New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-08
THE IOWA'S TRIAL RUN.
SHE COVERS SIXTY-SIX MILES AT A
SPEED OF II KNOTS.
ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR THE CRAMPs-A LARGE
BONUS EARNED BY TIE NEW

BONUS EARNED BY TIE NEW
BATTLE-sHIP.
Boston. April THE new United States battle
ship Iowa left her anchorage at the Boston Light.
about six miles down the harbor early this morn
Ing and. under clear sky and with every indica-
ton OF perfect weather conditions. steamed for
Cape Ann for her official speed trial over the Gov
ernments deep-water course to Boon Island and re-
turn. a distance OF sixty-six nautical miles Inc
contract calls for sustained speed of sixteen knots
an hour for four hours. The vessel on her build
ers' trial on Monday exceeded seventeen knots The
tug Kate Jones left the city at a. m. crowded
with naval officers either detailed for the trial or
guests and a large number Of prominent citi-
zens OF Boston and other places including num-
Der of New York bankers and professional men, and
ran out 10 Boston Light where the tugs passen-
gers were transferred 10 tho batte-shp.
Edwin S. Cramp experimenting engineer or the
company which built the vessel was in supreme
command Tho commanding officer of the Iowa is
Captain r. w. Sargent Pilot Chambers, of Bos-
ton who has held the wheel on many similar oc-
casions. guided the vessel to-day. Assisting Cap
tain Sargent in the working Of the vessel were En-
gineers NJ. p Towne John Paterson and y. d.
Johnson Assistant Naval Architect j. W. Atlee and
j. H. Null, In charge OF hull engineering The
members OF the Board of Inspection and Survey
who board representatives. OF the Gov
eminent Commodore George Dewey. Captain
r. q. PICKING, Commanders u H. laws anu W IL
Brownson. Lieutenant S. A. Staunton. Medical In
spector w. X. Van Reypen. Paymaster Arthur
Brotis. Chief Engineer C. w. Stivers and Naval
Constructor j. F. Hanscom. The officers who con-
stituted the Engineering Corps OF Observation in
cluded Passed Assistant Engineers Moritz Leopold
G. W. Danforth and w. b. Day. OF the Navy
Yard. and Passed Assistant Engineer Rounell. Of
the Alliance.
The course for to-days run was not identical with
that which other trial trips have been held a.
buoy which marked the starting point was set fully
six knots nearer Boston or about southwest Of
Eastern Point. below Gloucester This brought the
end of the first leg nearly abeam of Cape Ann
Lights which has been the usual starting point and
1t was just S:26 o'clock when the Iowa began to
move from her anchorage. light westerly wind
prevailed and the sea was comparatively smooth.
The vessel gathered Roadway slowly. but in twenty
minutes was well on her way toward the mouth OF
Gloucester Harbor She crossed the line al lO:OG6.
There not the slightest deviation in the course
as the ship rushed by the second markboat. making
the leg in 1850. which very satisfactory. In
the next leg she topped Il knots an hour, aver
aging a tenth over This was Increased on the
next leg TO 1I4i but on the fourth the speed ran
down TO 1855 on the return run the Iowa passed
the last markboat at l2:3s25. On this leg there
average of 1912 knots.
For over an hour; after passing the NTH mark
boat the speed OF the batte-ship did not APP
parently vary a hundredth part OF a knot. The
fourth. third and second legs were all made in ex-
actly the same time y; When the second mark
miles from the finish. the reckoners figured that.
barring accidents. the Iowa would make sonnet thing
seventeen knots. As she rushed on II became
a serious question whether she would get TO the
line in time Fifty thousand dollars depended on
the speed OF the last fifty feet. The Iowa just did
IL. So narrow the margin that the reckoners
Of the Trial Board had 10 carry out their figures
TO the fourth decimal point to make the speed 70:
the whole course an average of seventeen knots
an hour The builders thus earn bonus OF 10000
The tidal corrections will not cut the seventeen
knots. but will probably increase ii to some slight