Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-07-27
FASTEST OF WARSHIPS.
THE CRUISER MINNEAPOLIS
BREAKS ALL RECORDS.


% 20 Knots on Her Formal Trial
Trip-A Sustained Speed OF 81. 90
Knots-A Premium of S4O2, 500
Earned for Her Builders.
= BY making a run OF Boston OF 1894 miles
in three hours, forty-ntne minutes and two
seconds. the latest addition to tho United
States Navy. the Minneapolis proved herself
the fastest seaSong cruis r. Her spoe has
never been approached except by tho
Columbia, whi,h over the same course last
November covered the samo distance
in three hours. ffty-on" minutes AMI
twenty-four seconds. The Colunbia's
average speed was % 80 an hour. which has
been the record for large cruisers until the
Minneapolis raised the figures a quarter OF
n knot, AMI now holds the recori with an
average speed over tho forty-four milo
course of %. .05 knots.
The Secretary OF tho Navy. accompanied
by the official Trial Board, Commodore Self
ridge, President, AMI about 100 invited
guests, reached the Minneapolis In a tug
boat at eight o'clock n. m.
There were in the party, besides Messrs Ed
win s, Charles II. aud Henry w. Cramp, ex-
Secretary Tracy, Admiral Belknap. Senator
Hawlcy, of Connecticut Senator Washhurn.
of Minnesota Congressman Cummings OF
New York CogsweIl. OF Massachusetts HUI
lick. OF onlo, ana Money, oil MiSSlSSlDDt, nni
Chief Engineer Melville.
At g. A 08 the Minnoapolis dashed ncroSs
the line, and immo iiately the official inSpac-
tors and the amateur inspectors hogan their
calculat ions as to her speed 1t REQUIRE |
but six minutes and twenty-five seconds to
cover the first leg of the course, thus giving
her q speed of 81. IA knots ami considering
the fact that she had starte | without full
head of steam the builders wero satisas sd
with the result.
With her engines still working Mt high
speed tho Minneapolis made n detour of
about seven miles and then headot once
moro in q straight line for tho course
Everything depended upon this homewari
run. She was very close To the Columbia's )
speed for the first half. That vesscl had
covered tho distance in ono hour. SIS min
Utes and seconds. 1t took the Minneapolis
/ hour. 55 minutes and IL seconds, q record
of %. 80 knots as against %. 80 knots for tho
Columbia.
The line was crossed in front Of tho DOl-
| phtD. on the homeward run, II So o'clock.
| The firemen wore rs busy rs beavers down in
| the vessel. and the forced draught lifted big
| chunks of cinders out Of tho long smoke
! stacks. The big cruiser 8 machinery thrObbch, ,
and all on board knew that sho was speeding
| aS no vessel had ever before dOnO. When tho
! Vesuvius was passed little figuring showed
! that the speed had been %. 20 knots. 1t was
| the best record shown.
no prospects ICt II new record lOOKB |
| bright, but Were li.nmD temporarily hy tho
report that the speed between tho Atlanta
| and the Fortune was only II 80 rs against
22.O9 on the first trip. But tho engines be-
! gan to thrOh with renewed vgOr. and tho rO-
| manning legs of the "Ourse were covered in
| 22.S0. 90 OF and 23.22 knots respectively,
! making the elapsed timC for tho hOmnwar,l
trip only In. 53n. 42s and the average spool
| .23 knots, or an average of % 05 knots for
the whole course.
Wild cheers followed tho announcement OF
! the new worlds recOrl, an | tho hosting OF
| brooms TO each masthead informed tho poo
! pie on the yachts and steamers SwariuinG
around tho finish line that the Minneapolis
| was the neetest ship in the world.
j AS the brOOmS went up, Elwu s. Cramp
| jumped down from he bridge into the arms
! Of Commodore Melville, who scizol him
! about the waist and swun" him off his foot
Then Secretary Herbert shook hands will
| and con- rIIulatcd him. Ex-SDcrrtarY Tracy
followed suit. an] thon all the naval officers
who had been Watching the cruisers por.
| fOrmanco crowded around tho Cramps &c
| add their cor graf mutations.
1t was not TO be won lcr2l Mt that when
this result was known it spread through Tho
Ship with marvellous rapidity, and that the
! news was greetOl everywhere with cheers
| The or watch OF iiremrH on doc'l ChoerOI
the figures, tho :cr"tary of tn" Navy, the
MFSsrs. Cramp AMI EnSnccr- -Chiof Mel
Secretary Herbert, at the 5uGsestiOn o
| Engineer-n-Chief Melville, wnnttO the lower
| deck, where tho men wrr" scru5DinG them
| selves in thCir WASH rOOms, an was re
ceived with applause and cheering as h'
| conCrat uiate1 them on their splendid work
In making tins :tStOniShin: SpbCi the on
gines were kept under an average pr'S8nr,
Of 1G9 pounds Of steam, 16j pounds DeIni
the maximum. Tao total nOr3 power VIZ
1,00). Tn. average revolutions OF tn
screws were 1928 per mir ate, tho maximum
being 1877 on the port sit". The big hr
boxes consumed twenty tons OF crctu!iy SC
lectcd coal per hour.
The builders Oi the Minneapolis arc en-
titlei to $50, ,0OJ Tor every qItrtrr knot 0
speed she makes over twenty-one knots, AM
this will cnttlo them to premium Of abOu
$402. 800.
As soon as CaarIes II. CrAnp. the builder
reached Boston he wIrsd this Telegram t
President Clevcland:
To the President, Executive Mlnson, Wash
ingtOn, d. e..
The cruiser Minneapolis has ma lntwcnty
three knots an hour, surpnssing all records
We Hre pleased to inform tho Commander
in-Chisf OF the Army and Navy OF this peel
less addition to the national de'"nses.
.a9a. "a" CHARLES IL. CRAMP'
Tho Minneapolis Is n triple screw protect"
cruiser, intended to be n commerce destroy
or, capable of long distance cruising with
speed greater than that OF any other cruise
or any merchant steamer now anoa
Her displacement is 1850 tons indicated hors
power about q 900 length, 412 feet bear
| fifty-eIght feet drauGht, twenty-five nnl
half feet. Her coal supply will be fully 26c
tons, with which she can steam about 1900
miles wit hout recoaIing, although her thee
re,ical cruising range is $4,000 miles. II"
battery will be ono S-inch anil two 6-inc
breech loading rifles, eight 4-inc5 rapid hr
guns. and twelve 6-poundcr rapid fire guns
She ia nearly a twin of the cruiser Columbii
EXCEPT in having somewhat better boil'
capacity and two smokestacks Instead
four.