New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-18

contract limitations being confined 10 power
shown by the main propelling engines. the air
and the circulating pump systems. In aliItion
TO this. the steaming capabilities OF the plant
installed by the builders provide power for The
ventilating system the feed and blge pumps
dynamo and steering engines and other auxla-
ries. which together aggregat" fully $50 horse
power. for which no credit record accrues 20 the
contractors. When T. this Is addci th- fac tha'
practically the entire four hours run was In the
shOal waters of the Sound. instead Of over
deep-water cours.. like the one on which IN"
recent speed trials Of the New-York Minneapolis
and Columbia have been held and which would
undoubtedly have enabled the engines % develop.
as il is estimated by experts from 900 10 600 NOR"
horsepower than under th- conditions OF to-day.
the result who'll is highly crediiahle - me
character Of the work done by IN" him 81 y. +
Palmer q Co. II Is to be hoped ihat ih' dath
taken by the board Uncn reported 10 thc Depart
ment week hence Will show them entitled 10
comfortable amount In premium Tor eAceedihe
the contract
Chief Engineer Melville. who was on board
during the trial. had little TO say beyond the fact
that he well pleased with the showing that
was being made and the smoothness with which
the engines performed their work. he had
nothing to say in the way Of an estimate as to
what the computed results OF the trial would
show, but ii was evident that he fet the
department had secured full value for the money
named In the contract
AS on the preliminary run on September -.
Superintendent Henry Mason was in general
charge. assisted by his Chief aid. w. -. Stivcrs.
who supervised the installation OF the machinery
on the ship: Chief Engineer George Coleman.
Chic. Engineer r. W Peck. who has during the
summer been in charge Of the motive power on
the mammoth steel passenger steamer North
west running on the lakes between Buffalo and
Duluth. and Chief Designer A. A. Wilson. Th9
working force for the contractors numbered
nearly 100 men. ALI tod.
DETAILS OF THE TRIP.
The Maine left anchorage off the Pequot
House at the entrance Of Ncw-London harbor.
at noon and gave a fine example OF the ease with
which she Is handled the tide ehb. and
she lay with head toward the city. When the
anchor at the bow, she turned In half her
length and headed out through The Race and then
eastward toward Block Island. Her manoeu-
wiring pleased Captain Bunce and his aids exceed
ingly, and they could not refrain from remark
ing frequently. She Is a handy ship" When
off Watch Hill. southeast Of Fishers Island, the
helm was put over. and turning in the of "A
great circle toward Montauk Point. she swung
round TO the westward and headed back through
The Race. This was at 10 p m. and the mem
bers Of the engineering board. equipped for duty
in the uncomfortable temperature below decks,
made ready to begin their work. The wind from
the westward was fresh, though not stiff
on the spurt Of Tuesday, and gave prornis" Of an
increase. When Race Rock light was abeam al
$50 the trial. begun twenty minutes before. was
fairly under way. The duties Of the engineer
Judges called for the taking Of data showing
the development or power IN III" mann engines
as recorded by diagrams taken from indicators
at both ends Of the three cylinders, and also
the auxiliaries named in the contract. well
as the steam pressure at the boilers and at the
engines the number Of revolutions minute.
the amount Of forced draught and other factors TO
determine the result These observations by
the trial board taken In eight periods OF
ten minutes each during the four hours At the
end If the first ten minutes the engineers In
charge were permitted to make such changes
In the position OF the steam valves etc. would
produce the best results. but during the next
similar lapse Of time. being that just preceding
the subsequent recording OF conditions, no
changes allowed. Under this method the
records were obtained. and at the end Of the
four hours (5:30 p. M off Stamford Light final
reading Of the indicators was made. 1t being OPP
tlonal with the contractor to have either this
or the first test included Of the eight
periods might be most advantageous.
SOME SIGNIFICANT AVERAGES
During the four hours under forced draught
the general averagesof steam pressure l4l
pounds at the boilers and not far from the
designed average OF 1876 pounds at the cylinders,
the propeers making 1T revolutions a minute
on a sustained average during the four hours.
the vacuum bling approximately twenty-six
inches. The temperature at the cylinders under
the protecting deck In the engine room 1S0
degrees and On the average LAG degrees. while
In the ireroom II was from $50 degrees to 1l5