Evening journal., 1897-03-29
WILMINGTON A FLYER.
Steamed Over the Course at
the Rate of 1925 Knots.
TRIAL TRIP A COMPLETE SUCCESS
SHE EARNS FOR HER BUILDERS
A BONUS OF $40, O,OOO-A COMPLETE
SKETCH OF THE VESSEL AND
HER BATTERIES.

The new gunboat Wilmington is a
success. This was the verdict passed
by the naval board after the vessel had
returned from her official trial trip on
Long Island Sound She developed
speed OF 1925 knots an hour for four
hours. The contract called for a speed
Of thirteen knots, with a premium at
the rate of $4,000 fer every knct in
excess Of that stated in the contract
The vessel, therefore. has earned a
bonus Of $4,000 for the builders. the
Newport News shipbuilding Company
THE START.
Just as Old Sol arose in all his glory
the Wilmington got under way and
steamed toward the course, where the
5take-boats, the Porter and the Leyden
were already anchored As she passed
into the sound the trial board and en-
ginoers took their positions. ready with
| their numerous instruments to take the
data of the trial.
The trial board was as follows: Com
mcdOre George Dewey, president; Cap
tain II. F. Picking, Commanders c. II.
| Davis, w. II. Brownson and c. c. Todd,
| anu NAV al ANnrAlWilUI Is r. lldINEUDl.
with Lieutenant S. A. StauntCn as re-
corder. The board CT engineers, whose
duty il was to examine the workings
of the machinery, was as follows: Chief
Engineers C. w. Stivers, A. b. Canaga
and w. M. Parks, assisted by Passed
Assistant Engineers w. II. Alderdice
Gustav Kaemmerling, Kenneth. Meal
pine, Albert MOritz, G. w. DanfCrlh
/ and G.. w Herbert and Assistant En-
gineer d. e. Hickman.
As the Wilmington approached the
torpedo boat Porter she came on a di-
rect line with the mark boats. station
ed at intervals for tweny-seven miles
toward Horizons Point, and at 9.04
o'clock she entered upon the course.
The revolutions of the propellers at the
start were about 267 a minute, which
increased to a maximum of 277. The
ship ran twice over the course, and af-
terward made some evolutions to dem
onstrate her ease in handling. The
boat behaved beautifully. running with
comparatively little vibration. She
was steered by Pilot Benjamin Stan
worth and Captain Bliss Reed.
The official time is as follows:
First inteival-29m. 3O.5s.
Second interval-26m. 5Ss.
Third interval-26m 55s.
Fourth interval-29m 2Ss.
Total-lh., 52m. 5l5s.
Speed-I4.35 knots.
On the return toward the Connects
cut shore the following time was made
First interval-27m. 1855.
Second interval-2im. 455s.
Third interval-24m. 2Ss.
Fourth interval--2Gm. 35.5s
Tctal-1h.. 43m. 2.5s.
Speed-15.72 knots.
On the return trip the Wilmington
ran into snow storm, and the South
, erners were given a surprise, as many
of them had never seen snow before
Chief Engineer j. A. Williams was In
charge Ct the engines. and Engineer
Louis Brockman was in charge Of thu
fire room. Te heat from the boilers
! was so intense that the smOke-stack O
L the vessel was burned a copper color
I The torpedo boat Porter was sent on
> after the trial to gather in the reports
. rom the various stake-bOats
, When the trial board has compare'
and figured out the various data the re
e suit will be forwarded to the secretar.
# the navy and the exact result of tn
trial will be made public. The averag
speed Of the two runs. without tida
a correction, is 1905 knots. There
c no means CT determining hCw mUcl
?, will be taken frCm this speed by tn
y allowance for the tide helping the YES
+ sci along.
SKETCH OF THE WILMINGTON.
l. The Wilmington and her twin. tn
d Helena, arc especially adapted for rive
-s service in China. Their principal di
G. mensiOns and general features are
f0mI ffra normal dis
l. placement, $50 feet 9 inches; maxi
mum beam, 40 feet 13s inches; mea
l. iraught at normal displacement,
.e feet; normal displacement. 1892 tons
i. ,oal carried at normal displacement
II 100 TONS total bunker capacity, 2S
ID ons; contract speed, 13 kncts; comp,C
o ment, 10 men.
,d The hull throughout IS built OF stee
n and beneath the boilers and engine
m there is a double bottom. a water
N tight deck is worked over the regio
h occupied by the "Vitals." and the co;
is so disposed that it will give furthC
protection to the engines and boiler
+ while along the outside fer distanC
If sixty-seven feet and a width Of thrs
,eet eight inches, two feet nine inchS
d If which are above the water line, III
D. "vitals" are further protected by one
+ inch armor Of nickel steel.
e The engines are in tow sets, one o
s. each shaft, of the triple expansion typ
y md have cylinders 14is, p and 33'
g inches respectively In diameter, with
q uniform stroke Of Is inches and pii
ton speed of $50 feet a minute.
Steam at q working pressure of Is
pounds will be supplied by six sing
az ended fire tube boilers, placed In tW
ln Water-tight compartments.
ne The small boats are larger tha
n hose usually carried by vessels Of tn
be size. hat they may be able TO tram
q port quickly a formidable landin
We party.
d. There Is one military mast with tV
I'd lighting tops, carrying two gatlin
Is guns in the upper one and two on
FOUNDER guns in the lower one. III
coming tower is placed just beneai
the lower top, and is reached by she
al tered stairway. The ammunition f
81 the guns In the tops is raised with
ly he protection of the lower mast
80 THE RATTERY RANCEMENT