The Portland daily press., 1897-03-29
SPEED OF THE WIND.

New GunbOat Wilmington Makes a
Splendid Showing.
Beat Her Contract Speed Couple of
Knots and Earns Big Money for Her
Builders.
| New London, Conn, March 27.-Ths
gunboat Wilmington on her official trip
on the government course on Long Island
Sound made speed of a trifie over Is
knots. Her requirement were IL knots
and the ship thus earns bonus of $40.-
900 fer hersbuildsrs. the Newport News
Shipbuildipg & Dry Dock company.
The conditions of the trial were favora-
BILE and 1t is possible that official COM
putations may make the speed 1925
knots, or bonus of $45, 600.
The course marked out was from
Horizons point to Old Field light
and, over this course the gunboat
sped along with ease and at rate ad-
mired By all who witnessed the trial.
The speed made by the ship puts her
among the best of her class and earns for
her builders bonus of $40. 900 and per-
haps s45. 600.
AT O'Clock this morning. the trial
board went out to the Wilmington and
at 6 80 she weighed anchor and steamed
out to the sound. Various delays in the
trial caused by unfavorable weather were
fended. The Wilmington was in trim
shape. She drew 8 feet and inches for
| ward and 9 feet and l inch aft. Com
mander George Dewey, chairman of the
| trial board, had sent the Porter out
while the Wilmington was making prep
arations to leave the harbor and few
minutes afterwards the gunb0at fol-
lowed. 7Ea@
I The Wilmington was we'll Rroomed
for the trial. President Orcutt of the
building firm and Superintendent Smith
were aboard the Wilmington early and
had the fires raked out and everything
| put in first class condition for the trial.
The Wilmington slid down the harbor at
an easy rate but she gradually quickened
her pace outside and off Horizons point
| was making la or Is knots. About half
mile off Horizons point, the Porter stood
with red flag flying from the guys of
her mast. Everything was in readiness
down along the liue for the Wilmington
to open up and speed down the sound.
| The gunboat went by the Porter like q
streak and short distance west of the
| torpedo boat she cut huge circle in the
| deep green water and then came around
ut the start and headed off to the
westward at the top Of her speed. The
| turn at the starting point enabled the
Wilmington to gather up more speed
! than she had as she proceeded down by
the Porter for the first time. A gun was
fred from the upper deck as the signal
| for the start. The Wilmington, which
had bsen rolling slightly in the seaway,
quickly steadied herself and at 9. A.. 81 she
made the official start. The engine room
| of the Wilmington was sealed up for
draught perfection. The course down the
sound was marked with white craft as
| far as the eye could reach. The distance
! to the second lap, six and three.fourths
miles, was covered in 90 minutes and .35
seconds but the next lap. which was to
the tug Iwana, was done in even better
time, 26 So; the third In 26. 81 and the
fourth in 1927. On the westward run
| the wind was dead ahead and the tide
was favorable, On the return run it was
not so strong. The time as given was
figured out by George r. Mould, the
draughtsman for the Newport News Ship
building company and is approximately
correct. 1t was figured that the Will
mington on the outward run against
wind and sea averaged Az knots.
The Wilmington began the race back
to the starting pint at 11.04.2o. She
in "a. 45, or two minutes and 10 seconds
faster than on the outward trip; the
third In a. 80, and the fourth in 26.B5.
Pilot Stanworth, Virginisn, was at the
wheel on the Wilmington throughout
and kept the vessel we'll to her work. On
the return trip she ran into snow storm
and the southerners were given a sur
prise by the vagaries of New England
weather. AS the conditions regarding
the test call for four hour trial the Will
mington used up tho "a minutes remain
ing in getting back to the harbor.
The official time as given out after the
trip is MS follows: Start, 9.045 S; first
lap, 9.s4.0S; third lap, 10.01.06; fourth
lap, 10.47.29 On the return the time
was, Start, 11.o4.s0; first lap, IL 81. A;
second lap, II. Sc. 10; third Jap, 12.2O.l7:
fourth lap, 12.47.2S. The revolutions
at the start were 2s7 and the maximum
reached was 2T. The guage was fixed
for 1870 pounds pressure end the extreme
limit was 180. Chief Engineer J. A. Will
liams was in charge Of the engines and
Engineer Brockman WINS in the fire room
The ship consumed about 10 tons Ut coal
on the run. The heat was SO intense that
the yellow paint around the smokestaok
was burned off. The trial was successful