The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-12
THE NAVY'.S QUEEN
Success of the Cruiser
Olympia.
HER TRIUMPHANT RETURN.
Over Twenty-One Knots on Her
Trial "Trip.
CAPTAIN GOODALL DELIGHTED.
He Calls Her an Ideal Vessel-Enthu.
siastic footing of WeIcOm-
ing Whistles.
CAPTAIN GOODALL DELIGHTED

hourI
This is the speed attained by the new
cruiser Olympia, built by the Union Iron
Works of this city.
She returned yesterday from the build
ers' trial trip. AS she steamed up the bay
she was greeted by whistles from every
craft in port. all dipping their colors to the
new queen of the navy.
The remarkable performance Of the
cruiser Olympia is viewed as great vic
tory for san Francisco. 1t aroused a feel
ing of patriotic exultation akin to the
sentime nt over the defeat of the Valkyrie
by the Vigilant, only the feeling was much
deeper. Local pride and self-nterest were
affected. We had shown 10 the world that
San Francisco artisans had outstrlpped
their most skillfnl brethren on the Atlantic
Coast; that the Golden City. which had
been regarded by the Yankees as novice
in the art of constructing warships, had
proved her capacity in signal manner and
that San Francisco had rightfully earned
the laurel wreath.
At the Merchants Exchange the noon
hour was devoted to congratulations. All
the men interested in shipping who daily
eOngregate there felicitated themselves
Goodall, who had command of the new
cruiser on the trial trip, was surrounded
time and time again by eager knots OF
men who insisted on learning par ticulars
of the Olympia's initial voyage. The
skillful skipper, though he tried 10 be nom
cbalant, could not altogether restrain his
enthusiasm when he told about her speed
and particularly her magnificent sea quail
tiles.
Opportunity Offering, a CALL reporter
drew Captain Goodall aside and received
from him the story Of the builders trial
trip of the newest cruiser in the United
States navy.
I'VE steamed out to the whistling buoy
last Wednesday evening"" said he. land
soon ran into a dense fog. We swung Oft
aud went TO the southland. running at
half speed. When we were off Halfmoon
Bay the weather cleared and it continued
clear TO Point Sur, when it shut in thick
and remained thick till daylight. Thurs
day we rounded Point Aguilla, which we
had been making for all night. From
Aguilla to Point Conception we saw a
bank of fog in the channel, which pre-
vented our commencing our run over the
course. As we went down the chanEel
the fog kept blowing ahead OF US, and as 1t
had the appearance of clearing up we
turned around and went back to Point
Conception, increasing our speed all the
time.
eve turned at Point Conception and
made the specified course of forty-three
miles, against the forty-mile course run by
the cruiser San Francisco. Reaching the
end of the course, we turned round and
ran back to westward. She had been In
creasing her speed all the time until she
reached her maximum OF $1,000 horse
power, which sent her through the water
at speed of twenty-one and quarter
knots an hour. This was on the course
before we struck heavy winds.
1.-THE average on the western run was
20.54 knots an hour. For about one-half
the distance we were in q heavy head sea.
facing a thirty-mile wind. which added 10
the speed we were going made a wind
force Of fully fifty knots an hour.
Il never saw anything like her in my
life for sea work. She is the easiest ship
was ever aboard Of When she is running
with the swell On her quarter her roll is
slow and easy, and when the sea is in any
other direction she Is as quiet and steady
az a platform on shore"
"What speed ought the Olympia to make
in calm weather." asked the reporter
Certainly better than FIX knots. At
least, a quarter of knot faster; perhaps
better than that. On this trip, in addition
to the head sea, she labored under the dis
advantage OF some foulness. Shs has not
been on the drydock for two months there
is nothing on her bottom but tallow, and
quite crop Of grass and barnacles has at
tached Itself. This probably held her
back half a knot Besides, she burned a
great deal of fine coal. Most Of the lump
coal was reserved. There is no doubt in
my mind that she will easily maintain the
speed she made Thursday on the official
trial trip. and my judgment is that she
will increase it by something over half
knot. her engines worked with a absolute
,nt OIL Ia. ifpb
nor the least trouble of any kind.
THE sea trip has confirmed my judg-
ment made on the first steaming around
the bay. The Olympia then gave promise
of beating the New York's time and she
has now fulfilled the promise.
II think she is not only the fastest YES
sci in the United States navy, but the
handsomest man-Of-war in the world. Her
lines are ideally beautiful and her con-
structon the very bess. Besides, she is
roomy and comfortable for all On board.
THE admiral and skipper who get the
Olympia ought TO be proud of her,"
When the Olympia passed the seawall
she astonished all who heard her by the
extraordinary sounds from her whistle.
They were unlike ANYTHING else ever heard
from a steam craft in San Francisco Bay.
The whistle has the volume of fog siren.
more Of a moan than a shrek, and as she
passed up the harbOr 1t seemed as if some
one was playing the scales on a gigantic
piano sadly out OF tune. A cailiope only
suggests the volume of noise.
However, the sounds were accidental
The cruiser bias two separate whistles
one the ordinary sortland the other worked
by valve STEM, automatically, making a
crescendo note up 10 certain height,
when the valve reverses and begins on a
diminuendo. Yesterday the valve stem
happened to be stuck and the whistle was
worked by hand by man who had a
sense of the ridiculous.