The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-28
THEQUEEN OFOUR NAVY
THE NEW FORK THE swIFTEST AR
MORED VESSEL AFLOAT.
She Returns to Philadelphia Saturday
After Q Most Remarkable and Sue
cessful Sea Trial.

ser New York returned 10 Cramps ship
yard Saturday morning with the proud
distinction OF having broken the record
Of all preliminary trials. making her
the fastest armored vessel in the world.
From the hour she steamed down the
Delaware until her return naval experts
have awaited with deep interest the re-
suit of the great warships initial per-
formance.
Despite heavy rain squalls and a biting
wind from the southeast fully 500 pa
triotic Philadelphians were present to
wish the warship God-speed as she backed
out into the stream and stood down the
river on her trial trip When the giant
screws began 10 reyolve. and the monster
vessel was actually under way for the
first time, the spectators shouted them
selves hoarse. Captain Sargent waved his
cap from the forward bridge, and ac-
knowledged the salutes with his powerful
siren whistle that seemed TO shake the
mighty ship from stem TO stern.
The New York was headed up the
stream, which. at this point. is only
trife wider than the warship Itself
strong ebb tide was running and the wind
blowing half a gale. To turn around in
this narrow space was a difficult, II not
impossible undertaking, and a s3,OOO,co0
ship was not a toy to be played with
AS soon as the moving lines we're cast
adrift. however, Captain Chambers, an
old Delaware river pilot, that has handled
all OF the Cramp ships, directed the tug
Newcastle TO make fast 20 steel hammer
which was led out from the starboard
quarter. Though the powerful little boat
steamed away at full speed. she had no
perceptfble effect upon the heavy warship;
Another tug, the Frederick *. Num-
was then given line from the port bow.
so with one at each end of the lever the
New York was turned short around, ana
headed down the Delaware
Now there arose another wild shout, as
the four powerful engines began 10 Vi
brate, and the water was churned INTO
foam astern. The run down the river
and bay was made with fires half banked,
and urder natural draught. The maxi
mum pressure Of steam tarried was I'D
pounds to the square inch. Starting WITH
forty-fVe revolutions, speed OF ten
knots was attained and hell until Green
wich Point was well abaft the beam'
After this ihe new vessel seemed 10 warm
up to her work, the throttle was thrown
open. ninety-five revolutions reached. and
the sreed increased to seventeen ana hVe-
tentEs knots. This made II rather un-
comfortable for the figures Of liberty and
Justice on each side Of the stem, for they
were deluged with cold spray from head
10 foot The vessel seemed 10 glide
through the water as noiselessly as
Yacht however. and there was scarcely
any vibration throughout the ship.
At the end Of an hours run the stew
ard came aft in q great state or excite
ment and reported the compartment in
which his provisions were stored ankle
deem in sea water. a careful eXamina-
tion of the forward part of the vessel
revealed the fact that the water had peeh
forced in through the forward torpedo
tube. At anchor this opening is iew feet
above the water line, but at high rate
Of speed it is almost completely buried In
the sea. Constructor Nixon placed
water-tight buckler over 1t in place OF the
temporary one, and the leak gave no
fuhther trouble. The question now arose
as 10 how the compartment could ne
quickly empsied, for sea water and mess
stores are not the most agreeable ship
mates Nixon cut the gordian Knot ny
having a small hole drilled through the
steel deck. This drained the compartment
into another on the deck below-one that
could not be injured by the Introduction
of a small amount OF water. Without
further excitement the New York anchor
cd at nightfaI about seven miles 10 the
northvard of the breakwater.
Wednesday was cold and damp. with
fresh breeze from the northeast The
New York lay quietly at anchor IN the
early morning. and the prospect or run
outside looked rather discouraging. NJ
8 o'clock Il frightened up a bit and the
cruiser got under way for the purpose
of correcting her compasses and adjust
ing the compensating magnets. This ac-
complished, the vessel returned 10 her
anchorage TO wait for good weather TO
begin her trial.
Nv Saturday morning the wind had
hauled TO the westward. ana the water
was clear. Fires were lighted at daylight.
and before o'clock the New York was
under way, running for the Five Fathom
Rank lightship. The race was to be be-
tween this and the Northeast End light
chin a distance of 9S nautical miles, the
depth of water being twelve fathoms.
In the afternoon the cruiser was headed
TO the eastward in search or deeper water.
In a run of four consecutive hours she
maintained a speed of 2o.S knots per hour'
reaching as high as 20.37 as the water
deepened.
With these satisfactory results the New
York anchored for the night and steamed
up TO the ship-yard on Sunday morning.
she will be ready for her official trial
within three weeks.
CAPTAIN Redford w. Sargent was I'm
command of the New York during her
trial. assisted by Captain George l.. Cham
hers An old Delaware river pilot. that has
steered all the Cramps new ships. There
were $40 people on board thirty OF whom
were in the ward-room mess. Two stew
ards. ten cooks and thirty-nine walters
had charge Of the comm!ssary depart
ment.
The following table tells the story OF the
two trials: -
First Trial-Ffve Fathom Bank lightship
TO Northeast End lightship, courses north
hv east; distance 9.Ss nautical miles.
Start. s.24l5; finish, S5S53 Difference ~
minutes 3S seconds. Speed 2O.0S nautical
miles per hour.
Second Trial-Northeast End lghtship
10 rive Fathom Bank lightship, course
south by west: distance 9.S nauticai
miles. Start, 913U7; finish. s545S. Diner-
ence o minutes 81 seconds. speed ls'H
nautical miles. Average for the two trials
was 1895 miles.
Mr.. Edwin Cramp. the superintendng
engineer OF the company. was practically
In charge Of the trial. He was any as
sisted by Mr.. Lewis Nixon, the naval ar
chitect of the firm. and Chief Engineers
Jobn Patterson, James Younger and Mel
son Johnson. a..
The following naval officers made the
trim. Cantain John W. Philip, who will
cormand the cruiser when she Is turned
oyor TO the Government; Lieuten-
ants r. II. NJ. Mason. her executive,
Waiprright Kellogg, her navigator, and
.,...,a. N Aluhone of the Columbia;