The Portland daily press., 1896-04-27

| AnOtS-DeSlEneTb anu builders In Han
ply Frame of Mind.
Boston. April 20. In the official trir
today the bsttleship Massachusetts.
covered 81 knots of the official govern
ment course in three hours, 90 minutes
and 70 seconds, making the magnificent
average of speed for the four hours Of
10 Is knots, a speed which places hsr al
the very front of the ships of her class Of
oil the navles OF the world. The average
speed was over half a knot greater than
that OF her sister ship, the Indiana, which
made 1851 Knots on her official trial trip.
The contract OF the Cramps with the gov.
eminent CALLED for bonus of $50. 900 for
every quarter knot made by the sbir
above 10 and by her great performance
today the battleship earned for her build.
ers a premium of 100000. The manner
III which the machinery worked was as
! satisfactory as tbs speed deyeloped.
With the usual good luck. the Cramps
had day for the trial for which the
weather conditions and sea We're perfect.
1t was beautifully clear and the liabt
sailing breeze which blew had only suffio-
lent weight in it occasionally to wbiu
the top OF the little seas which were run
ming.
AAO nAesosesou uo5ulS
GOT UNDER WAY
shortly before z, and steamed slowly ND
the harbol. Two tugs, filled with mem
beTs OF the trial board and invited guests,
met the vessel about o'clock. Among
those on board the tugs were Goyernor
Woloott, several members OF his staff and
Henry w. Cramp, treasurer of the Cramp
Company. After receiving the trial
board and guests aboard the Massachu-
setts came about and steamed ahead at
three-quarters speed down the harbor
During the run to Cape Ann, the big
yentilators were turned forward and the
blowers, far down in the bowels of the
ship, began to suck air across the fires
in the furnace. So much steam was made
that the usual circling about before
crossing the line was dispensed with and
Pilot Lewis Cham bers headed straiph5
up the course. The course was from
Cape Ann to Boon Island, off the Maine
coast The distance is 81 knots and
marked off in equal periods by six can
buoys. At each buoy was stationed a
government vessel in the following Or
der: The revenue cutter Dallas, ram
Katahdin, New York navy yard tug
Iwana, revenue cutter Woodbury. and
the light house tender Fern. AS the Mas
saohusetts neared the Dallas the red flag
which denotes that
TRIAL TRIP is ON,
was run to her masthead.
The ship passed the first buoy at
obi. 49, AS she rushed by the Dallas,
with great "bone'' in her teeth.
the cutter lowered her flag in salute and
blew good luck with ner whistle. The
Massachusetts, replied with one short
blast of her whistle. With scarcely a
vibration Of her decks from her throb-
Ding engines, the racer steamed III the
course The other stake boats were
passed in the following order: No. 2.
10. Is. 35; No. 3, 10. 49, 90 Ia; No. d
HOP. II l-2; N0.5, 1.26. 10; No6, II. AZ. Is.
The average speed in knots between the
various buoys was 1874, 1874, 1871, 1874.
and 17.3, which made the average for the
up run 1904 knots. The tide was run
ming with the ship, but what little ad-
vantage she may have gained from this
was counterbalanced by the wind, which
was dead ahead.
The Massachusetts passed the Fern on
the return run to Cape Ann at 12O314
The run back was full Of excitement. as
it seemed certain that the Massachusetts
would exceed her contract speed by fully
knot. The anxiety Of those aboard
was directed toward the engine room. for
there, it meant the loss of thousands of
dollars. Chief Engineers Towne, Patter
son and johnson, watched the engines
with the closest attention and streams of
water ana oil were poured over her
bearings and journals. Twenty minutes
before the finish line was crossed, word
was sent TO them at the engine room that
the trial was nearly over and the shin
was to be driven
FOR ALL SHE WAS WORTH.
The steam pressure increased as the
toiiing men shovelled coal into the fur
naces and the ship jumped and quiyered
from end to end under the vibrations of
the screws. The finish line was crossed
at /. 81. IS 12. The Massachusetts, emitted
one long, triumphant below from her
whistle and cheer after cheer went nm
from her docks. On the run back she
averaged 1876 knots, which brought up
her average speed for the four hours to
the wonderful burst of IT, Is. The bima
consumed for the up and down runs was
hours, 90 minutes and % seconds. The
total time consumed by the Indiana was
hours, 50 minutes and 70 seconds. The
maximum revolutions of the screw TODAY
were 13S AMI the steam pressure yaried
from $50 to los pounds. The horse power
ueVGlOpeu odu Marry U0 given, even an
proximately, but enough is known fo
Justify the statement that it was over
10, 600.
'rhe success of the trial put svory one
aboard in q
HAPPY FRAME OF MIND.
and Edwin Cramp, Mr.. Towne and Lew
is Nixon, the designer of the boat. were
kept busy answering the congratulations
showered upon them. MIR. Nixon was
particularly pleased with the result. as
it demonstrated fully the merit of his de-
sign as he Is confident that under SINH
lar conditions, now her bottom is cleared
the Indiana would do as we'll as the Mas
sachusetts did today.
After the trial the Massachusetts
steamed to Boston light, where she oan1s
to anchor. AS the firemen and enpineore
were exhausted by the five hours of oon.
finement in the engine room, they were
given rest tonight and the shin will
sail for Philadelphia Sunday.
Sanford Highly Honored.
Sanford, April 26.-H. H. Holmes tho
nulti-m urdsrer, who is to pay the nan
atty of his many crimes CD the gallows in