Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-23
SPEED OF THE NEW YORK.
Over Twenty-Five Knots an Hour Shown by
the Big Cruiser.

| SPEED OF THE NEW YORK.
! Over Twenty One Knots an Hour Shown by
| the Big Cruiser.
| Yesterdays performance of the armored
cruiser New York over the course, Al IS nauti-
cal miles in length is source of qualification
| to every one. She steamed over the course
and returned, as noted in the dispatches to The
| STAR yesterday. When twenty-one knots were
predicted as the speed for the new cruiser many
hoped. but few believed, that her engines would
ever be able to drive such an immense mass of
| steel through the water at this rate. When she
| crossed the line yesterday. however, with a
| speed Of 21.09 knots through the water and
| some corrections yet to be added for tide, the
enthusiasm on board was intense.
Yesterdays performance off the Massachu-
sets coast will be echoed from one end of
Europe to the other. for it places the United
States in the among the navies of the
| world and gives us not only the most powerful.
but the swiftest armored cruising vessel in the
| world.
There has been great enthusiasm in England
over the performances of the cruisers Blake
and Blenhem. some claiming that the latter
has attained speed of twenty-five knots In
| the first place. these vessels are not armored,
but simply protected by four nine-inch plates
over machinery and boilers.
Even eQudl spteu lTOTu tneN1. therefore.
would be nothing remarkable against vessel
carrying. in addition to a six inch protective
deck. five-inch side belt and two turrets. each
eleven inches thick. In the second place,
neither OF these vessels has ever had an official
| trial over measured course. The, Blake broke
| down from leaky boilers after reaching a speed
| of 1877 knots to shoal water and developing only
IL. 900 horse power, while the Blenheim was
| gagged only by patent log, which it is claimed
| indicated 221s knots.
| This same instrument on board the New York
| showed speed Yesterday OF twenty-three
knots. and the difference between that and the
| actual distance covered is proof of how unre-
| liable patent logs are official tests.
| At 1880 sharp all hands were called to get the
| cruiser under way. and just AS eight bells were
sounding by the fishing fleet near by the New
York holsted her ponderoUs anchor and headed
| for the open sea. She moved off at an easy
| pace OF about seventeen knots, with her en-
| gines making ninety revolutions to the minute
Gradually she warmed up to her work. how
ever, and by the time the Vesuvius was in
| sight the cruiser was making over twenty
knots. with her engines spinning around about
| 100 turns to tine minute perfect hotilla Of
| fishing srlacks awaited the big cruisers COM
| ing and they looked aghast Mt the great column
of water that she threw up in front of her cut
water.
The little village of Gloucester, nesting be-
| hind the rocky hills of Cape Ann, was off the
| port beam at o'clock. Twenty-Five minutes
later red flag was broken out at the port yard
| arm. and the New York went over the line max
ing $50 revolutions per minute. The steam
pressure was then 165 pounds to the square
inch, and the vessel working triie over twenty
| knots. In few minutes the revolutions jumped
up to 1875 and the steam to 40 pounds. Now
the great furnace began to roar in the very
bowels OF the ship. and immense Jumps of
burning coal were drawn on. OF the funnel by
| the powerful blowers One of these sparks fell
uCon canvas boat cover and, igniting it..
| caused quite sensation. The flames were
| quickly extinguished. however, without any
| serious damage. On few the great cruiser. in
| creasing her speed at every jump. The Nina
| was passed at GAG the Bennington at 10 .05. and
| the Fern. the halfway mark, at 1921. Then
came the tug Fortune at 10:4l. the Leyden at
IL O5, and finally the historic old kearsarge at
11:25. The rigging of the corvette was black
with men, who cheered the warship as she
passed.
A neat turn made and the rnce back over
the course began. At 1l:44 the kearsarge was
off the starboard beam with the New York
headed to the southwark. The Leyden was
passed at 12;0i, the Fortune at 1927, the Fern
at 1916. the Bennington at 1:0l. the Nina at
LEO and the Nesuyius mt 11l. The entire
course was 4165 nautical miles, which was
steamed over twice.
On the first the speed was 90. So knots
and the second 81 IS, the difference being due to
the tide. which against the vessel on the
trip north. The average OF these speeds gives
21.O9 knots, with possibility OF its being
greater when the true current correction is
added. On the whole yesterdays record was a
triumph for American skill and genius. and will
stand pre-emipently alone until some of our
new warships beat it. The builders receive a
bonus of $780, 900 for the speed shown over
twenty knots.