The record-union., 1896-04-26
BATTLESHIP MASSACHUSETTS.
Her Official Trial Places Her in the
Front Rank of Her Class.

| BOSTON, April 2o.-In her official
! trial trip the battleship Massachusetts,
covered the sixty-two knots of the Off
cial Government course in three hours
| fifty minutes and twenty-three sec
onds, making the magnificent average
speed for the four hours of is. II knots
a speed which places her in the front
| of ships of her class of all the navies
of the world. The average speed of the
| Massachusetts was over a half-knot
greater than that of her sister ship, the
Indiana, which made 1861 knots on her
| official trial trip. The contract of
the Cramps with the Government called
for a bonus of $4,000 for every quar-
| ter-knot made by the ship above Is,
and by her great performance to-day
the battleShip earned for her builders
a premium of S100,000 The manner in
which the machinery worked was as
satisfactory as the speed developed.
With their usual good luck, the Cramps
had a day set for the trial on which
weather conditions and the sea were
perfect.
WASHINGTON, April 25-Secretary
Herbert tonight received the follow
ing dispatch from Commodore Dewey,
was on board the battleship Massa-
| chusetts to-day during her trial trip:
Speed trial to-day Fine weather;
sea smooth. Speed over ground 1914
knots Tidal corrections not yet ap-
Piled
The Massachusetts got under way
shortly before Z o'clock The course
was from Cape Ann to Boone Island,
toff .. =,
thirty-one knots, and was marked off in
equal periods by six can buoys. At
each buoy was stationed a Government
vessel.
The ship passed the first buoy, where
the Dallas was anchored, at 9:51 AS,
and with scarcely a vibration of her
decks steamed up the course. The
other stake boats were passed in tn fol-
! lowing order: No. =, 10:16:35; No 3,
| 10:39:09; No. 4, II 1:02:11h; No 5,
11:26:15; No. 6, 11:47:4 :45.
The average speed for the up run was
1G.04 knots. The tide was running with
| the ship, but the little advantage she
may have gained from this was coun-
| terbalanced by the wind, which was
dead ahead. On the run from Cape
Ann to Boone Island the Indiana aver
aged but 1924 knots, and her maximum
speed was 1854.
| The Massachusetts passed the Fern
at the upper end of the course on the re-
turn to Cape Ann at 12:03:14.
| The run back was full of excitement,
as it showed for certain that the Mas
Sc chusetts would exceed her contract
speed by fully knot. The engines were
watched with the closest attention, and
streams of water and oil were poured
over bearings and journals. Twenty
minutes before the finish line was
crossed word was sent to the engine
room to drive the ship for all she was
worth.
/ The finish line was crossed at
] :51 :351a The Massachusetts emitted
| one long triumphant below from her
whistle, and cheer after cheer went UP
| from her decks. On the run back she
averaged 1926 knots. which brought up
her average speed for the distance to
| 1913. The time in passing the stake
| boats on the return was as follows: The
Fern, 12:03:14; the Woodbury., II 81 80
the Iwana, 12:49:1S; the Nina, ! :12:47.
the Katahdin, 3d. and the Dallas.
/ 81 :35la
! The total time consumed for the up
and down runs was three hours fifty
minutes and twenty-three seconds.
! The speed between the stake boats to
Cape Ann was as follows: 1876, 1913,
1o.S. 16.4, 1863. an average of 1926
knots. The average run of the Indiana
CT this course was 10 800. on her maxi
mum speed 1880 The steam pressure
varied from $50 to 165 pounds The
horse power developed can hardly be
given, but it was undoubtedly over
| 10000.
Edwin S. Cramp, in speaking of the
{ results. said; The trial day makes
| the Massachusetts, and consequently
The Indiana, class absolutely unrivaled
among the ironclads OF the world 1t
was already conceded that her offensive
qualities were superior to all others. and
II only needed this trial to prove that
she can carry the powers into actien at
a speed greater than that of her rivals.
The average speed of 16. 15 knots practi-
cally for five hours shows beyond ques-
ton the ability of sustaining a great
speed for long periods. In every respect
the engine performance was without
/ equal. There was not drop of water,
not a leaking joint or tube or started
! rivet anywhere"