The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-10-19
INDIANA MADE A BIG RUN
REArARKABLE CIR0UMSTANCE WaS SPEED BETWEEN STAKE BOATS.

It Is Believed That Her Machinery is the
 Triumph of American Maohlnery-She
 Answered Her Helm Test With the Great
 est of Promptness-she May Go Into Conn
 mission Next Month.
 Boston, Oct. 1S.-In her official trial trip to-day between Cape Ann and Boone Island, thirty-one knots, the bat tleship Indiana made an average speed of 15.61 knots for four hours. This is .61 knots above the speed required by the government, and as there was pre-
 mium of $25,00O for every quarter knot
 made over fifteen the Cramps will re- ceive $50,000 as bonus in excess of the
 contract price of the ship. This may
 be increased to $75,O0O when the tidal
 observations are worked out, as the al lowance for tidal Instructions will prob-
 ably give the ship l575 knots. The
 speed developed is secondary to the
 wonderful way in which the machinery
 worked. With their usual luck the
 Cramps had day that was perfect for
 trial trip. The atmosphere was bril-
 blowing only had weight enough to
 crest the same with little whitecaps.
 Every one was early astir on the ship
 and when Commodore Selfridge and the
 trial board of officers arrived alongside
 in tug from Boston at o'clock the
 ship was ready under way. A start was
 at once made for the course. The run
 to Cape Ann consumed two hours, and
 on the way there the big boilers were
 lbottling up steam for the dash. Forced draught was turned on an
 reached. The can buoys that staked the course was further marked by a
 government boat anchored at each one. The boats that marked the course were the following: Revenue cutter Dallas, the Boston navy yard tug Iwana, the
 Dolphin, the New York navy yard tug Nina, the revenue cutter Woodbury and the Fern.
 At 10 o'clock the Indiana approached the starting line. The red flag that in dicates that trial is on was run up,
 and one short blast of her whistle was
 answered by the Dallas, and at 10:0313 Captain Bradford cried Mark and the Indiana was off. The run to Boone Isl and was made against the tide and con-
 stunned two hours two minutes and sev- en seconds, the ship passing the last stakeboat at 12:05. The average speed for the thirty-one knots was at the rate of 15.24 knots per hour. The average speed between the six buoys was as fol- lows: 14.7S, 15.23, 1854, 15.45, 15.19. The speed made to Boone Island was disappointing, but it was expected and the expectation was fulfilled, that the ship would do better on the way back. In making the turn nineteen minutes
 were consumed and the Indiana passed
 the Fern at 12:24:01. The speed of the ship was noticeably greater. Under l the able superintendence of Walter s, I Cramp the engineers and firemen were straining every nerve. The engines were revolving faster and faster, and ! the immense hull was quivering and vi- brating with their rapid pulsations. The 1 first leg was reeled off at an average | speed of 15.99, the second at 1912, the third at 1585, the fourth at 15.70 and the | last stakeboat was left astern at speed of 16.30 knots. It was 2:30:21 when the ! trial was over, just 1 hour 55 minutes 35
 seconds from Boone Island, and total | of hours 5S minutes 2S seconds A gain of eight minutes on the westward run was made, and the average speed l was 15.99
 A remarkable circumstance was the | speed made between the last two stake boats. It proved the Indiana was able | to do better, after her machinery had | been driven at high pressure for a con- siderable time than when the engines
 were first put under forced draught | This is in marked contrast to the per- l formance of English battleships of the l Royal Sovereign class. The English have never succeeded in getting much 1 better than sixteen knots out of their 1 first class battleships and when they have attained this speed it has been ! at the expense of ruined machinery, | The Indiana's machinery is triumph of American machinery. The engineers ot l the trial board were surprised at the ] wonderful performance of the engines 1 to-day. Not the slightest difficulty de- veloped and the engineers were unani- l nous in the opinion that the engines were the best they ever handled, Dur 1 ing the last fifteen minutes of run I Il 800 horse power were developed. The average horse power however, was ! 9,700, which is 700 more than required I by the government.
 | The maximum revolutions of the 1 screws were 131 and the average be- | tween 12S and 130.
 The average steam pressure at the | boilers was 165 and at the engines | 161.
 | The average water pressure in the | fire rooms was one inch and the aver l age temperature 105. After the run was ! over helm test was made. The shir ' wasturned in circle of 400 yards or 200 1 less than 1t took to turn the cruiser
 New York, and she answered her helm l with great promptness. After the helm ] test the Indiana ran up the bay to Bos- | ton light and the naval board went | ashore in a tug. The vessel will leave here tonight for Philadelphia and will arrive on Sunday. It is expected the 1 Indiana will go into commission about the first of November.
 Declared as False.
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