The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-01
FhSFBST OF VARSHIPS.
1.-THE CRUISER MINNEAPOLIS
BREAKS ALL RECORDS.

bhiAhS ALL hiOUhUOs
kShe Attained to Maximum Speed o
20 20 Knots on Her Formal Tria
<Trip-A Sustained Speed Of %. o.
Knots-A Premium Of $4O2, ,5O'
Earned for Her Builders.
= By making run of Boston OF SO. 81 mile
In three hours, forty-nine minutes and twt
seconds, the latest addition to the Unitet
States Navy, the Minneapolis proved hersel
the fastest seagoing cruiser. Her speed has
never been approached except by the
Columbia, which over the same course last
November covered the same distance
in three hours, fifty-one minutes and
itwenty-four seconds. The Columbia's
average speed was 22.8O an hour, which has
been the record for large cruisers until the
Minneapolis raised the figures a quarter Of
"a knot, and now holds the record With an
average speed over the forty-four mile
tcourse Of 23.05 knots.
The Secretary Of the Navy, accompanied
Iby the official Trial Board, Commodore SELF.
ridge, President, and about 100 invited
guests, reached the Minneapolis In a tug
boat at eight O'Clock 4. m.
I There were inthe party, besides Messrs. Ed
win s., Charles H. and Henry W. Cramp, ex-
Secretary Tracy, Admiral Belknap. Senator
Hawley, OF Connecticut Senator Washburn,
OF M,nnesotai Congressman Cummings, Of
New York CoEswell, OF Massachusetts, HUI
lick, OF Ohio, and Money, ofMississippI, and
Chief Engineer Melville.
At 9.A0S the Minneapolis dashed across
the line, and Immediately the official inspec.
tors and the amateur inspectors began their
calculations as to her speed. It required
but six minutes and twenty-five seconds to
cover the first leg of the course, thus giving
her speed OF 22.74 knots, and considering
the fact that she had started without full
head OF steam the builders were satisfied
with the result.
With her engines still working at high
spee1 the Minneapolis made detour OF
about seven miles and then headed once
rnore in q straight line for the course,
Everything depended upon this homeward
run. She was very close to the Columbia's
speed for the first half. That vessel had
covered the distance in one hour, IS mir
utes and 7 seconds. It took the Minneapolis
I hour. IS minutes and 18 seconds, a record
OF q. 80 knots as against 20. 90 knots for the
Columbia.
| The line was crossed In front of the Dol.
phip. on the homeward run, 11.58 o'clock.
The tiremen were as busy as beavers down In
the vessel. and the forced draught lifted big
chunks of cinders out OF the lone smoke.
stacks. The big cruisers machinery throbbed,
and ell on board knew that she was sneeding
as no vessel had ever before done. When the
Vesuvius was passed little figuring showed
THAT the speed had been 25.20 knots. It was
the best record shown.
} The prospects for new record looked
bright, but were dimmed temporarily by the
report that the speed between tho Atlanta
and the Fortune was only 2l.s0, rs against
22.09 on the first trip. But the engines be-
gan to throb with renewed vlgor, and the re-
naming legs OF the course were covered in
22. 80, 22.07 and 1922 knots respectively,
making the elapsed time for the homewerd
trip only 1h. 53m. 42s. and theavarage speed
23.23 knots, or an average OF 23.05 knots for
the whole course.
Wild cheers followed the announcement OF
the new worlds record, and the hoisting Of
rooms to each masthead informed the poo
PIE on the yachts and steamers swarming
around the finish line that the Minneapolis
WIS the feetest ship In the world.
AS the brooms went up, Edwin 8. Cramp
jumped down from the bridge into the arms
of Commodore Melville, who seized him
about the waist and swung him of his feet.
Then Secretary Herbert shook hands with
and congratulated him. Ex-SecretarY Tracy
followed suit, and then all the naval officers
who had been watching the cruisers per-
formance crowded around tho cramps to
add their cor gratulations.
It was NOT to be wondered OF that when
this result was known 1t spread through the
ship with marvellous rapidity, and that the
news was greeted everywhere with cheers.
The of watch OF flremen on deck cheered
the figures, the Secretary ofthe Navy, the
Messrs. Cramp and Engineer-in-Chtef Mel
vile in rapid succession.
{ Secretary Herbert, at the suggestion OF
Engineer-in-C Chief Melville, went to the lower
deck, where the men were scrhbbing them
selves in their wash rooms, and was re-
ceived with applause and cheering as ho
congratulated them on their splendid work.
! In making this astonishing speed the en-
gines were kept under nm average pressure
Of 160 pounds OF steam, 165 pounds belng
the maximum. The total horsepower was
q 900. The average revolutions OF the
screws were 1925 per minute, the maximum
being 1877 on the port side. The big fire
bo:::es consumed twenty tons Of carefully Sc
lected coal per hour.
. The builders Of the Minneapolis nre en-
titled to S50, 900 for every quarter knot OF
speed she makes over twenty-one knots, and
this will entitle them to premium Of about
S402. 500.
As soon as Charles q. Cromp, the builder,
reached Boston he wired this telegram to
President Cleveland:
TO the President, Executive Mansion, Wash
ington, D. c.:
The cruiser Minneapolis has made twenty
three knots IN hour, SURPRISING all records.
We are pleased to inform the Commander
in-Chief OF the Army and Navy OF this peer.
less addition to the national deienses.
CHARLES H. CRAMp
The Minneapolis is triple screw protected
cruiser, intended to he commerce destroy
or, capable OF long distance cruising with
speed greater than that Of any other cruiser
o.: my merchant steamer now af1oat,
her displacement is 1850 tons ;indicat ed horse
power. about 81, 900 length, 412 feet beam,
flfty-eight feet Graught, twenty-five and
half feet Her coal supply will be fully 1900
tons. with which she can steam about Is, 900
miles wit thout recoaling, although her theo-
retical cruising range is &c, 1000 miles. Fer
battery will be one s-inch and two 6-inch
breech loading rifles, eight 4-Inch rapid fire
guns, and twelve 6-pounder rapid fire guns.
She is nearly twin Of the cruiser Columbia,
eScent in having somewhat better boiler
capacity ami two sEokestacks instead Of
four.
-rr1n,Vr nnrrT71 HnNHDT0S