The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-09
Minneapolis.
She Starts on Her Trial Trip
Today.
Not Battle Ship But a Cruiser From
Which Much Is Expected.

u.senou ivr boston fronkramp.s snip yart
~ O'Clock this afternoon. The cruise
Is resplendent In a new coat OF whit,
paint aud as she steamed past the twelv,
miles OF wharvss which line the Delawar,
River front within the limits of the city
OF philadelphia, thousands upon thou.
sands % OF people who had gathered to wish
"God speed to the noble ship waved hats
and handkerchiefs, and added their quota
20 the noisy greeting that was sent out to
her from the bells and whistles of boats
and factories. Foreign vessels in the
harbor dipped their colors as the
i'nnsap0lis Il @as not speedsd SGti pSsm pmOgtoa aod
Delaware, thirty miles below Philadel-
phia, had been left in the distance that
the loyal citizens gathered along the banks
ceased their greetings TO the ship that
they fondly hope and believe will be the
pride OF the Republic
The Cramps claim that the Minneapolis
when she left the wharf today was more
nearly complete than any ship that had
ever gone on an official trial trip,
The ship will proceed down the Della
ware to point below Reedy Island, the
Government quarantine station, where
after her compasses are adjusted, anchors
will be dropped and she will wait until
the tide is sufficiently high to float her
safely over the shoal spot where the Col
umbia recently met with her mishap.
On Way to Boston.
Tuesday morning will see the Mime
apolls In the Atlantic ocean with her nose
turned toward Boston. The outside or
ocean course will be followed and if all
goes well the anchorage in Boston Bay
Will be reached by daylight Wednesday.
Thursday the cruiser will weigh anchor
early and start for a preliminary run over
she official course laid out between Cape
Ann and Cape Porpoise, off the Massachu-
sets coast. The contract requires a four
hours continuous run at forced draught
over this course. On Friday the ship and
her crew Will rest in order that
they may be in first class physical condi-
tlon for the hard, exciting labor of Satur-
day. the day set for the eventful speed
test. The course has been carefully meas
ured by Government experts and Is marked
by eight buoys placed at almost equal dis
tances apart. Behind each of the buoys
will be Government ship, having on
board naval officers who are charged with
the duty OF observing conditions OF wind,
tide and wave, during the official run.
These observations play an important
part In the final computation OF the ships
speed.
The course is fraction less than A
knots long and round trip is necessary
IN order to fulfill the four hours run re-
quirement. When the Columbia made
hcr official trial trip over the -course Last
fnIi the historic old Kearsarge was sta
toned at the starting line. Now that she
gone the New York will take her place.
May Better Columbia's Record.
The interest In the speed that the Min
neapolis Is likely to accomplish Is greater,
1fpossible, than that shown in the per-
fornance of the Columbia. This is evil
benced by the eagerness with which naval
men ana Others have pushed their ap-
plications for permission TO be on
board when the great trial
spatss %sas Of Sssss EssSsst' from
been referred by the Cramps TO Secretary
Herbert. Wherever Ii has been found
possible to accommodate naval officer
his request has been complied with.
Nevertheless 1t has been necessary to dis
appoint great many men who would sac
pating in the trial.
That the Minneapolis will prove world
benter in her class no person who has had
anything to do with her construction en-
tertains the. slightest doubt. In all
essential details she is the
with the exception that additionsi is
CRATE space will give her added steam
power, and consequently, it is believed,
greater speed. In addition the pitch OF
the screws is altered in such way as 10
add TO the rapidity with which she can
tS IdcuSu tnfoukn II tuc water. In outward
appearance she looks like the Columbia
with the exception that the Minneapolis
has but two smoke tunnels, whereas her
sister ship is provided with four.
Something About Her.
The construction OF the Minneapolis
was authorized by act of Congress, ap-
proved March 2, 1891, and the contract
with her builders was signed on Aug. 81
OF that year, the stipulated price being |
" $4,000. The ship is guaranteed to |
accomplish speed of n knots an hour |
and for each quarter knot over this de- |
veloped in Saturdays trial the Govern |
ment will pay.a premium OF $1,000. The |
Columbia maintained a speed of % $40 |
knots an hour for four consecutive hours.
earning premium OF $3.50, 900 and placing |
herself at the head OF The worlds war +
ships as the fastest of her class afioat.
The Columbia's trial was made in half |
gale and during a storm. In addition to |
this the foaming of boilers necesssitated |
the slowing down OF one engine. With |
better weather conditions ana mechani-
cal improvements calculated to give
greater speed, IL Is confidently believed
that the Minneapolis will averege 23lb
knots. This unprecedented speed, il ac-
complished, will give her builders a pre-
MUM OF S500,0OJ, the largest amount
earned by a Government vessel since the
establishment of the speed premium sys-
tenn.
To combine high speed with large coal
endurance, In unarmored or protected
cruisers has been for years the grand de-
Dideratum OF naval architects. High speed
was realized in the Baltimore and
''Philadelphia class, but they were not
large enough to carry the coal required.
Hence step in advance was determined |
npon and the cruisers Columbia and Min
neapolis resulted.
Her Measurements.
The Minneapolis is 412 feet long. 5s feet
beam, % feet 6% inches normal draught
Ind displaces 1850 tons. Her power con
lists OF three 3-cylinder vertical inverted
ripple expansion engines, having about
y, 900 collective indicative hasre power.
Ind driving three screws, one on the
middle line, as i'm single screw ships. and
he other two under the counters as i'm
" nscrew vessels. The engines are i'm
,hree separate watertight compartments.
Steam in Supplied by eight boilers. ak OF
hem 20 feet long and 10 feet inches in
and the other two IS feet long
Ind 10 feet inches i'm diameter. This |
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