The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-24
THE NEW Cru ISER.
| ne New York Completes a
Most Thorough
Speed Trial.
The Performance j. considered Il Great
Triumph of American skill in
Naval Warfare

!
torpedo tubes buried deep in the sea
and the water pushed almost as high as
the forecastle. the armored cruiser New
| York steamed across the line today.
breaking the worlds record and winning
Tor her builder the largest premium ever
PAID IN any country. When twenty one
Knots was predicted as the speed for the
ne" cruiser, many hoped, but few be
ileVed her engines would ever be able
t. drive such an immense mass of steel
through the water at this rate.
When she crossed the line to. .day.
however. with a speed of 21.09 knots
through the water. and some corrections
yet to be added for tide, the enthusiasm
on board was intense This gives the
United States not only the most perfect
but the sWiftest armored cruising YES
sci.
There has been great enthusiasm in
England over the performance of the
cruisers Blake and Blenheim. some
claiming that that the latter attained a
speed of twenty-five knots However
these vessels are not armored. but sim
ply protected by fourinch decks over
the machinery and boilers. Even equal
speed for them. therefore. would be
nothing remarkable against "a vessel
carrying in addition to sx-inch pro
fective deck a tiye-inch side belt. and
two turrets each eleven inches thick.
In the second place neither of these
vessels ever had an official trial over a
measured course. The Blake broke
down from leaky boilers after reaching a
speed of l9.I miles in shoal water and
developing only $4,000 horse power. while
the Blenheim only by a patent log
which it is claimed. indicated 2O.5U
knots. This same instrument on board
the New York showed speed of twenty
three knots. and the difference between
that and the actual distance covered is
proof how unreliable patent logs are as
official tests.
At eight o'clock this morning the
New York hoisted anchors and headed
for the open sea. The wind was light |
from the northwest and the sea smooth |
The cruiser moved off at an easy pace
but gradually warmed up. and by the |
time the Vesuvius was in sight was
going over twenty knots. with the en-
elnes making about l2o turns per min
ute. Gloucester was off the port beam
at nine o'clock: twenty tive minutes
later the red flag was broken out the
port yardarm. and the New York went /,
over the line making l3o revolutions per
minute. The steam pressure was then
l6o pounds TO the square inch. the YES
sci working IA tritie over twentr knots.
In few minutes the revolutions
jumped to l35 and the steam to 10
pounds. both of which held out through
out the entire trip. Now the great fur
mace began to roar. On flew the great
increasing speed at every jump.
The Nina was passed at GAG, the Ben
nington at 1905. and the Fern. the half
way mark. at lO:2l. Then came the tug
Fortune at l0:41, the Leyden at l1:O5
and finally the historic old kearsarge at
ll:2o. The rigging of the corvette was
black with men who cheered the war
ship as she passed.
Next. the turn was made. and the race
back over the course began at 11:44.
The kearsarge was off starboard beam.
with the Now York headed to the
They Leyden was passed
at 1901. the Fortune at 1927. the Fern
at l2:is, the Bennington at 1:Ol. the
Nina at 20. and the Vesuvius at l:Il.
The entire course was 4i.65 nautical
miles. which was steamed over twice.
On the first run the speed was oO.s3
znots. and the second 2l.35. the differ
'nce being due to the tide, which was
against the vessel on the trip north.
The average speed gives 2l.O9 knots.
With possibility of its being greater
when the true current correction is
ldded. On the whole the days record
vas triumph for American skill and
.enius and will stand e-eminently
Hone until some of our new war ships
,eat il.