The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-03
HONOR FOR THE NAVY
COLUMBIA SHOWS FASTER SPEED
THAN ANY WAR SHIP AFLoAT.
From the Needles tn sandy Hook ne
1877 Knots IN Hour, Four knots
Better than EngIand's Best.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2.-The United States
cruiser Columbia was sighted from Sandy
Hook at $50 this morning. The Columbia
sailed from Southampton at 1870 on FRI
day afternoon. July g. passing the Needles
at l:2o. Her time. therefore, from the
Needles to Sandy Hook bar is seven days.
one hour and fifteen minutes. The Amer
lean line steamer Paris. on her last trip
from Southampton, covered 3,075 knots and.
assuming that the Columbia came over the
same course. the average speed OF the
Columbia is about 1911 knots. The South
ampton record is held by the American line
steamer New York and is six days. seven
hours and fourteen minutes, being about
eighteen hours better than the cruiser Co
lumbia's time. The Sf. Louis left South
ampton about twenty-four hours after the
Columbia. Her Western record is six days.
eighteen hours and seventeen minutes.
made on her last trip. To equal this time
the st. Louis is due TO arrive of the Sandy
Hook lightship at S:27 tomorrow morning.
The Columbia passed in at sandy Hook
at s:SS a. m. and reached quarantine at
l0:35 a. m. Her log gives her arrival At
the bar at $50 and time of passage from
the Needles to Sandy Hook lighiship six
days, twenty-three hours and forty-nire
minutes. Her days runs were 400, 400, f3,
45S. $50. 45s and 40 knots The total DIS
knots. During the entire passage the cruis-
er was run under natural Draft. Thirty
six hours Of fog was experienced ON the
voyage, during which the cruiser steamed
at her usual speed. Moderate wind and
weather were encountered all the way
across the ocean. At quarantine the Coz
lumbia was boarded by the health officer
and the surgeon reporting all well the
cruiser proceeded UP the bay
The Columbia on her official four hours
trial in November. 1888. averaged IN
knots an hour and attained maximum
of $50 knots an hour over distance or
nearly eight knots.
the cruiser when she came TO anchor In
North river Captain Sumner said that he
was very much pleased with the vessels
speaking OF the trip Captain sumner said:
THE run was very successful We LETT
the Needles at p. m. a week ago to-day
ural draught. Once, in heavy weather, We
slowed down for four hours to speed
of eight knots. We encountered fog
at full speed through II. We worked our
three screws and eight main boilers were
all working and orr coal consumption
had tie best OF coal that we could get
and ii Is the same as that used on Amer
lean line steamships. Had we been able
four hours we most certainly would have.
done three hours better. However. l am
satisfied that the cruiser has proven her
capacity of making e1trsordinsry runs fos
the fire room is l96 men. but we were short
twelve of that number. To make up
this deficiency we secured dozen volun-
When the Columbia was ready to leave
Southampton she had in her bunkers and
slowed elsewhere on board llssI tons ana
6H pounds of Welsh bituminous coal the
same as is used by the American line
steamships on their Western voyages. This
was more coal than any vessel OF the
United States navy ever carried The eight
main boilers and three main engines were
used On account OF the injuries sustained
by the Columbia when she was docked In
Southampton the steam pressure was limit
ed to 40 pounds. The coal allowance was
set at two hundred tons a day. ,,. 49,.
in one of the boilers. The attempt was
made to stop the leak In the usual man
ner with wooden plug, but the pressure
stay in the place. At 100 a. m the fires
were therefore hauled from the boiler its
safety valves opened and the boilers shut
off from the steam pipe. The effect on
the ship of thus losing one boiler was
marked: the revolutions fell from los TO
81 per minute and the speed from 1888 to
1888 knots. The leak was repaired at 6:45
a. m For the succeeding four hours the
average revolutions Increased to 1N per
minute and the speed to 1915 knots. This
was the only serious trouble caused by
leak tubes. Two others blew out. but were
Instructions from the Navy Department
was to run the Columbia under forced
draught on the last day, Captain Sumner
was unable to comply with that order for
the reason that IL was impossible TO pass
the coal from the wing passages into the
bunkers fast enough. Only one man could
work at time in the wing passages. and
the coal had to be trollied there TO the