The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-24

spin Nhtcn meant 80 mucn 10 her
Builders.
BosToN. May 22.-With forward torpedo
tubes buried deep in the sea, and the
water pushed almost as high as her fore
CASTLE the armored cruiser New York
steamed across the line today. breaking
the worlds record and winning for her
builders the largest premium ever paid in
any country, 100000. When twenty-one
knots was predicted as the speed for the
new cruiser, many hoped. but few be-
| lieved, that her engines would ever be
able to drive such an immense mass OF
steel through the water at that rate.
| When she crossed the line today, how
ever, with a speed of 2l.09 knots through
the water, and some corrections yet to be
added for tide, the enthusiasm on board
was intense.
Swlftest Armored Cruiser Anoat.
Today's performance off the Massachu-
setts coast will be echoed from one end of
! Europe to the other, for it places the
United States in the van among the navies
OF the world and gives us not only the
most powerful but the swiftest armored
cruiser vessel. There has been great en-
thusiasm in England over the performance
of the cruisers Blake and Blenheim. some
claiming that the latter had attained
speed of twenty-five knots. In the first
| place their vessels are not armored bu.
simply protected by four-inch decks over
machinery and boilers. Even equal speed
| for them, therefore, would be nothing re-
markable against a vessel carrying in ad
dition to a six.inch protective deck fve-
inch side bolt and two turrets each eleven
inches thick. To the second place
neither of these vessels has ever
had an official trial over measure course.
The Blake broke down from leaky boilers
after reaching speed of 1877 knots in
| shoal water and developing only 1900
] horse power, while the Benheim was
gauged only by patent log. which, 1t Ia
| claimed, indicated 22@ knots. This same
| instrument on board the New York shows
| a speed today OF 3 knots, and the differ
ence between ii aud the actual distance
| covered is a proof of how unreliable
| patent logs are ss official tests.
Everything in tshipshRpe.
| Sunday was net day OF rest on board
the New York. for from Saturday night
| alter the preliminary spin over the course
until yesterday afternoon at 8 O'Clock the
men were kept busy preparing the great
ship for the battle that awaited her today.
| All during the night the ash hoists were
| kept busy throwing overheard refuse fuel.
and there was little sleep on board for
ANYBODY. Every clinker WAS removed
from the CRATE bars and the intricate ma
! chinery polished and oiled like sewing
machine, and the activity extended above
decks as well as below, for every boat
was taken from its davit and slowed
amidshibs, where it could offer
no resistance whatever 10 the wind.
| No battleship ever went into action
| with her decks more thoroughly prepared
for work than did the cruiser New York
enter the race for 100000 yesterday.
| When Mr. Edwin s. Cramp looked out
across the water this morning and saw the
| sea as smooth as the traditional mill pond
and the wind blowing light from tho
| northwest there was a sparkle in his bright
| eyes.
"What do YOU think Of The condition of
wind and sea?" he was asked.
Gould not be better" he replied. II
do not wish to place my expectations too
high. but If the New York does not 20
through that water at theTate of twenty
one knots an hour today, shall be- very
much disappointed"
Headed FOR the Sea.
80 o'clock sharp all hands were
called to get the cruiser under way. and
Just as the bells were sounding by the
fishers fleet near by the New York hoisted
her ponderous anchor and headed for the
open sea. She moved off at an easy pace
of about seventeen knots with her engines
making ninety revolutions to the minute.
Gradually she warmed up to her work.
however, and by the time the
Vesuvius was in sight the cruiser
was making over twenty knots
with her engines spinning around
about 1870 turns TO the minute. A perfect
flotilla OF fishing smacks awaited the big
cruisers coming and they looked aghast
at the great colnmn OF water that she
threw up in front of her. Twenty five
minutes later a red flag was broken out
at the port yard arm and the New York
/ Wtnb over hho lncs 4oO AONoAh-
tions per minute. The steam pressure was
then l65 pounds to the square inch and
the vessel working a trife over twenty
knots. In a few minutes the revolutions
Jumped to 135 and the steam to 10
pounds, both of which held there through
out the entire "trip.
| The Race On.
Now the great furnace began to roar In
the very bowels of the ship aud immense
Jumps of burning coal were drawn out of
the funnel by the powerful blowers.
Thick and fast they fell. until the sur
rounding decks looked like the land at the
base OF volcano. One of these sparks
fell upon canvas boat cover and, iRnit-
ing It, caused quite q sensation. The
flames were quickly extinguished. how