Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-05
THE C0LUMBIA'S RUN
Capt. Summers Report of Her Trip
Across the Atlantic.
RATE OF SPEED MADE EACH DAY
Why She Was Not Pressed During
the Last Twenty-four Hours.
HOW THE MEN WORKED

Acting Secretary McAdoo this morning
received the official report of Capt. G. W.
Sumner, commanding the cruiser Columbia,
in regard to his speed test across the At
lantic. He says the run home from the
Needles was made as directed by DEPART
menf orders. except In regard to forced
draft. and that the time from the Needles
to Sandy Hook was six days, twenty-three
hours and forty-nfne minutes. He elves
daily details of the trip from the time Of
his departure from the Needles Fri
day. July 26. to his arrival at Sandy
Hook The quantity of coal on board at
the time of departure was 1,S611a tons.
The draft forward was twenty-six feet
three inches and aft twenty-five feet six
fnchss. Weather was fairly clear at the
start, with thick fog at times in channel
WIN smooth sea in the English channel
the ship made IS, 10 knots On Saturday the
wind was northwest to north-northeast,
with moderate sea. With all the battle
matches on the forecastle down considera BILE
water came on board. The maximum roll
was nineteen to port and seventeen to
starboard. Steaming seventeen to nineteen
Knots. on an allowance of 200 tons per day
A. A. i . am. sunday tube blew out in
NO. connection of boiler F and the boiler
was put out of use for seven hours Sun
day weather mostly clear and pleasant.
smooth sea, with light wind from the
south. Coal allowance increased to 225
tons per day.
Passing nn Iceberg.
Monday-Clear weather with light variable
wind and smooth sea. Distance made, 462
miles. Observation-Disclosures stormy up to
am; ship very wet fore and aft; eased
engines for short time. Foggy eight
hours; sea moderate. Ran into polar cur
rent at am. At pm. passed close to a
large iceberg just on the northeast edge of
the Grand bank OF Newfoundland Float
ing near was some detached portions of the
main berg, which appeared to show some
fifty feet above water, and to have an area
of about $50 by 500 feet, presenting the APP
pearance of an enormous snowbank afloat
the whole of it being perfectly white. 1t
was almost exactly in the course of the
ship, so that she had to run off to mass 1t
at safe distance. Fortunately, the wea-
ther was clear at the time and the cruiser
made the berg while yet some eight miles
from it. her speed at the time being twenty
knots per hour
Wednesday-Fair weather for the most
part sea smooth anc moderate. Nine hours
of fog, heavy rain squat at 2:2O pm. Dis
tanee made good, 455 miles. Coal consum-
ed last twenty-four hours, go tons J-eaky
tube IN top row, middle box No. fire room,
boiler e. n was plugged with wooden
plug. Steam was sent through auxiliary
main pipes. Other plugs were placed in
leaky tubes. The vacuum was poor and
getting poorer, and the main condeusers
appeared to be greasy.
ThurSday-Fine, clear weather: smooth
sea: distance made good. 453 miles; coal
consumed last twenty-four hours, $50 tons.
Picked up New York pilot to southwark of
Cape Sable. about $50 miles out from Sandy
Hook.
Friday. August 2-Clear, fine weather;
smooth sea; misty outside; completed run
on passing the Sandy Hook lightship at
$50 this am, giving the ship days, %
hours and 40 minutes from the Needles, an
average hourly speed for the entire run of
1874 knots. all of which was made under
natural draft. The coal consumption since
noon yesterday has been 221 tons; coal now
on hand, 1913 tons.
Forced Draft Not Practicable.
In closing the report Capt Sumner says:
1T was not deemed practicable to make the
last twenty-four hours run under forced
draft because of the unreliability Of the
boilers Eve were blowing out tubes at 40
pounds pressure). the loose state of the en-
gines from the long run. the great fatigue
of the crew and, above all, the impractical
bility of getting coal supply to the hoil-
ers with sufficient rapidity, as the coal was
located at this stage of the run.
The run has involved excessive labor on
the part Of most Of the ships company.
for we have had twelve volunteers from
deck on duty in the firerooms for the whole
rum and forty-eight more men from deck
have been employed below for some days
past in supplying the lower bunkers with
coal from the wing passages.
THE total coal consumed during the run
was 1,474 tons, 1,1SO pounds.
Il feared that I was to be deprived of
the valuable services of Passed Assistant
Engineer Bevipgton of our engineer fierce,
as he met with a severe and painful acct
dent just previous to our departure from
Southampton, which placed him on the sick
list He left the list, however, though still
suffering severely from the effects Of his
accident, and took his watch and duty in
the engine room all the Way over"