Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-20
EXPENSIVE FOR ENGLAND.
The Columbia's Trial Trip VIII Cost
Her Many Millions.

The COlumbia's Trial Trip VIII Cost
Her Many Millions.
There is joy in the Navy Department over
the glorious success of the cruiser that
bears the name of the District of Columbia.
Her remarkable speed of nearly twenty
three knots an hour shows her to be the
fastest war vessel af1oat and her achieve
ments reflect credit not only on her build
ers. but her designers. She is wholly a
Navy Department ship. for both her hull
and her engines We're planned by the ex-
perts there.
To no one does the credit belong how
ever, so fully as to Commodore Melville,
the engineer-in-chief, who persistently ad-
vocated the use of three screws despite the
opposition of the Secretary. Mr. Tracy and
the counter advice of some of his assistants
He is therefore very happy just now. He
said this morning to a Star reporter:
she is the fastest thing afioat, and her
success will cost Great Britain anywhere
from twelve to fifteen million dollars.
say this advisedly. for 1 know that they
have been watching US on the other side of
the ocean. and they are prepared to jump
right in and build four five cruisers with
triple screws. They have only been waiting
to see whether or not this vessel proved a
success. For once in a time We have been
the leaders, and our experiment has been
tried on such a large scale that there is
no question now to the utility of the
triple system"
There was another case, about twenty-five
years ago. when the United States built a
vessel that made such tremendous speed
that Great Britain Immediately built sew
eral on the same lines. The ship was the
product of the brain of Chief Engineer
Ishe-wood, and made the then wonderful
speed of nineteen knots, and an average of
nearly eighteen. But the British counter
parts did not come up to her in this per-
Torrance.
Commercial Lines Will Follow.
1t is said today at the Navy Department
that it will not be long now before the COM
mercial lines adopt the triple screw for the
great ocean steamers. They have always
been conservative about adopting improve
ments, and have not cared to experiment.
The twin screw was in use on men-of-war
long before it was finally adopted by the
transatlantic lines.
Some interesting comparisons are being
made between the performance of the Co
lumoia on Saturday and the best work of
the ocean greyhounds. 1t is probable that
none of the latter ever make such remark
able speed as that indicated by the reports
in single squirt of the cruiser the other
day, when ii was said that she made over
TWENTY-FIVE
cast upon this by the officers of the depart
ment who are inclined to think that one or
two of the intermediary marks In the
course drifted out of position. This would
make one section of the run between the
two end marks quicker than another, ana
IL NAV be that the squirt was made here.
But whatever may be the case with tnat
squirt. the average speed OF I'M Knots IL
sufficient to place the cruiser on even terms
with the f1eetest of the liners so far as
short runs are concerned. The Columbia 5
total coal carrying capacity Is but Zooo or
less than half that of the liner which IS
of a much greater tonnage. The increased
length enables her engines to drive the
liner at higher rate for long period,
and the duplication of boilers gives a
chance to clean fires dt regular intervals
without interfering with the speed. 1t Is
probable that the Columbia could not MAIN
tain her rate of 22.S1 for more than twelve
hours, as her fires would by that time get
very dirty. and she would have to slow
down for three or four hours.
Loaded to her full capacity and driven
at her maximum rate the Columbia could
probably not be able to steam quite across
to Queenstown, but would fall just little
short. This is due to her size, and not to
her speed or her economy of coal con-
| sumption.
The Next Step.
Now. the question is being agitated. since
the successful trial: What is the next
Improvement" 1t is admitted that there
can be more than three screws a
single ship without making some of them
'loafers," the phrase goes. In the case
of the German cruiser that has three
screws and has not been able to make more
than 10 knots. all of the propellers are in
the same plane, and the middle one gets
such disturbed water that it is practically
useless, and sometimes drags on the ves-
sci. In the construction of the French ves-
sells similarly provided, which has proven
/ YrDk1 fol ai1nIrn tha in hA
same plane, but are more nearly like those
of the Columbia The trouble with this
ship has been that her engines and boilers
are not eQuai to the strains that have been
put upon them.
The advance that is to come. then. must
be in the line of greater tonnage, larger
engines. more efficient boilers and more
coal. 1t is probable that the day is not far
distant when the coil boiler will be used,
and there are hints that the use of petro-
leum as fuel is a possibility.
All of these interesting questions have
been agitated since the news of the great
speed of the vessel first became known
They are being discussed now with more
eagerness by the experts of the department
than ever. for now Uncle Sam owns the
heetest craft af1oat, except the tiny racing
machines that cannot maintain their high
speed for more than two hours at a time.
In this connection il is interesting to know
that the cruiser Olympia, built at the Union
/ Iron Works. San Francisco. is liable to earn
a Ia -ge premium for her contractors. On
/ a Drellfnln;lfy run Iile OIileI udy SHe ue-
/ veloped a speed of 2l.61 knots. with foul
/ bottom. Her engines worked very salts
/ factorily, and it is hoped that on her offi-
| cial run she will make enough speed TO win
/ $4,000 in premiums
The Result Announced.
/ Late Saturday night a telegram came to
/ Secretary Herbert announcing, in a prelmi-
nary way. the result of the Columbia S
/ trial trip. II was sent by Admiral Belknap,
president of the trial Oard. from Boston and
read as follows: successful trial today.
/ Conditions of wind and sea favorable. Mean
approximate speed twenty-five and eight
| tenths knots. Corrections for tidal infiu-
| ences may diminish or increase this result. !"
! If this statement is verified by the COM
/ putations. which will require some time TO
work out, then the contractors will earn a
premium of $}50.OOO.
Chief Engineer Garone, who was aboard
| the Columbia and in charge of the engines
| Tor the contractors. makes the speed of the
| vessel slightly more than the trial board,
| placing 1t at 22.SJ knots In telegram to
| Eng1neer-fl-chiei Melville he says that
| foaming boilers prevented the attainment of
Il speed of twenty-three knots The en-