Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-05-25

BosroN, May 92.-With forward torpedo
tubes buried deep in the sea and the water
pushed almost as high as her forecastle, the
armed cruiser New York steamed across the
line to-day, breaking the worlds record
and winning for her builders the largest
premium ever paid in any country.
When 81 knots was predicted rs the speed
of tho new cruiser, many hoped but few
believed that her engines would ever be
able to drive such an immonse mass of steel
through the water at this rate.
When sine crossed the line to-day, how
ever, with speed Of 210 90 knots through
the water aud some corrections yet to be
added for tide, the enthusiasm on board
was intense. The days performance places
tn United States in the van among the
navies of the world and gives us not only
the most powerful but the swittest armored
cruising vessel.
From Saturday night after the preli mi
nnry spin over the course until yesterday
afternoon at clock, tho men were kept
busy preparing tue great ship for the trial
that awaited her to-day. All during the
night the ash hoists were kept busy throw
ing overheard refuse fuel. Every clinker
was removed from the CRATE bars and the
intricate machinery was polished and oiled
like IA delicate sowing machine. Every
boat was taken from its davit and slowed
amidships. where it could offer no resistance
to the wind. No battloship ever went into
action with her decks more thoroughly pre-
pared for work than did tine cruiser New
York enter the race for 5000, 900.
At 1870 sharp all hands were called to
get the cruiser under way and Just as eight
bells were sounding by the fishing fleet near
by the New York hoisted her uonderous
anchor and headed FOR the open sea. She
moved off at an easy pace OF about II knots
with her engines making 80 revolutions
TO the minute. Gradually she warmed up
to work and by the time the Nesuvius was
in sight the cruiser was making over 20
knots with her engines spinning around
about 1870 turns to the minute.
perfect fotlla of fishing smacks await
ed the big cruisers coming, and they looked
Aghast at the great column of water that
she threw up in front Of her cut-wate ter
G oucester was of the port beam at 8
o clock Twenty-Five minutes later red
dag was broken out at the port yard ARM
and the New York went over the line max
ing $50 revolutions per minute. The steam
pressure was then 16J pounds to the square
inch and the vessel working n tritle over 20
knots In few minutes the revolutions
jumped up to l3j and the steam to 40
pounds both of which were held through
out the entire trip.
The Nina was passed at 9:4G, the Ben
niugton at 1905 and the Fern, the halfway
mark at 1921. Then came the tug Fortune
at 10:41, the Leyden at l1:05 and finally
the historic old Kearssrge at 11:25. The
rigging of the corvette was black with men,
VINO cheered the war ship as she passed. A
neat turn was made and the race back over
the course began. At 11;44 the Kearsarge
was off this starboard beam with the New
York headed to the southwark. The Ley
don was passed at 1904, the Fortune at
1921, the Fern at 1916 the bennington at
l:01, ths Nina at 30 and the Nesuvius at
1:41.
The entire course was A. G5 nautical
miles, which wao steamed over twice. On
the first run the speed was 20. SO knots, and
the second 81 70, the difference being due
to the tide, which was against the vessel or
the trip north The average of these speeds
gives 21.09 knots, with a possibility of it,
being greater when the true current cor
rection is added. On the whole the distance
record was a triumph for American skill
and genius, and will stand pre-eminently
alone until some of our new war ships bea