Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-08
BETTER THAN THE COLUMBIA.
Speed OF the Cruiser Minneapolis on
Her Initial Trip.

The new United States cruiser Mnneap-
oils returned at o'clock last night to Phil
adelphia from her preliminary or builders
trial trip. The big cruiser acquitted herself
most creditably proving herself the equal
in every way; II not the superior, of her sis
ter ship; the Columbia While the Minneap-
Oils did not equal the record of 22.S7 knots
an hour made by the Columbia on her off,
cial trial trip. she did better than her sister
ship on the preliminary trip of the latter.
the speed of the Minneapolis being 21.75
knots. while that of the Columbia was but
20.9S. This was accomplished In spite of the
fact that the new ship had to burn anthra-
cite coal. AS a result of this trial IL Is pre-
dicted that the Minneapolis will make at
least % knots on her official trial trip.
The Minneapolis sailed from the Philadel-
phia snip yard on the morning of Tuesday.
the 9Th instant, proceeding leisurely down
the Delaware to the Breakwater, which she
reached about O'Clock in the afternoon.
Two hours were then spent in regulating
the compass, after which the anchor was
dropped. and she lay at rest until Wednes-
day morning. On the way down the bay
her conduct was such as to raise the ex
pectations Of those on board to the highest
possible pitch She had even at that time
shown herself to be remarkably steady
goer, and free to marked degree from un
due vibratory motion. Her engines, after
eight hours of constant motion, were not
In the entire enormous mass of machinery.
Out to Sea.
/ At $50 O'Clock on Wednesday morning
the anchor was weighed, and Uncle Sans
newest commerce destroyer was ready to
essay her first venture upon the ocean. In
the face OF a stif northwest breeze she
steamed slowly and gracefully out to the
Southwest Lightship." rwenty-one miles
from the Breakwater. AS she passed a
line parallel with the lightship. Capt. Sar-
gent, from the bridge gave the signal to
Chief Engineer Patterson to let her go
ahead at full speed The steam gauge at
that time registered $50 pounds to the inch
and under natural draught. Mr.. Patterson
gave her the required power, and the latest
wonder in naval architecture jumped away
TO show what she could do when called
upon. So steady was the ship. even under
this great pressure, that 1t was difficult for
those on board to realize that she was being
given her head.
Little smoke came from her tunnels, and
1t was only by looking over the rail into the
rushing waters beneath that an adequate
idea of what she was doing could be had.
In almost the time II takes to tell 1t the dis
lance between the lightships were traversed,
and as she passed the ship the register
showed that she was going at the rate of
1913 knots an hour. Describing a long and
graceful curve. the steel racer rounded the
Northeast Lightship.
WOrld-Beater.
Heading for the original starting point
away she flew, gaining speed with every
revolution, until, when she got back to the
southwest light, she was flying along at
the rate of 1914 knots an hour, and her en-
gfnes moving as smoothly as the delicate
works OF a watch. Again the graceful turn,
and again she sped toward the northeast
light. Now she was doing her work at the
rate OF 2O.52 knots. For more than four
hours the cruiser flew back and forth be-
tween the terminal points of the course,
until on the fourth and last circuit she had
acquired the remarkable speed of 2170
knots an hour, and 1t was known that a
new world-beater had been built by a firm
already famous for its achievements.
That Will do" said Capt. Sargent, with
look of intense satisfaction. ''She has
done all we ought to ask her to do today"
Then he headed her for the breakwater
again. and ran up the bay to Browns
shoals, where she came to anchor for the
night An examination showed that the
engines had stood the test without a flaw
The best previous record had been beaten
under adverse conditions as to fuel, and she
had not been fully tried.
This test, while gratifying in the ex-
treme, was not enough, and early yester-
day morning the new ship was asked to do
better. Anchor was weighed and she
steamed straight out to sea a distance of
about fifty miles. Then she turned and at
10 o'clock started back for the breakwater
under forced draft. The shafts were whirl-
ing around at the rate of 1856 revolutions per
minute. and the cruiser flew along in the
face OF spanking breeze, that flung the
spray in a shower clear over the bridge
Guests on board watched the logs with
watch in hand, and were sure that she had
exceeded 22.5O knots an hour, but when she
pulled up at Cape Henlopen Capt. Sargent
said she had only made q. IS knots an hour
She had done this, he added. in water the
mean depth of which is sixteen fathoms
and she can do better in deeper water