Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-16
COLUMBIA is ms QUEEN.
Proves Herself to Be the Swlftest
Cruiser Now Afloat.

Cruiser Now Afloat.
Yesterdays Trial Developed Speed of
Nearly 2sISnots an Hour Fastest Time
Ever Made by an American warnhip.
BosToN, Nov. 14.-The new commerce
destroyer Columbia was sent on pre-
limlnary trial spin over the government
course from Cape Ann, Mass, to Cape
Porpoise, Me-, to-day, with the most
gratifying results. Under forced draught
she developed a speed of 22.97 knots per
hour and under natural draught 202
knots. This means that on the official
trial, which occurs next Thursday, when
the vessel will be pushed for every ounce
OF energy and every particle Of speed
that there is in her she will easily
make 90 knots and earn premium
for her builders, William Cramp g.
Sons, of Philadelphia, of close upon
100000. Her contract specifications
call for 81 knots and the builders are
entitled to premium of $4,000 for
every quarter knot In excess.
The length Of the course is 1897 knots,
and 1t was covered in hours and IS
minutes, which includes 81 minutes OK
pended in making the turn at the eastern
end Of the run. This is the fastest time
ever made by an American ship of war,
and when the exhaustiveness of the test
and the length Of the course is con-
sidered 1t is unsurpassed in the history
of the navies of the world. Some lightly
fashioned torpedo boats have skinned
along faster and several cruisers belong
ing to other governments are said to
have better records. But these have
uniformly been made over short dis
tances, in smooth water with steam
bottled up' in the boilers for brief
rush. None of them could have kept
alongside the Columbia for half an hour
to-day.
AT q O'Clock this morning the tender
took aboard the ship Mr.. Il. S. Cramp,
Superintendent of Construction Lewis
L. Nixon, Assistant Secretary of the
Navy McAdoo and other guests of the
firm.
ON HER FLIGHT.
As soon as the visitors were aboard
Captain Sargent, who was all ready to
/ start, gave the order to heave up the
anchor. Captain Sargent was in charge
\ and Lew Chambers, the famous Dela-
ware pilot, who steers all the Cramps
ships, was at the wheel. The great
| ship readily answered her helm and her
steam steering apparatus is wonderfully
sensitive and powerful. The weather
was very favorable indeed. A light
westerly wind prevailed, but it did not
retard the vessels progress in the least.
| The ship made circle about when she
reached deep water, in order to test the
rudder, and then, at steadily increas-
ing speed, bore away for Cape Ann.
| The first half Of the run was made
under natural draught and the cruiser
was not pushed to the full extent of her
$1,000 horse power.
Her builders wished to test her actions
in other ways. But she was going at
the rate Of a good 90 knots when She
swept over the starting line at 9.50.20
a. m. This speed was added to and the
eastermost range on Cape Porpoise was
| passed at 11.52.10 a. m. There was no
need of being in q hurry to make the
turn, and Pilot Chambers guided the
| great cruiser around in wide circle at
least six miles in circumference. 1t took
about 20 minutes to make the turn.
When she makes 1t officially she will be
obliged to do II without slackening the
speed of the engines for moment.
Otherwise it would afford an opportun-
ity TO "bottle up" steam in the boilers
and thereby obtain an unfair advantage.
AS the Columbia approached the line on
the return trip an immense volume of
smoke belched from her four lofty
smokestacks. Under the forced draught
now set in motion the ship gave bound
forward and the number Of revolutions
of the engines per minute advanced
from 1876 to 130 She passed the range
at 12.1250 p. IN. and rushed through the
water at full speed.