The Forrest City times., 1893-05-26
AN AMERICAN TRluMpH.

Fighty-Four Nautical Miles Iong-A
 Premium of seoO.OO0 Won for the
 Cramps. Her Builders.
 BosToS. May 23.-With her torpedo tubes buried deep in the sea and the water pushed almost as high as her forecastle, the armored cruiser New York steamed across the line yester- day breaking the worlds record and winning for her builders the largest premium ever paid in any country. When twenty-one knots was predicted as the speed for the new cruiser many hoped. but few believed that her en- zines would ever be able to drive such an immense mass of steel through the water at this rate. When she crossed the line yesterday. however. with speed of 2l.09 knots, with some cor rections yet to be added for tide. the enthusiasm on board was intense, The performance places the United States in the van among the navies Of the world and gives us not only the most powerful but the swiftest armored cruising vessel.
 There has been great enthusiasm in England over the performances of the cruisers Blake and Blenheim. some claiming that the latter has attained speed of 22 knots an hour. In the first place. these vessels are not ar mored, but simply protected by four nine-inch decks over the machinery and boilers. Even equal speed from ( ha h ,r1f markable against vessel carrying, in addition to six-inch protective deck, five-inch belt and two turrets. each eleven inches thick. In the second place, neither of these vessels has ever had an official trial over a measured course.
 No battleship ever went into action with her decks more thoroughly pre- pared for work than did the cruiser New York enter the race for S200.O00 yesterday. At 7:30 sharp all hands were called to get the cruiser under way and just as eight bells were sounded by the fishing fleet near by the New York hoisted her ponderous anchor and headed for the open sea. She moved off at an easy pace of about seventeen knots, with her engines making ninety revolutions to the min- ute.
 Gradually she warmed up to work, however and by the time the Vesuvius was in sight, the cruiser was making over twenty knots, with her engines spinning around about 130 turns to the minute.
 A perfect hotilla of fishing smacks awaited the big cruisers coming, and they looked aghast at the great column of water that she threw up in front of her cutwater, The little village of Gloucester, nestling behi nd the rocky hills of Cape Ann, was off the port beam at 9 o'clock. Twenty-Five min ntes later a red flag was broken out at the port yardarm, and the New York went over the line making 130 revolu- tions per minute. The steam pressure was then 165 pounds to the square inch. and the vessel working trifie over 20 knots. In few minutes the revolu- tions jumped up to lS5 and the steam to TO pounds. both of which were held throughout the entire trip.
 Now the furnace began to roar in the very bowels of the ship and imme- diately Jumps of burning coal were thrown out of the funnel by the power ful blowers. Thick and fast they fell until the surrounding decks looked like the land at the base of a volcano One of these sparks fell upon canvas boat cover and igniting it caused quite sensation. The flame was quickly extinguished, however, without any serious damage.
 On flew the great cruiser. increasing her speed at every jump. The Nina was passed at 9:46. the Bennington at l0:05, and the Fern. the halfway mark at 10:2l. Then came the tug Fortune al l0:4l. the Leyden at IL 05, and finally the historic old Kearsarge at ll:25. The rigging of the corvette was black with men, who 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 the starboard beam with the New York headed to the southward. The Leydon was passed at 12:04, the Fortune at 1927, the Fern at 12:46, the Bennington at l:0I. the Nina at l:2l and the Nesuvius at 1;4l. The entire course was 41.60 nautical miles. which was steamed over twice. On the first run the speed was 20 S3 knots and the sec end 2l.S5. the difference being due to the tide that was against the vessel on the trip north. The average of this speed gives 2l.09 knots. with possi- hility of its being greater when the true current correction is added.
 On the whole yesterdays record was triumph for American skill and crnni,,S a nd 1,.ill stand ,nr.a-arn inonf mn