Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-18
THE BEST OF HER GLASS
Cruiser Detroit Does Over 21
 Miles an Hour.
A LARGE BONUS FOR HER BUILDERS

After Waiting a Week for Suitable
 Weather She Makes . Beautiful Run
 Over the A0-MIls Course--OnIy IT Knots
 Required oFHer-Fastest warship Of fzer
 Displacement in the World.
 NEW LONDON, Conn, April 1S.-It has been long and tedious wait, but 1t has proved of advantage to the builders of the United States cruiser Detroit, and the United States will pay the expenses of tho ship during these several days of delay and attempted trials, which will average at least ga, 600 per day, besides some $160, 600 bonus for extra speed developed above the contracts. which called for 17 knots per hour.
 The Detroit has proved herself to be the fastest cruiser of her displacement in the world
 She left the Columbia Iron Works yards two weeks ago and arrived at Newport on the following Wednesday.
 When the naval trial board gathered at the breakfast table in tho Crocker house the weather was doubtful, there being con siderable mist over land and water. They Cloomily talked over the prospects of clearing weather, but according to orders went down to the wharf, prepared to go, on board ship. Soon after boarding the naval engineers received their orders to prepare to take data as it had cleared greatly and there were prospects of its doing still bet ter. s...=- .s--e.
 Finally at s:15 her engines were started, and she turned upon her heel, as it were, and slowly proceeded over into Long Island IA n-A -y- -NS | -f.w.x.l off the starting point, and then circled about for a couple of hours. According to the almanac, the tide did not serve until 10:33 o'clock, and, as @ start was not de sired until 1t had run for an hour, 11:SC was decided upon as the time for the start
 The course had length of 35.9 .96 knots, commencing at the intersection of the Say brook range with line between Faulkner and Plum Island lights, and extending tc point on the Stratford range 2.66 miles south of Stratford Shoal light. The track was marked by boat at each extremity one midwa y, the Bache, nine miles from the eastern, and the Blake the same dis tance from the western, extremity. -
 The Detroit to be near the Saybrooh range, prepared to run at full speed ont hour after tide turns and continue sufh cieutly past the Stratford range to permit her turning and return to the course al full speed. @4
 The weather was all that could b' wished for, and on the whole broad ex panse of the Sound there was hardly rip pie, for there was not more than one half-knot breeze blowing. The sky wa just enough overcast to prevent reflections upon the water, therefore allowing a grand opportunity to make out the various land marks.
 As one who was on board said: "Thi, weather is worth $50, 900 to the builders. It so proved to be, for many of the board have all along contended that the vessel de signed for IS knots should not be expected to make a great excess above it. In thi: case the vessel was designed for IS and contracted for at 17.
 At Il o'clock the board and its assist ants took their stations, and waited pa | tiently while the cruiser was circling about, gradually increasing her speed, until at 11:44:60 o'clock she leaped past tht small whale boat marking the starting | point, and was fairly entered upon he great test.
 One who has never been upon a fast yes | sel when being exerted to her utmost ha: attend such a run.
 For nearly four hours the engines vi brated to their full capacity and appeared | almost to jump from their beds, It took but 29. IA minutes to reach tn, l Bache, which was anchored about min, miles from the start, and the centre stake boat was passed 31 .46 minutes later. II l 2S F minutes more she reached the Blake about nine miles further On, and '29. 1: minutes later she passed the boat at tn | end of the course.
 l But 6. 46 minutes were occupied in turn ing about and coming again upon th' l course.
 The run back to the Blake was made il | 27.37 minutes, then to the centre stake
 boat in 26.33 minutes. The Bache wa.
 made in %. 12 minutes, and then came the most exciting nine miles of the whole run | because it was the fastest. ..
 There had been some shaking up O ! things before, but now every evidence O | speed was multiplied and she flew acros! \ the finish line in 55 minutes, afte | passing the last stakeboat. at a speed O
 slightly over 20 knots, or upwards of ?;
 miles per hour.
 l From the data taken on deck her aver
 age speed is estimated at IS 1-2 knots
 but this may be slightly affected by the
 tidal data, which will be supplied by tn
 observations taken from the survey steamer
 Bache and Blake and the small boats
 which marked the course.
 The water was clearly cut away at the
 stem and rolled back to the stern where
 there was a high ridge just off, and there
 was an exceedingly small wake, which
 when followed back, gave a line as il
 drawn by a straight edge.
 The engines turned from ITO to 176 revo
 lutions per minute and there was al
 average head of steam of 16S pounds car
 ried. The firemen did their prettiest fir
 ing without shutting off the draft and fou
 times during the run had the safety valves
 raised. s-
 The Detroit goes to New York from her
 and from thence to Baltimore It will bt
 at least two months before she will gt
 into commission.
 E u.,o,, S..,D - r,.