Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-11-15
FASTEST SHIP AFLOAT.
The Cruiser Columbia Beats
 Even the Cunarders.
A sPURT OF 24 KNOTS AN HOUR.
On a Preliminary SpEa over Her Course on Cape Ann she Reels on ee.s7 Knots m Hour-The Cramps Looking Forward to n Premium of S4oO. 900.


 or Cape Ann she Reels on 22s7 Knots m Hour-The Cramps Looking Forward to Premium of S4oO.OOO.
 BosToN, Nov l5--The new commerce de- stroyer Columbia was sent on preliminary trial spin over the government course from Cape Ann, Mass, to Cape Porpoise, Me. with the most gratifying results. Under forced draft she developed n speed of 22S7 knots per hour and under natural draft 20.3 knots.
 This means that in sustained sea speed this new vessel of Unole Sam is a marvel of naval achievement and practically the most remarkable vessel merchantman or naval, ever built. This record beats that of the Campania on her best 2I hour average by half n knot, or, to beeNact, by forty nine hundredths of q knot, and it is thirteen hundredths of n knot faster than the best seagoing time of the Lucania.
 Faster Than Cunardcrs.
 The Lucania and Campania, however. are credited with over 23 knots on their trial trips. Naval officers on board the Colum- bia today say that the time for the Cuuard- CTS was taken between certain headlRnds at well known distances, say 10 or b knots apart, and in this way their trial record was made.
 To offset this, one of the trial board timed
  tance of 61 knots, and found that in a spurt it was just after the forced draft was put on) she made 24 knots and trifle over. It Is safe to say that on her record yesterday, when selected coal was used un- der only two of her eight boilers, she is the fastest ocean going vessel in the world. But this is not all.
 On Thursday, when fresh fires are to be started, when every pound of coal to be iz haF igla al NH-lA all lN,n nf-n and luggage of every kind are to be stripped from the decks, when every man not cspe- Cially concerned with conducting the trial must get behind cover, so as not to impede the speed in the smallest possible degree, it is reasonable to predict that the Columbia will go 23 knots easily, probably 23l4 f, and may exceed even that figure.
 At the rate of S50,0O0 quarter knot pre- mium, she will undoubtedly make $iOO, 900 for the Messrs Cramp, her contractors. She will cost Uncle Sam that much in ad- dition to her contract price of about S2, 15O, - 900, but she will be better boat than tho contract calls for by just that amount of money. The cruiser New York on her official trip made half knot more than on her preliminary spin over the course If the Columbia does as well on Thursday her record ought to be 23.3T knots, or ?. B knots in excess of her required speed. All the naval men on the trip were simply as toniShed at the result.
 The Squirt For Home.
 The average run Iiorthward under nat ural draft, including the slow speed at the start was 2094 knots. Then came the start for home, the wind and water neither increasing nor retarding her speed. The trained crew of the Cramps hit her up for all they could, and she forged ahead faster not only than any vessel ever did be- fore carving the \ AmeriCan flag. but faster than any carrying any other flag, barring of course little torpedo boats, which arc not to be considered properly as seagoing craft. She dashed by buoy after buoy, and finally crossed the Cape Ann line as fl she could keep that speed up clear across the ocean and call it fun. There was nothing broken, no straining. .ao injury of any kind to eitheIS ship or crew.
 The race on Thursday bids fair, there fore, to be the most exciting contest against wind and water ever seen anywhere in the world.