The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-20

| Columbia ............ q knots 10000
! Minneapolis ......... q knots 4l4,601
| Indiana .............. 10 knots $500
| Massachusetts, ...... Is knots 10000
| Brooklyn ............ % knots So@W
Iowa ................. l6 knots 2l7,O0O
IOldl .Nl splNuNO
The golden rain has not poured in to the
! builders alone, much as they deserved 1t
all for sending to sea the staunchest and
| speediest warships, for in every case the
| crew participated in the winnings and
| thus satisfaction existed all around
The days of premiums for speed in eX-
| cess of the contract requirements have now
| gone by, the navy department having de-
| cided that such prizes are unnecessary,
| and with their passing is probably shelved
| the finest crew of steamship men that ever
| faced a stokehold Other ships are build
ing and are yet to be built which must
| have speed trials as Of yore, and perhaps
| they may be manned by the same crew
| that sent the world-famed Minneapolis,
| Columbia, New York and Brooklyn so fast
! that hundreds of thousands of dollars in
| prize money fell to the builders, but they
| will not be working for premiums then,
and the yes of the naval world will not be
looking for record-breaking performances
| Some men have been unlNind enough to
| say that when the Cramps had a speed
| trial to make, a professional crew was put
| aboard, all especially engaged for the oc-
CASTOR. So far were these rumors carried
| that they were once made the subject of
congressional inquiry. Needless to say
| the statements were found utterly ground
| less, for right in the big shipyard could be
| found, If desired, about every one Of the
| men who sent the ships speeding onward
| TO fame. They are still there. and a most
| able set they are, too; but far from being
! professional steamship stokcrs a majority
! hq haaF1 n az asr M ha ri "A
| trips of the vessels they reared. They be-
| long to no one department, but are employ
| ed all the various branches of work in
| the yards at knowing a ship from truck
| to keelson, and when brought together
| forming a crew that move toge her with all
| the smoOthness of the magnificent machin-
! cry they manipulate.
| Preparations for speed trials have al
ways bene busy days at the shipyard. A
| couple Of weeks before il is to occur the
| foremen announce that a crew win be need
ed to man the vessel, and all who desire
to go are thereby notified that It is time
| for them to make their application. Need
! less to state, there are enough volunteers
to form three or four crews, and from
| these the foreman pick out the most likely
ones. It usually hapens that a great ma
jority are Old and tried hands at the work,
but at the same time there is always a
| sprlnkllng Of new men, whose work on the
trip is carefully watched.
| Almost invariably the crew Is selected
from the ranks Of the boiler makers, the
| riviters, the forge men and the moulders,
| each class skilled in the keeping Of a fire
| and knowing just how to get the greatest
amount of heat out of the coal consumed.
The engine room is filed up from the
machine shops with the chief engineers
Of the company in command. Next the
| ships bunkers are filed with the finest
| hand-picked Pocahontas coal, and when
| the day arrives the men go aboard TO
| take things easy most of the time, but
to do yeoman service when the supreme
! time comes.
| Their comfort has been well looked af-
ter, a small army of competent cooks be-
| ing ready to serve out the most inviting
| ana substantial meals and the vessel
| proceeds slowly toward the government
test course in the deep water off the New
| England coast the men enter upon a sys-
tematic course Of living that fits them for
| the hard work ahead.
At last all is ready and the great ship
Is headed for the starting line off Cape
| Ann. The next few hours mean much
| TO builders and crew, and there are no
laggards The men are told off into two
shifts, to work through alternate hours
| until the four hours required run IS fin
| ished. Half Of them go to their places,
while the balance stow themselves about
ready to take their turn.
Stripped to the waist these hardened
and sturdy men gather in front Of the
| furnaces deep down I'm the stOkehold, and
| az the ship gradually works up speed In
| approaching the line they pick hard and
| cork up the glowing bed OF Goals until
| not a heck Of ash or cinder remains TO
| clog or stop the heat. Next comes the
roar OF the forced draught. and II tho
! furnace fires were hot before they are
seethng white now; yet the men never
/ falter, and the rush of the ship only seems
/ 20 intensity their power.
Across the line and they know fun well
when that time comes. they bend every
energy 20 their work, and with n nicely
born Of long practice they heap in the
coal with lavish hand but always land u
| ia the right place. So great Is the power
! OF the draught that SCOOP fun or coal
has only 20 be held before furnace door
and away IL ls whlsked Tar into the sceth-
/ Ing furnace. The thermometer registers "a
! fun 100 degrees; but what care these men
/ for heat Like demons W some Internal
! region they face the roaring furnace, ana
never do they let the steam slack for want
! of fire,
Their hour up, some retire ana their
places are filed by fresh men just as able
! just as willing, while the retiring shift
seek the deck ana lay stretched out on the
/ cold steel. eager ana anxious 10 be back
al the fires again Some. IN fact, refuse
/ 70 ithNf Ai Niit ana H'FFihl lilIf nave seen
mon who faced the blasts Of the fires for
/ the four hours through.
| The "trip az last lH over. and then they
/ rest but N called upon are Just az eager
/ 10 again put the ship through her PAGES as
| they were at the first call. Hard as ls the
! work. none have ever been known 20 SUE
/ FER any ill effects nor have any ever BEEN
! found laRgards when the time for the cf-
| fort came.
The Cramps are proud Of these men, and
/ more especially 10 when they think that
about % per cent. OF them are Americans
/ born and bred. "The greatest sailors ln
the world" Charles " Cramp 81 wont 10
say, and right ably have they proven their
/ right 90 such praise.