Evening star., 1895-10-18
LATE NEWS BY WIRE
Official Speed Trial Of the Battls-
ship Indiana.
AVERAGED OVER FIFTEEN KNOTS
According to the Estimates q
Sat,-s. s.ctory Trial.
WEATHER FAVORABLE

sTRAITsMOUTH. via Rockport. Mass.
October 1S.-The official speed trial of the
new United States battle ship Indiana was
made today under most favorable weather
conditions over course from Cape Ann to
Boone Island. The distance to be covered
was sixty miles. which, according to the
builders contract, had to be sailed In four
hours at the outside. as speed-of fifteen
knots had to be sustained by the battle
ship in order to fulfill the conditions.
The Indiana started on her trial at
1O:O4:15
1t was about $50 when the Indiana was
sighted by observers here coming around
the point. Everything was in readiness
for the start. the stake boats having taken
up their positions previously.
The revenue cutter Dallas was the mark
boat at the start and the tug Iwaua, the
dispatch boat Dolphin the navy tug Nina,
the revenue cutter Woodbury. and the
United States supply boat Fern were sta
toned at points along the course the dis
tance between each being 82 miles. After
passing the Fern the battle ship was to
turn and recover the course. finishing
after passing the Dallas a second time.
Weather Conditions Favorable.
The weather conditions were almost per-
feet for the trial. The sky was cloudless
fifteen to twenty-mile west northwest
breeze was blowing. which served to make
the water at the starting point compare
lively smooth. but which farther down the
trial course kicked up considerable of a
sea and dotted the surface of the ocean
with innumerable white caps.
The trial was in charge of Commodore T.
o. Selfridge, assisted by Lieut.. Commander
Swinburne. Commander Bradford. Lieut..
Commander Schroeder, Lieut.. Conly, Lieut..
Thornton, Capt. Picking. Naval Constructor
Varney and Assistant Naval Constructor
Watt. The horse power developed was
noted by Chief Engineers Allen. Milligan
and Stephenson.
AS the Indiana came in sight the great
volumes Of black smoke pouring from her
two short tunnels proclaimed the fact that
she was urder forced draught and coming
at top speed and that no time was to be
lost in getting off at the start.
Without any preliminary maneuvering
she made straight for the line. The wind
at this time had hauled a little to the west
ward, blowing directly en- tho weather
quarter.
At 1OO4:30 am. the battle snip crossed
the line, and twenty-three minutes and
twenty-five seconds later. at 1O:27:55. she
passed the first mark. This indicated q
speed slightly better than fifteen knots. At
this point she got the full force of wind
ard water, which was against her, but
which would help her on the run back.
Doing Remarkably Well.
At 1855 she passed the Dolphin, the sec
ond stakeboat. 1874 knots away Her speed
Up to this point averaged about her require
ment of 10 knots. Besides wind and sea she
had also the tide against her, and under
these adverse conditions she was doing re-
markably well. At 11:12 she was hull-down
and a few minutes later had disappeared
from view here.
An Isle of Shoals dispatch says: Just
after II 20 o'clock the line of black smoke
Indicating the oncoming battleship Indiana
was discerned from here, and fifteen min
utes later she was in clear view, throwing
out a huge white mound of water at either
side. At this distance the bole looks larger
than the ship. At Hap she passed the cen
ter of the island and at 1920 she had turn
ed the mark boat at Boone Island and was
coming this way at great speed.
Averaged Over Fifteen Knots.
At 12:40 pm. she passed the center Of
Appledore Island on her return, and in half
an hour had again become nothing but a
line of smoke.
The Indiana was sighted from here on
her return at 1:02 pm She passed the Dol.
phin at :25 pm. and the Irwana at
2::22;i 80 pm.
From figures at hand 1t Is estimated that
the speed for the entire course will average
1873 knots.
After crossing the line, the battle ship
proceeded out Of the harbor toward her
berth in Presidents road. Boston harbor.