The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-09
HARBOR NEWS.
Just What the Despatch Boat Dolphin
is Doing.

She Came Into the Harbor Again Yester-
day-They Lay Out Trial Trip Course
lace of Schooner General Worth Struck
by Light ning-Extraordinary Expert
ence.
At about p. m., yesterday the United
States dispatch boat Dolphin came into
the harbor for the second time Wlthln
week. She has been engaged for some
time in laying out the course for the trial
| trip of the ram Katahdin and the battle
ship Indiana. She came into Portland
harbor last Saturday because of the heavy
seas .outside, and she came in yesterday
because of the fog and rain which pre-
| vented the prosecution Of the work
| The trial course of the Katahdin is
distance of II miles from Cape Porpolse
TO Boon Island. The former point is
about 26 miles from Portland.
A PRESS reporter went aboard the
DOLPHIN yesterday, and in conversation
with Lieut. Key, learned just what the
Dolnhin has to do to establish trial
course. This course, for the Katahdln
is a new one The course for the In
diana is from Boon Island to Cape Ann
and has been used before 1t is 81 miles
long. The Katahdin's course runs about
five miles from the shore. 1t is necessary
to establish beacons or tripods at inter-
walls on the shore to be used to take bear
ings from, during the trial trip. These
tripods are built of timbers, and are 40
feet high and have large black and
white flag on top. They must be visible
at distance of seven miles. They have
been aided in the establishment OF the
proper location for these tripods by the
work of the coast survey commission,
which left the points at different places
on which they used to establish as lines
in making triangular measurements. The
points are denoted by small holes in the
rock of the shore, filled with lead or With
an iron peg. The work of the Dolphin S
crew has been to find or locate these
points and build the tripods oyer them.
Thus they know the exact latitude and
longitude of the tripods. All this ex-
actness is very necessary in laying out
these trial courses, because the measure
ment of them must be exact to within
foot, If possible. In sailing over them
during the trial trip the officers of the
vessel use them to establish the exact
rate of speed. The course itself in the
water is further denoted by 2 line OF
bows at intervals of few miles.
Lieut.. Key said that they built four
tripods along the Katahdin course. The
trial is to come off the 18th, though there
is some doubt that she will be ready at
that time or that she will make the II
miles required. Everything has been done
for the course excepting the testing OF it.
1t came up SO foggy yesterday morning
that they could not test it, The Dolphin
| will sail today If pleasant.
Lieut.. Buckingham is captain OF the
| Dolphin. In the fall of the year the dis
patch boat is engaged in this kind Of
WORK, the blowing of lerelicts, etc.
In the summer she is busy as the spec
+ ial boat for the use o President Cleve-
land, Secretary Herbert and others. high
in the national service.
The Dolphin is equipped with the
handsomest and costliest row boat in the
United States navy. 1t is a 14-oared
barge and cost $1,000 The back board in
the stern cost $500 and is a marvel of ex-
uuisite carving. This boat was built es-
pecially for the great naval parade in
/ New York. President Cleveland was
rowed in :. it on that occasion and was the
first to use it.
/ CURIOUS CASE OF srRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. !.
Capt Frank Wallace Of the schooner
i General Worth had the pleasure yester-
day of talk ing with old friends in this
city and telling them of a most thrilling
experience which he passed last week.
Capt Wallace is a resident of Small
Point, and one day last week went hunt
ing. He took his rifle and rowed out in
his dory to a point where he looked for
ducks. They were there, and after some
hours of very successful sport Capt. Wal
lace started to row back.
He is one of the best known shippers
on this coast, but he saw nothing I'M
common about the sky or sea and was
rowing homeward as quietly as ever,
when there was puff of wind, and
then suddenly every evidence of a swift
coming storm. He was too far out for
comfort and regarded the storm with a
decided feeling of fear. 1t came up swift
ly and there was roll of thunder and
vivid flashes of lightning that he did
not like. He knew he was to encounter
one of the sudden AID unlocked for
storms that sometimes occur on this
coast, and yet there was nothing for him
to do but to row ahead as fast as he
could. His dory seemed a sort of storm
center, and in short time it was nearly
as dark as night. The wind was by this
time very high and the darkness was fire.
quently cut by the sharp lines of the
! lightning.
Then there was a fearful flash of
lightning that seemed to actually sur
round his boat with it's fame and then
something like ball of fire danced along