The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-01
MAINE TRIUMPH.
The Ram katahdin Is All
Right.
She Made a Great Showing
Yesterday.
Dashed Along the Sound at a Ter
rifle Clip.
ACTUAL TINE FOR 16 NILES
yOURS, 6 MIN.- OG SEC.

Circumstances--S Might Have W Waited
for smooth Water But the Builders
Took the Chance-The Sound Was
Alive With White Caps-Wind and Tide
Against Her-The Actual Time Almost
Up to observation-disclosures Time
and Allowances Will Unquestionably
and Earn a Bonus.
The gra tifying news comes Of the sue
cessful trial run Of the Ammen ram ka-
tahdin on Long Island Sound yesterday
The conditions were not all that could
be desired and owing to rough weather.
the trial could have been delayed had her
builders asked it, but they did not. With
wind and tide against her, the ram made
the run of "a miles, almost within the
contract time in actual time, and the
corrections and allowances for wind and
currents will, according to the reports,
undoubtedly bring her speed up to the
required rate and possibly earn her
bonus. The account of the trial will be
particularly pleasing to Maine people, as
the ram is a Maine-built vessel having
been constructed at the Bath. Iron Works.
An account of the trial in detail follows:
The Trial Run.
Nov London, Cenn., October 9, Tho
new harbor defence ram Katahdin had
her official trial over the Long Island
course Thursday. Although her actual
time did not bring her time within the
specified limits, it is confidently expected
allowances for currents, ETC., will raise
the average above the required seventeen
knots.
The ram left New London about seven
and proceeded under easy steam down the
river Thames and along the Sound in q
westerly direction. A run of thirty ght
miles from New London brought her to
the first mark boat and was made at fair
speed. The engineer members of the
naval trial board employed the time in
getting into their oveIalls. ana preparing
for use their delicately adjusted intru-
ments. By the time the starting point
Of the trial course was reached all hands
were ready and in their places.
The United States despatch boat
Dolphin, was moored close to the first
buoy of the course. This buoy was about
twelve miles west by north of Horton S
Point, Long Island. From this point
he course ran about due west, with buoys
moored four and a quarter miles apart,
dividing tho whole run Of seventeen
miles, into four equal portions.
The other four stations on the course
were occupied by government tugs
Iwana, Narkeeta and Nina, and the
TRANSPORT Fern. On each of these fine
vessels. were stationed officers of the navy,
to take the time of tha ram in passing
the mark buoy, and also to take the
direction and strength of current, tide
and wind at the various MARKS a5 une
time OF the trial.
When the Dolphin was reached the
wind. which had been light and from the
northeast, had freShened somewhat, and
the surface of the sound was dotted with
white caps The wind would be
practically with the ram, on the run to
westward and would be dead against her
yjded the trial should be in smooth
water, but the builders decided they
would go on with the trial, notwithstand-
ing the disadvantageous circumstances
After few preliminary manoeuvres,
during which the ram showed she could
turn in very small circle, the course of
the vessel was shaped for the first mark
l. I,,o Ok t0r1t
II. 46. 30 The tide was against the ram
although light wind was in her favor. = :.
Her time to the second mark buoy, was
sixteen minutes, thirty eight seconds,
made with an average of 139 revolutions
minute.
Her times and revolutions per minute,
respectively. to the third, fourth and fifth
buoys, were:
Second quarter, sixteen minutes,
twenty four seconds, revolutions, 145.1.
Third quarter, sixteen minutes, sixteen
seconds, revolutions, 1907
Fourth quarter, sixteen minutes,
fourteen seconds, revolutions, 1901.
After passing the Nina, which was the
most easterly mark boat, the ram made a
long turn still at full speed, and at
l. OF. 35 passed the first mark on her home
ward journey.
On this trip the first quarter was done
in fifteen minutes four and one-half
second and averaged 14s revolutions per
minute.
Second quarter in fifteen miutes, eleven
and one-half seconds; 14S. 3 revolutions.
Third, fifteen minutes and sixteen and
one-half seconds; 1885 revolutions.
Fourth, fifteen minutes, eleven and
one-half seconds; 14S. 9 revolutions.
The total run Of seventeen miles out
was completed in one hour, five minutes
and thirty two seconds. The return trip
was made in one hour, forty -four seconds,
making the total for thirty -four miles,