The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-08
PRIDE OF new NAVY.
Battleship Iowa Averages Seventeen
Knots and Wins 100000 Bonus.
Result of Official Trial Most
Gratifying to All.
Weather and Sea We're Favorable and Every
thing Went OF Smoothly.

Boston, April 8.-Under favorable con-
ditions and to the satisfaction of all con-
cerned the United States battleship Iowa
was given her official trial yesterday
ever the Cape Ann course, and under
the inspection of the naval board ap-
pointed for the purpose.
On the trial she made an average speed
Of IL knots over the 66-mile course, ex-
ceeding her contract speed by one knot.
and winning a premium Of 100000 for
her builders.
The Iowa is fast, able, seaworthy and
easily handled. She is powerfully
armed and heavily armored. She is
easily steered. turned and maneuvered.
and she would give an excellent account
OF herself against any battleship afioat.
She is credit to the country, as well
as to her builders. and she promises to
be prime favorite with her officers and
men of the navy.
The Iowa by her grand work proved
herself to be superior to either the Mas
sachusetts or Indiana by fraction of
a knot, and is today the acknowledged
queen of the American navy, II not the
most formidable battleship afioat.
The performance of the Iowa as COM
pared with the other two battleships
from Cramps yard was decidedly favor
able to the new boat, for. unlike the
others. she had long ground swell to
contend with, which constantly threw
her Off the course, and must have
knocked a few fractions Of a knot of
her speed. The big boat. however, met
the sea grandly, and the mighty en-
gines in her armored hull drove her
through the heavy sea In grand style.
Fifty thousand dollars depended on
the speed on the last so feet; a delay
Of one second might cut off a fraction
from IL knots. The Iowa just did II and
that was all. She rushed across the
line with not even fraction of a second
to spare. In fact so narrow was the
margin that the reckoners Of the trial
board had to carry out their figures
to the fourth decimal point in order
to make the speed for the whole course
an average of II knots an hour.
Throughout the trial the boat behaved
admirably. Notwithstanding the fact
that she dove into the seas to some ex-
tent. The heavy turrets, placed well
above the water line. gave her a much
greater roll than in the case of the
Indiana or Massachusetts,, but other
than this she was much steadier than
the other DattleSh1pS.
The tidal corrections will not cut the
II knots, but on the other hand will
probably increase 1t to some slight ex-
tent. but not enough to increase it
another quarter of a knot, or add another
$4,000 to the already large premium
The Iowa anchored Off Boston light
end remained there all night. leaving at
o'clock this morning for Philadelphia.
New England Postmasters.
Washington, April S-There were g.
appointments of fourth-class postmas-
ters yesterday. OF these "a were based
on designations, 80 on removals and one
on death. The changes include:
Maine-Addison Point, o. A. Holmes,
vice NJ. G.. Wass. removed: Greenville,
L. II. Young, vice H. A. Saunders,
resigned; Perry. Frederick Brown. vice
c. A. Leighton, removed; Princeton,
F.. A. Johnson. vice Nathan Ripley, re-
moved; Wellington, 8. e. Berriman,
vice Joseph Libbey. removed. New
Hampshire-West Rumney, F. A. At
wood, vice A. L. Simpson. resigned.
Rhode Island--Fiskeville, w. p. john
son, vice c. F. Fiske. deceased; Rock
land, G. w. Cole, vice w. A Hawkins, re-
signed; Massachusetts, - Miss X. A.
Dowd, vice w. j. Pendergast, resigned,
Jefferson: ID. Trout, vice F. p. Stanton,
resigned Wenham.