The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-02
The U. S. Battleship Massachusetts.

that nearly took the deck out of the
battleship and surely must have alarmed
Johnny Rodgers. the cook. Cornell, the
Academy crew this spring in a race of
two miles and naturally the young officers
were glad to hear that the Cornell people
had defeated with ease the crack college
crews of the country.
But such scramble as there was when
the mail orderly arrived on board about
half past five o'clock. He came off with
. big bag filled with lettess an. parers
and there was general scurry among the
younger officers to get their mail.
Lieutenant Russell, the handsome young
gentleman who wears the red of the
Marine Corps acted as postmaster and
read out the list of fortunate ones with
great deliberateness. Some got letters
and some didn't, Those who did excused
themselves to the reporters and were soon
buried in the news from home or else
where. Those officers who did't get mail
confined their attentions to the reporters
and filed them full of all kinds of infor-
nation about the big battleship.
Particularly were they anxious to s'have
those fellows of the Indiana hear that the
Massachusetts could do IA. easy and had
lots Of speed to spare" Evidently there
is considerable rivalry between the young
officers OF these two battleships.
One thing that the young officers were
very anxious to know about was what
kind of a time Portland was going to
have on the Fifth, and what part they
were expected to play in it. They all ex-
pressed themselves as we'll pleased to
come to Portland and said they had heard
"this was pretty good town for a short
stay, with plenty of pretty girls and all
| that
The Massachusetts, left st. Johns for
Portland about noon on Monday, and
made remarkably quick run here. She
will remain in the harbor for fully ten
days and will probably be joined here on
Saturday by others Of the White Squad
ron, but just which vessels are to come
here it is not yet known.
SOMETHING ABOUTsTHE SHIP.
The Massachusetts, was built in accord
ance with an act Of Congress, approved
June 80, 1890, authorizing the building of
three heavily armored and formidable
armed battleships of the first class,
primarily intended for coast defense, but
| to possess sufficient seaworthiness for ex-
tended cruises in case of offensive opera
tions. They have been named the
Indiana, the Massachusetts, and the Ore.
gon, and the second vessel of this class to
be completed was the Massachusetts,. The
ship was built from plans and designs
furnished by the Navy Department and
the price for the hull and machinery ex
elusive of armor and armament was S3,
O63, ,000 The guaranteed speed was fifteen
knots per hour to be maintained four sue
cessive hours. The contractors were tC
receive $25, ,0U0 for each quarter knot the
vessel made over fifteen knots and S25, 900
was to be substracted from the contract
price for every quarter knot below fifteen
The first keel plate was laid June 25
| 1891, and the vessel was launched June
10, 1893.
| Saturday, April 25, 1896, the Massachu
i setts made her official run over the Capt
| Ann course. The official speed main
tained during this run, according to the
official figures was 1872 knots, thus earn
ing premium of over 100000 for he
builders. This speed was made, it shoul(
be remembered, under forced draft whil
| +bo IA knots ,pode On this vessel.S mn
to St. Johns was under natural draft.
The hull is constructed of mild stee
and is three-quarters of an inch thick
| There is double bottom and this il
divided into go air tight compartments