Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-28
TRIAL OF THE WILMINGTON
Speed Developed Puts Her in the
Best of Her Class

NEW LONDON, CONN, March H.
The new gunboat Wilmington. construct
ed by the Newport News shipbunding
Company, was given her official speed
trial run to-day, over a 27-knot course
i'm Long Island Sound 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 that was admired by all who
witnessed the trial The speed made
by the ship puts her I'm the best of her
class. and earns for her builders a bonus
OF $4,000, and, perhaps. $500
At O'Clock this morning the trial
board went out to the Wilmington, and
at $50 she weighed anchor and steamed
out TO the Sound. The Wilmington was
well-groOmed for the race against time
President circuit, OF the building firm.
and Superintendent Smith were aboard
the Wilmington early and had every
thing put in first-class condition. The
Wilmington slid down the harbor at an
easy rate, but she gradually quickened
her pace outside, and off Horizons Point
she was making j. or Is knots. About
a half-mile off Horizons Point the tor
pedO-bOat Porter stood with a red flag
flying from the guys Of her military
mast, indicating that everything was in
readiness down the line for the Whining
ton 10 open up and speed down the
Sound. The gunbOat went by the Porter
like a streak, and short distance west
of the torpedO-boat she cut a huge cir
Gle in the deep, green water, and then
came around for the start, and headed
off to the westward at the top OF her
speed.
a gun was fired from the upper deck
as the signal for the start The Whining
ton crossed the line at 9:0i:3 The
course down the sound was marked with
white caps as far as the eye could reach.
The distance TO the second mark-6 3-f
miles, was covered in % minutes and 35
seconds, but the next lap which was to
the tug Iawana, was done N even bet
ter time-265S; the third in 1851 and
the fourth in 1927. On the westward
run the wind was dead ahead, and the
tide was favorable. On the return run
the wind was not so strong. The time
as given was figured out by George
Mould. the draughtsman for the New
port News Shipbuilding Company, and
is approximately correct. 1t was figured
that the Wilmington on the outward run.
against wind and D. averaged II II
knots.
The Wilmington began the race back
TO the starting point at ll:04:20. She
covered the first lap In 27:05; the second
in 2l:O5; the third i'm 24:3O. and the fourth
in 1886. Pilot Stanworth, a Virginian,
was at the wheel of the Wilmington
throughout, and kept the gunboat well
to her work On the return trip the
Wilmington ran into a snOw-storm, and
the southerners were given a surprise
through the vagaries of New England
weather The Wilmington reached the
end of the course at the starting point
at 3:35:54 p. NJ.
AS the conditions regarding the test
call for four-hour trial. the Whining
ton used up the twenty-four minutes re-
naming i'm getting back IS this harbOr.
The revolutions at the start were PSI,
and the maximum reached was 2U. The
gauge was fixed for $50 pounds pressure,
and the extreme limit reached was 189.
Chief Engineer J. \. Williams was in
charge of the engines, and Engineer
Brockman was in the fire-room. The
ship consumed about twelve tons Of coal
on the run The heat was so intense
that the yellow paint around the smoke
stack was burned off. The trial was
successful I'm every way. The torpedo
boat Porter was sent out after the
trial to gather I'm the tidal reports from
the various stake-boats.
The uncorrected figures show that the
Wilmington developed over Is knots.
The corrections for time, etc, may in
crease the figure to 1875.