Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-04-06
on THE TRIAL TRIP.
TESTING THE sW,FrNcss or A
WAasHlP.
Every eesoaution Taken In che eies
Room 20 Reach che Highest Pos.
Sjhje Rate Of Soeed,

sibis Rate Of snssd.
A modern warship is one of tho
most ingenious and complicated
pieces OF mechanism, and as the
profit Of the builders depends upon
perfection of detail they prefer to
make practical test of the speed of
such vessel before Offering her to her
purchasers. The description of such
a test appears in Harper's Magazine
under the title, 1.-THE Trial Trip Of a
Cruiser"
Describing the scene below deck
the writer saws:
The engines roar, the pumps move
back and forth with q sharp click ut
each stroke, the air pumps shrek and
puff, and the engineers force rush
about in what seems at first hopeless
confusion, but which soon takes on
look Of system. Every man has his
duty to do, and does it we'll. The
engines require close and careful ut.
tention, as enough might happen in
moment to ruin oil. The slightest
carelessncss or inattention might
have the most serious results. Occa-
sionally, though. no amount Of care
can prevent bearing or cross head
from heating, particularly II the ma
chinery il new, has not sufficiently
worn itself to perform its duties and
is being run ut high rate OF speed.
To provide for this contingency there
Is always arranged convenient sys.
TEN Of pipes, from which cold water
can DO directed ut moments notice
upon whichever part of the machin-
cry shows signs Of heating. In add.
ton to this there are many couplings
where hose can be connected for use
In reaching the more inaccessible
and rapidly moving parts. At
such time excitement runs high In
the engine rooms. The engines are
probably working ut almost full
power and moving rapidly, SO II the
heating part cannot be cooled sufiici-
emily they will have to be shut down
and the run be lost. The rush and
roar Of the machinery, the tremble
Of the ship as she Is forced ahead by
the immense horsepower transmitted
by each shaft, the hurry Of the cngi.
neer's force, each one of whom has
constant and important duties to
perform, oil add to Tho excitement.
Water pours In torrents on tho heat
ed parts, and as 1t strikes the flying
engines Is thrown In oil directions.
The engine room floor swims with
oil and water, and the oil thus thrown
upon the cold water pipes cOngeals
and completely covers them, look
Ing like snow upon the trees after u
heavy storm. Lucky now are the
men who wear oilskin suits. for
nothing else will keep out the flying
water; those who are not SO prepared
aro drcnched in an instant, and
though by the thermometer the ten.
perature may DO far from cool there
Is chill In tho Icy water and soaked
garments and a discomfort In the
oil and salt In ones eyes that aro far
from pleasant. But let US step into
the fire room a moment and note the
difference.
As VIC 90 through the air lock, with
Its double doors, one OF which must
BE- closed before the other Is opened,
to prevent loss OF air pressure In the
fire room, the roar OF the engines
changes to a rhythmic and steady
beat, muflied and deadened into an
almost soothing sound. Tho fire
room, as wc step In from the light
outside. seems dark and shadowy,
and dusky figures OF men pass here
and there across the light from the
open ash pits. In the bulkhead OPP
posite us Is a small door, and through
this shovolful after shovclful OF coal
Is thrown by men In the bunkers be-.
yond; from there 1t 10 thrown in a
pile against the bulkhcad directly In
front OF tho boilers, from whence II
is passed into the furnace Us occa-
sion requires. The fireman's task Is
no easy one, and 1t requires con.
siderable skill to fire o boiler prop.
erly, keeping the fuel we'll and evenly
distributed over tho CRATES. The
water tenders have to keep u watch.
full eye upon the water gauges, for
fear Of allowing the water In
the boilers to get too low. there.
by causing an explosion. The huge
furnaces fairly devour..cosl and when
for tho purpose OF feeding In more
the furnace doors are opened (throw.
ing q rcd glare through the room) we
can see the white hot fuel heaped
clear to the crown OF the furnace, and
the flames that leap half way up the
smokestack rush wildly out. impelled
by the 10. OOO cubic feet OF air pei
minute furnished by tho blowers,
which we hear spinning away over.
head with asteady whir. The amount
OF coal burnt by large vessel run
ming ut full speed Is almost incredible.
Some OF tho great Atlantic liners burn
$50 to 400 tons day, and some OF our
cruisers, where they run constantly
at full speed, would burn nearly as
much. While the blowers are run.
ing the fire rooms are generally COM
paratively cool, though there Ia Il
great difference In ships in this no.
spect, some being very comfortable,
while tho temperature In others gets
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