The Portland daily press., 1893-05-23
FASTEST in THE WORLD.
The Formidable New York Uncle
SANS Fighting Cruiser.
OVER TWENTY.ONE KNOTS THE
SPEED SHE ATTAINED.

| How, Like a Race Horse, She Sped Along
the Coast Yesterday-The Trial Places
Her in the Van of Modern War Ships
and Wins a Fortune of 100000 for
Her Buiiders-Other Fast Vessels and
| How They Get Great Records.
Boston, May 22.-With her torpedo
tubes buried deep in the sea and with
the waves pushed almost as higheas her
forecastle, the armored cruiser New
York steamed across the line today
breaking the worlds record, and win
ming for her builders the largest premium
ever paid in any country. When 21
knots was predicted as the speed of the
new cruiser few believed that her en-
gines would be able to drive such an
immense mass of steel through the
water at this rate. When she crossed
the line today, however, with speed of
21.09 knots, the enthusiasm on board
was intense. The DAYS performance
places the United States in the van.
| among the navies of the world and gives
us not tonly the most powerful but the
| swlftest armored cruising vessel
The course was Al 2-3 miles long, MAX
ing run of 933 miles, the cruiser being
allowed several minutes for the turn.
The course was from point A, off the
| Salvage Ledges, distant four miles from
the rear signal of the range set up on
Andrews Point, Rockport, bringing it
| exactly one and quarter miles from the
| SaIVaOQS rho atat 10 n & -
miles from the rear signal Of range S ct
up on Cape Porpoise, or Al miles from
Goat Island Light on the water.
| AS the buoys are small to aid the navi-
gator of the new ship as much as possi-
Die vessels were placed at regular inter :
| walls as mark or stakeboats the entire
length of the course. The Vesuvius was
| placed at the lower end-frst off the
Salyages; the Nina next, then the Ben
| nington, Fern, Fortune, in the order
named, and the Kearsarge at the upper
end OF the course at Cape Porpoise. <
| Lieut.. t. B. Howard of the Benning-
ton had general charge of setting up the
ranges, which consist of two heavy tim
Der tripods constructed of stout ioist ex-
actly as are the three-cornered triangular
| floating targets for heavy gun practice.
The required time was 20 knots an
hour and for ever quarter of q knot over
this, the builders, the Cramps. are to re-
| ceive $4,000. Had the trial been made
in less than the required time the build
ers would have been obliged to forfeit
! $4,000 for ever quarter of a knot.
On the steamer, all hands were called
at 7.3O to get her under way. The New
York hoisted her ponderous anchor and
headed for the open sea. She moved off
at an easy pace of about II knots, with
her engines making 80 revolutions to the
| minute. Gradually she warmed UP to
her work, and by the time the Vesuvius
was In sight the cruiser was making over
20 knots, with the engines spinning
| around at about 1870 turns ito the minute.
Gloucester was off the port beam at 8.
and 25 minutes later the New York went
over the line, making 130 revolutions
minute, with steam pressure of 1876
pounds to the square inch, and the ves-
sci working tri1e over 20 knots. In
few minutes the revolutions jumped to
l35 and the steam TO ITO pounds,
both OF which were held through
out the entire trip. The
Nina was passed at 9.46, the Bennington
at 1905 and the Fern, the nalf way mark.
at 1921, the tug Fortune at 1O.41 the
Leyden at 11.05 and the historic old
Kearsarge at 11.25. A neat turn was
| made and the race back over the course
begun. At 11.44 the Kearsarge was off
the starboard beam with the New York
headed to the southwark. The Leyden
was passed at 1904, the Fortune at IL. .27.
| the Fern at 2.46, the Bennington at 1.01,
| the Nina at 1.20 and the Vesuvius at Al.
The entire course of 4165 nautical miles
was steamed over twice. On the first
| run the speed was 20.S3 knots, and on
| the second 21.35. the difference being
| due to the tide, which was against the
vessel on the trip north. The average of
these speeds gives 21.09 knots, with
possibility its being greater when the
true current connection is added
A great wave of water was thrown up
about the bow as the huge engines i'm
PEELED the craft through the water,
churning the sea into yeasty foam.
which glistened in the sun like a field of
FURNISHED silver, and streamed along in
her wake for fully mile. So great was
the volume of water that the bow
seemed nearly submerged, and her 20
feet OF freeboard was materially dimin-
ished, in the opinion of those who wit
messed the scene.
The appearance of the New York as
she went over the line was not exactly as
it will be when accepted by the govern
ment and on parade. She was begrimed
and her smokestacks were of a darkish
color. In general harmony with her three
tunnels, she resembles the late German
naval acquisition, the beautiful Kaiserin
Augusta, which attracted so much atten-
tion during the naval review at New
York, although the Kaiserin is smaller
vessel.
THE WORLDS FASTEST SHIPS.
The New Yerk Will Rank All THINGS
Considered as the Swiftest of Cruisars.