The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-11
nrARrrR KNors ~ SIZED 1RALa
wn,,s eesooo o. $4,000 Depends.

| QUARTER KNOTS nv SIZED 7RLALs.
| u,r.,v Rsreh,u~ or Nt-.tn~ the Mrrs 80
| whs.h sR5yooo o. $4,000 Depends.
w,sr,xaroS. Dec. 1o-The decision Of the
| contractors and builders Of the cruiser Marble-
| head 20 apply for q new speed trial Ia natural.
| The subtraction Of Just half a knot from her
record obtained in last weeks run. bringing
| tho average down from 1895 to is ~ knots
per hour. through corrections tor tidal force
was n decided surprise as well as disap-
pontment to her builders. This ratio OF az
lowanee for tidal influence IL unusual but OF
course. it was calculated by experts from care
full data. In the case OF the Columbia, for ex-
ample. the total deduction for tidal allowances
or other causes was only one one-hundredth OF
a knot on nearly twentr-three knots; and In
the case Of the New York and other vessels
the allowance has also been very slight. IL
was known that her 1862 knots on the second
half was made by the Marblehead With
strong ebb to help her; but her 1913 knots on
the first half had been against head tide,
while the total correction was disappointing.
And an aRgravation Of this disappointment
was that the deduction required for tidal al
lowances was sufficient to carry the speed q
little below tho mark Of 1850 kncts which
would have given $4,000 bonus. at the pre-
scribed rate OF $4,000 for each extra quarter
OF a knot above the guarantee of IL knots. not
counting fractions OF quarters. For purposes
OF premium. 1873 knots would he as good as
1894; but 1874 is n better for the same pur-
poses. than 70 would have been. Thus the
loss Of S20.000 from what was expected Is the
keener from the bare margin OF six hum
dredths OF a knot which lost 1t. In this re-
spect, however. the experience Of the Marble
head is like that OF her sister ship. the De-
trOit. which hsd To- put up with IL. a knots be-
ing only four hundre dths short OF what would
whereas she was only credited with ak quar-.
tiers. or 100000 as II making but IL 90 knots.
%sSS made M & knots az
premium rate OF Sol. OOU per quarter above
= Knots. thus getting s35Oo0Q whereas, a
q "a, she would have received but 500. 900.
so that she saved S50.OQ0 on a very narrow
suits were still more noticeable. She was
built with n guarantee of 70 knots, with u
speed premium OF 500 UOO per quarter knot in
excess Of the contract On her trial she was
reported to have made exactly 81 knots along
the same course that was used for the Column
ba; and what was still more remarkable.
when the official deductions were made they
We're reRoEtsid to Leave the sneed at y knots
lutte mathematical precision in the published
statement. hut it is evident that the speed
mark needed for getting the premiuri on the
last quarter. OF a Knot so that there again the
Of Knot saving $50 90 for them inO'e ''a'''0n
80 It Is evident that even in what may APP
able inequality The two 2.00o. TONERS, De-
troit and Marblehead. lose $50 00O by falling
the New Iore and the Columbia win Sioo. ooo
by atill smaller traction OF knot In the ag-
create TEN One suggestion is. therefore that
while stu reckoning by quarter knots in pre-
MUM and penalty the eckoning should In
stead take IN the fractions OF the incomplete
quarter VI course. where penalty should he
would 6e sorry to have had the rule changed;
contractors, would have benefited and in the
instance of the Marblehead It might have
1t should be said. however that the as
sig9ees Of Harrison Loring 4 Co., the firm
the contract for her have additional reasons
Tor asking new trial. Assuming that the
a aatt dozen Goyernpent stake6oats along tho
they reported with absolute accuracy it is
nevertheless believed that there are two
enable the Marblehead to gain her needed six
hundIedths Of q knot at least; and such a gain
for In the fret place. it is believed that. with
little alteration in the valves OF the engines,
place. it is thought that by, giving the pro-
EeLiers little more pitch the speed will be
reached b. noting tbas tSs asTblehe ess essn
gines gave more revolutions than the Detroits, |
and yet she went. according to the caleuation, |
pellers d the Marbl shead were built According S d
to the governments plans; but she was not de- |
S25. 900 ut stake II may well be worth while to |
experiment in this way
Whatever the outcome OF the request for an |
other trial OF the Marblehead, the speed run |
Of the montgomery. the third OF the 1000 |
tonners. will he awaited with more Interest
than ever. She was to have been tested long
ago; but an accident while proceeding to tho |
trial course required repairs. and brought the |
TO the line heiore her 1t seemed
Columbian Iron Works OF Baltimore who
also constructed the Detroit: but the delay
NAV have its offsets in the lessons to lie de-
rived from the Marblehead's experience
Taxing together the data obtained from the
latter, as well as from the trial OF the Detroit
the Montgomery ought TO make at least 18 IS
u not ~ knots, and thus win Sl75 OUO IL NOT
500. 0OO for her builders