greatest previous speed on record
was made by the Campania- That ship. on
her trial. making q 30 knots In a one-hour
| run. The famous cruiser Ninth OF July,
| owned by the Argentine government, was
| speeded over a measured course one knot
long at the rate of twenty-three knots an
hour This is the nearest approach 10 the
! Columbia's record that has been made by Q
| sea-going warship.