The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27

Two More Cruisers arc Getting Ready to
Take Their Trial Trips.


Take Their Trial Trips.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 22-The Reinforcement
OF the navy with new vessels Is proceeding
with a good degree of rapidity in these days.
and to the current preparations Of the New
York. the Detroit, and the Machias for practI-
cal service We shall soon add those OF the
Columbia the Olympia. the Maine. the Mont
gomsry. the Marblehead. and the Castine.
The MONTGOMERY and Marblehead are sister
ships Of a class which has already in the De-
troit shown admirable results. Tho act au-
thorizing these vessels was that Of Sept T.
1888. but delay in the preliminaries resulted
in tho contracts for Thorn being signed only in
November. 1889. The original demand had
been for a guaranteed speed Of 19 knots
an hour But the first bids on them. those Of
the Cramps and the Bath Iron Works. exceed
ed the limit Of cost. which was 100000. i'm
posed by Congress for machinery and hull.
Accordingly the Navy Department reduced the
guarantee Of speed to seventeen knots al
lowed six months more for their completion.
and modified the speed premtums There was
then no difficulty in procuring bids that could
be accepted. and two Of the vessels. the Detroit
and the Montgomery. went to the Columbian
Iron Works Of Baltimore for $612.50O each.
while the third went to Harrison Loring's
City Point Works Of Boston for $674.0OQ
When the Detroit. the first OF these vessels. was
tried tow months ago she achieved tho great
speed OF 1872 knots. This was close upon TX
knots in excess OF the guarantee. and was q
fine speed for a vessel of such tonnage and SO
There is every reason to expect equally good
results from the other, two cruisers Of this
viii be to secure at least the narro1 margin ~
extra speed over the Detroit necessary to at.
tnn 5 s75 knots snGs this yin exactly
earned. The Government pays $4,000 for
each extra quarter knot. but makes no allow
st hs sd only so
drSdths Ct knot to earn the premium Of q
@ s Nth VI so sSu ol
tie ioree OF stosers or other favortng egoum:
extra speed Sill It is fact that two sRPp o.
made as close duplicates as possible. by the
same same bnds s Do not show exactly the same
exceed Or fsI short Of the record Of the pstroit.
>, As 70 the Marblehead the business difficult
2letion by the assignees Of Harrison 1oring at
how With vi ths Bs t.
m2rs constructed under similar contract
th. esaat sa not Viii that e. Of
melts can always DO made. yet It Is eoncsded
cured. AZ very moderate cost Of original
construction and also OF maintenance thoso
cruisers much more expensive. while having
sufficient battery power. They are each Of
ap9nt noo tons Dis placement. having alonElh
on load line OF 257 feet an extrefnv breadth
81 81 iect and q mean draught Of 14'I feet.
ttrhS esgines are Of the twin screw, ycrtical
triple expansion tyne. designed to yiel 800
immdleated horse power. under forced draIght:
me main battery OF each yesiel consists OF
TWO o-lnch guns mounted on central plyots
forward ana ait, and eight 5-lnch guns on tho
Iroadslde In sponsons. The secondary hat
t"iy consists OF six O-ponndcr and two l.
FOUNDER guns and two Cuttings, besides atoF-
noteworthy feature has tron the provision
Oh commoaious quarters for TIE crows OF these
vessels, Alter they were planned and nenfy
completed an addition OF about one-siNi h WAS
MADE to the space allowed Tor the quarter ~
.he crew the number Of tornedo tubes being
reduced In order to effect thIs change, Tho
experience OF the gunhuHts Of the Yorktown
CLASS had shown the dcsirahlllty Of improve
ments oil this character and tho result VII 10
70 make these three vessels worry comfortable
snlps TO cruise in as well as efficient Tho
protective deck In these yrEsoIs wholly coy"rs
Water-oHcluding SUI stance, runs above ltHlwug
inc lore and att lUlkhrHd%. the top Of the cniur
gam being four feet aboyo the load water llno.
good series OF water-tght compartments IS
also secured.
1t will be possible to put both tho Mont
Woe, II required. no. long after their trial tr.p5
Inc custom Is to roiain now vessels for tim"
on the home station until II the requirements
OF the contract are fulfilled. hut their presonce
allows other thips 10 he sent TO tho foreign
sIuadrons whlthar they can lao be despatched
and liherallty with which the laying down %
new vessels WAS authorized and undertaken u
row years ago. Wa are Just now In pIoLao
season OF trial runs.