St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-23

ming for her builders the largest pre-
MUM ever paid in any country. When
tWenty-one knots were predicted as the
speed for the new cruiser, many hoped,
but few believed that her engines
would ever be able to drive such an
immense mass Of steel through the
water at this rate. When she crossed
the line today, however, with
a speed of 2L09 knots through the
water and some corrections yet to be
added for tide, the enthusiasm on board
was intense. Today's performance off
the Massachusetts, coast will be echoed
from one end of Europe to the other,
for 1t places the United States in the
Tan among the navies Of the world, and
gives US not only the most powerful,
but the sWlfteSt armOred cruising YES
sci.
There has been great enthusiasm in
England over the performances OF the
cruisers Blake and Blenheim, some
claiming that the latter had attained
a speed of % knots. In the
first place, those vessels are not
armored, but simply protected by four
inch decks over machinery and boilers.
Even equal speed for them therefore
would be nothing remarkable against
vessel carrying in addition to a siX-inch
protective deck tive-inch side belt and
two turretS, each eleven inches thick.
In the second place, neither OF those
vessels has ever had an official trial over
a measured course. The Blake broke
down from leaky boilers after reaching
a speed of 1871 knots in shOal water,
and developing only 13,000-horSe- power,
while the Blenheim was gagged only
by patent log, which, it is claimed, in
dicated 2215 knots. This same instTu-
ment on board the New York showed
speed today of % knots, and the differ
ence between that and the actual dis
tance covered is a proof of how unre-
liable patent logs are as official tests.
The Start.
At 7:90 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 holSted 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 tothe
minute. Gradually she warmed up to
the work, however, and by the time the
Vesuvius was in sight the cruiser was
going over twenty knots, with her ell
gines spinning around about $50 turns
to the minute. A perfect tlotilla of fish
ing smacks awaited the bic cruisers
coming, and they looked aghast at the
great column of water which she threw
UP in front of her cut-water. The
little village Of Gloucester was Off the
port beam at 9 O'Clock.
Twenty minutes later red flag was
broken out at the port yard arm, and
the New York went over the line max
ing 130 revolutions per minute. The
steam pressure was then 165 pounds to
the square inch and the vessel work
ing a tritle over twenty knots. In a
few minutes the revolutions jumped
up to 135, and the steam
to ITO pounds, both of which were held
throughout the entire trip. Now the
great furnace began to roar i'll the very
bowels Of the ship and immense Jumps
of burning coal were drawn out of the
funnel by the powerful blowers.
Thick and Fast
they fell until the surrounding decks
looked like the lana at the base OF a
volcano. One of these sparks fell upon
a canvas boat cover, and, igniting it,
caused quite sensation. The flames
were 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
1918 and the Fern, the halfway mark,
at 1921. Then came the tug Fortune
at 1O:41, the Leydeu at 1l:O5, and
finally the historic old KearSarge at
1925. 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 Kear-
sarge was off the Starboard beam with
the New York headed to the southwark.
The Leyden was passed at 1904, the
Fortune at 1921, the Fern at 12:46, the
Bennington at 1:01, the Nina at 1870
and the VeSuVlus at Al.
6The entire course was 41.35 nautical
miles, which was steamed over twice.
On the first run the speed was 20. SO
knots and the second 21.35. the differ
ence being due to the tide, which was
against the vessel on the trip north.
The average of these speeds gives 21.09
knots. On the whole the days record
was triumph for American skill and
genius. and will stand pr7-eminently
alone until some of our new war ships
beat it.