St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-19


would take place Commissioner
Walker, however, said there was fair
day i'll prospect. and his prophecy proved
true. The Columbia took up anchor
and started out from Presidents Roads
at S:15. 1t was 9:20 when the red tlag
announcing that the trial was on was
run up to the fOremaSt-head. The crew
OF the Dolphin gave parting yell as
the Columbia left her far astern. Her
engines were revolving at the rate of
135 revolutions minute. The steam
pressure was 15S pounds. and there was
half an inch air pressure in the fire room
But 1t was not long before there was
startling decrease in speed. The big
wake after decreased in dimensions,
and it was easy 10 see that something
was wrong. Then the red flag came
down, and the Columbia took wide
swing seawaid. The Cramps wanged
new start. One of the boilers had
begun to foam, and the remainder
were not enough to propel the
ship as the Cramps wanted her
to be propelled. SO back the ship
went, a mile beyond the Dolphin. and
then, after half hour or SO steam
ing around. she pointed her nose once
more toward the starting line and at
9:54:40 she was off for Point Porpolse.
She was speeding at 2211aknot gait. The
run down to the Imam, the second vessel
that marked the score, was 2.37 kno s.
The Columbia was jogging along COM
fortablv, with no commotion to speak of.
She reached the Imam at 10 O'Clock,
making the first step of her course at
the rate of 22.06 knots. Here the engines
were given an additional supply of
steam, and the revolution on the going
down TO the Kearsarge, the next mark
irNu 81
The speed of the ship increased, and the
$3.50 marine mile between the Imam and
the Kearsarge were cut through at the
rate Of 22.40 knots per hour. For ~
knots more to the tug Leyden, the speed
of the ship was only 22.S knots per hour
and the revolutions of the engines were
reduced to about 13l per minute. Then
the whole form of the Columbia
vibrated with the fearful velocity,
of the engines. The mighty shafts
reyolved 219 times every second, and the
huge screws under her stern churned
the water into cauldrOn that rose high
about the quarter-galley. The water
from her bow was dashed off in huge
pillows that set the fishermen and other
vessels along the course ooobing with
might and main. The steamer Fern
was reached at 10:52:S6, and when it
WAS seen that the Columbia had passed
the twenty-three-knot mark there was
cheering all along her deck. Now aud;
then pilot boat or schooner II ear Her
course ran up the glorious standard of
America to her best luck and dipped it
in honor to the queen Columbia. The
Narketa was anchored ~ knots from
the Fern, and her stalky maStS were
just visible on the horizon as the Column
bIa fairly shot at cyclone speed past the
Fern. The steam Stacked a little and
the engines revolutions dropped some.
The speed fell to 21.53 knots, but it
proved the Columbia was only gathering
power. She swept by the Fortune, the
seventh mark boat, at II 81 :2S, and
then the three big propellers hauled
up mighty mass of Seething,
boiling water and left trail couple of
miles long in her wake. The water
from the bow leaped high in the air on
either side, and the knifelik stem OF
the feetest ship in the world dashed
into it. The Fortune was left far astern
in twinkling, and still the ship sped
onward. perceptibly gaining moment
arily. Tho spray leaped i'll over the
bow and drenched the forward deck
and whitened the whiSkerS of Capt.
Sargent as he stood on the bridge. The
white line of the V esuvius on the
horizon Sprang into view and took form
with startling rapidity. The Columbia
was rapidly nearing the first half of her
trial, and she was bent on smashing
records. The two long patent log lines.
one over each quarter, stretched hun
dredS of fathoms aStern, and hummed
and tugged at their fasteningS with
voice of gale whistling thr 0ugh
ships rigging. Edward Cramp looked
at the lengthening wake of the ship and
then grinned at Commodore Walker.
On she dashed; never was ship built
that eQualed the tremendous velocity
which the Columbia had now attained.
1t was no easy task to stand on deck in
the face of the gale which resulted from
the onward sweeping of the mighty
ship. The bells in the engine rooms
tingled merrily as Capt. Sargent de-
manded that every ounce of steam be
turned into the great cylinders. The
great cranks answered with whiZZ and
whirr and an ease that put one in
mind of the working OF a light-runnlng
sewing machine. Thus it was that the
Columbia tore down by the VesuviuS at
the end of the first half of the
course. The Columbia had covered
the last ~ knots at the rate
of 1881 knots per hour, or a
little better than thirty miles. The half
Of the course, forty-four miles, was
done at the rate of 1892 knots per hour.
She took large turn to Seaward OH her
starboard helm before returning over
the course. The time occupied In the
turn is not counted in the trial, but it
must be made at full speed. Back she
came TO the VeSuviuS, more eager than
ever to be on her swift way. At IL IA SO
she crossed the line on her return, and
from there down to the Fortune she set
merry pace. The wind was now
dead ahead and blowing twelve khots
an hour. The velocity it attained on
the deck of the Columbia must have.
been In the neighbofhood of thirty-6ve
knots. The water continually leaped
| over the forward decks, and the rain,
which had been threatening, began to
rush on the men on deck. The ship
was Keeling off 24.77-knot gait, and
one of the patent log lines could not
stand the strain and was carried away
just as the ship passed the Fortune.
There was commotiOn in the engine
room and every light went out. The
boiler which drove the dynamo gave
out and the result was darkness.
When the light was restored the en-
gines were set to work turning off 13S
revolutions minute. The speed rose
| to 23I knots almost Immediately, and
when the Kearsarge's crew got into the
rigging and cheered her as she sped by
she was at a steady 23-knot gait. From
this to the end of the course she re-
manned at 221s knots speed. She passed
by the Dolphin at 2:11:1 She had
been actually on the course three hours
fifty-one minutes and four seconds. Her
average speed for the eighty-eight miles
was 22.61 knots per hour, The board of
inspectors were highly pleased witt
the manner in which the ship behaved.
She will leave tomorrow for Philadel-