The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-16
OLYMPIA'S SPEED.
1t Went Far Above the
Requirement,
BUT BELOW EXPECTATIONS.
Nearly Twenty-Five Knots the
Official Record.
BUT BELOW EXPECTATIONS.
THIS SUBJECT TO CORRECTION
The Run Over the Course of Eighty.
Six Knots Made in Less Than
Four Hours.

cruiser Olympia, on trial test in the chan
mel to-day, did not equal the expectation
of the builders, but still lar exceeded the
requirements, and established a record for
the eighty-six knot course of about 21.67.
Much to the surprise of every one the day
was nearly perfect. The heavy wind OF
last night left no bad effects. at least at
this end of the course. The ocean was like
big mill-p0nd, only ruff1ed By the big
cruiser herself as she sped through the
water, sending the spray over the bow till
the deck was dripping.
From GOleta to Point Conception quite
swell was running, but pot enough to
retard headway to any extent. The reason
why the cruiser did not equal her previous
record seems TO be an unexplained mys-
terry. The machinery worked perfectly.
| There was not the slightest break. The
time Of 21.67 is liable to correction on ac-
count of currents, which may result in the
Olympla's favor. draft of four inches
greater than the requirements also will be
counted III the final calculations, which
will not be made for several days. The
maximum speed estimated was %. 05.
The Olympia left her anchorage al 6 :38
O'Clock this morning and took a run of
about two hours before starting on the test
which was TO tell whether she would be
accepted as a United States cruiser. 1t
was at S:51 o'clock that she crossed the
line of Summerland Beacon and the great
trial began. From the beginning the en-
gines were under full steam and Chief
Engineer Morris says that the escape-valve
was blowing from start TO finish. She
maintained nearly the same speed from
one cad Of the course to the other, the
cruiser making no notable spurts. being
pressed over the whole course. The high
est speed which she reached was % O5. In
one minute less than two hours the 0ym-
| pia passed the stakeboat Macarthur, mark
ing 43 knots and the end of the first half.
| Running some two miles above she made
| the turn in exactly twenty minutes, while
under full speed. and came back on the
/ course at IL 10 o'clock. Or the return
what little wind there was favored the
! cruiser. bu just the same time was con-
sumed as on the run to Point Conception.
AT g 80 the Olympia finished her trip.
| Before returning to the harbor the
cruiser put out to sea for the execution of
maneuvers 10 test the stearing gear.
With the rudder put hard about, one
| engine was reversed, while the other was
! going ahead at full steam. The big boat
was thrown about in wonderfully quick
time. the engines and machinery standing
| the strain well. This test resulted salts
| iactorily to both the trial board and Mr..
| Scott, but win probably be repeated on
the way TO San Francisco.
| On board the cruiser it was plain that
| there was disappointment. Many fremen
stood around the bow discussing the re-
sult and the reasons why the expected
22.5 was not reached. Members of the
trial board would say little, but all inter-
viewed expressed the opinion that the
! Olympia was fine boat, and that for
cruiser OF the 20-knot class she had done
remarkably we'll in exceeding the require
ments by even one aid a half knots. Mr..
Scott said that he was entirely satisfied
with the showing and seemed to think
that The record would not be so far under
| % when the exact figures were known.
This, he says, will not be calculated for
| several days. On four of the stakeboats
there were Government officials to make
record of current and tidal movements.
which may cause deduction. but more
| likely an addition to the 81 67 record.
| When the cruiser returned to anchor
! age no calculations had been made, and
! only an aggregate could be obtained from
the trial board. Lieutenant Pond. the
secretary of the Government board, said
that the only figures that could be given
out were averages made from the lapse of
time between beacons. No other calcula-
tions could be made until the result of the
current observations were received. which
meant after the return to San Francisco.
OF the working of the machinery no fault
can be found. Engineer Morris says it
| i;l
| his entire approval of the working OF the
cruiser under decks.
| Lieutenant Pond gives as the time con-
sumed on the trip 3.59, exclusive of the
twenty minutes on the turn, which is not
coun ted. She finished the first half in
hour and 81 minutes. and the return in 2
hours and minutes. which gives the aver
age for the whole eighty-six knots very
little more than 21,5. According TO his fig
ures the Olympia by no means failed. and
greatly exceeded the contract requirements
as far rs speed is concerned. The builders
expected too much of the twin-screw
cruiser of her class when they said that
they hoped to get over twenty-five knots
The course over which the Olympia
went to-day lies from what has been
termed Summerland Beacon, about FIVE
| mlics cds1 VI Cdnta DaIpaId, 10 SoJo an
chorage. two miles east of Point COncep-
cion. The land to the south offereg, a pro-
lection from the rough seas and the chan
mel is one Of the smoothest roadsteads on
the American coast Iu fact naval officers
have been heard to say that there is no
other course where contractors are so
favored. The course is forty-three knots
in length and the cruiser was to go over
this and return. The contract required
that she should speed eighty knots in four
hours. On the trip to-day the Olympia
went over the entire eighty-six-knot course
| in one minute less than four hours.
The Olympia left shortly before 6
O'Clock for San Francisco and will arrive
| there SOME time tO-mOrrOW