The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-04-15
QUEEN OF THE NAVY
Battle-Ship Iowa Averages
II Knots an Hour.
EARNING A BONUS OF 5000, 900

EARNlNG A BONUS OF 100000
In Her Trial Trip, She Proves Her
self Our Best Battle-ship and
the Peer of Any Ahoat.
Boston, April 9.-The battleship
Iowa-the last of the premium built
battleships of the navy-earned today
for her builders, Messrs. William
Cramp & Son, of Philadelphia, $780,
900, by making an average of II even
knots per hour, over the regular govern
ment course off the Massachusetts
coast, In the four hours speed trial re-
quired by the government under the
contract. The Iowa, by her grand
work, proved herself to be superior to
either the Indiana or Massachusetts,
and Is today the acknowledged queen
of the American navy, if not the most
formidable battleship afloat.
The weather could not have been sur
passed. A light northerly air, shifting
to northeast, as the trial began, helped
the forced-draught considerably, and
as it shifted around still further to the
east on the run back, it did not hamper
the work of the big blowers.
While the ship was preparing for the
run back, the ready reckoners on board
figured that on the run down to Boone
island, the Iowa averaged 1857 knots
per hour. The time was so we'll up to
the builders expectation that in order
to consume the allotted four hours, the
ship was sped around twice before start
ing. For 80 minutes and 45 seconds,
she kept up her jockeying, and then
dashed for the line again, passing the
last mark-boat at 12:39:25. On this
leg there was an average of 1915 knots
per hour, a gratifying increase over the
last time in this leg.
For over an hour, after passing the
fifth mark-boat, the speed of the battle
ship did not apparently vary hun
dreth part of knot, supposing, of
course, that the buoys were in the right
position. The fourth, third and second
legs Of the course were all made in ex-
actly the same time, % minutes and AZ
seconds, SO that when the second
mark-boat was passed, the ship was
only six nautical miles from the finish,
and the reckoners had figured that, bar
ring accidents, she would make some
thing over II knots.
The Iowa did it, and that was all.
In fact, SO near was the margin that
the reckopers had to carry their figures
to the fourth decimal point in order to
make the speed for the whole course
average II knots an hour. It came out
all right in the end, however, and,
with broom on her fighting top, the
queen of the American navy, after two
or three half circles to show just what
she could do, in quick maneuvering,
she slackened speed and headed for Bos-
ton.
Throughout the trip the boat behaved
admirably. The heavy turrets, we'll
above the water line, gave her much
greater roll than the Indiana or the
Massachusetts, but, except for this, she
was much steadier than the other bat
tleships. The tidal figures will not cut
i
will probably increase it to some slight
extent.
The Iowa is officially known as "sea-
going battleship No. l." The contract
for her construction was awarded Feb
ruary IL. 1898, to the William Cramp
& Sons Ship & Engine Building Com
pany, of Philadelphia, the famous ma
rine architects.
The dimensions of the Iowa are as
follows: Length on the loadwater
line, $50 feet; extreme breadth, 70 feet
~ inches; nodded depth, 80 feet AZ
inches; mean draught, "a feet; dis
placement on normal draught, IL, 800
tons and full coal capacity of IL, 500
tons.
The contract speed was Is knots,
with a premium of $50, 900 for each
quarter knot in excess.
Her water-line protection is belt of
Harveyized nickel steel, with maxi
mum thickness of IA inches, tapering
to 6 inches on the lower edge. The
heaviest armor is Is inches on the main
barbette. The armored conning-tower
is incf thick.
The main battery of the Iowa con-
sists of four 12-inch breech loading
rifles in the two main turrets; eight
8-inch breech-l ading rifles mounted in
pairs in the four turrets at the corners
nf the casemate; six 4-inch breech-
loading rifles mounted in Sponsors, or
with shields and % rapid-fr and ma
chine guns. With the stability due to
her great beam she can fight with her
whole battery in any weather.
The Iowa's war complement is 512
officers. seamen and marines. The con-
tract price of the boat was 5000, 900.
Her maximum coal-carrying capacity
Is 3. 900 tons, and gives her cruising
radius of about 16, 600 knots at the most
economical speed.
| Canea, Crete, April The block
house at Butsuaria was attacked from
several directions by insurgents today,
and international troops replied with