The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-05
THE DUCHESSE's QUICK TRIP.
FROM DOCK TO DOCK IN AZ HOURS
AND Is MINUTES.

A Board of Experts With Her to
Watch Every DetaiI-Capt. Passow
of the Steamship City of New York
Among Them-Made an Average of
1850 Knots an Hour in a Heavy
Gale Between Barnegat and Fry
ing Pan-BelievCd That This Trip
VIII Settle All Points of Difference
Between Builders and Owners.
The Plant steamship La Grande Ouch
esse arrived at her dock yesterday at 1925
O'clock p. m. from New York, having
made, perhaps, the quickest trip on record
between dock and dock.
The Duchesse had a rough trip. The
wind was blowing east northeast almost all
the way, and from forty to seventy miles
an hour almost up to Tybee. The vessel
was for much of the time kept in the
trough of the sea and rolled from % to 80
degrees pretty near all the way down. At
times her propeller was lifted clear up out
of the water. Spray dashed over the
boat, and altogether the whole trip was
one of the toughest the passengers had
ever experienced. The rolling, however,
was a smooth one, and there was no sud-
den jerking or vibration. To this fact
may be attributed a comparatively small
percentage of seasickness.
In spite of all these disadvantages the
Duchesse made a magnificent run. The
northeast wind striking on the quarter
and behind her, no doubt helped her some
what as it did the City of Macon which
made the remarkably quick time for her
of sixty-eight hours between Boston and
Savannah.
The official figures of the running of the
Plant steamer will be of interest. Her time
between Barnegat light on the coast of
New Jersey and Martins Industry light
ship near Tybee was 80 hours and So min
utes; from Scotland lightship just out of
New York harbor to Martins Industry her
time was IS hours and Is minutes, or just
eight minutes more than the same dis
lance required on her fastest run last year.
The Duehesse, however, made better time
coming up the river, which reduced the
time of her run from dock to dock, and
made 1t her quickest trip in that respect.
Between Barnegat and Frying Pan shoals
the vessel made an average speed of 1850
knots an hour, and between Scotland and
Martins Industry lightships she made an
average of 17.22 knots an hour. The con-
tract requires a regular speed of II knots.
Aboard the Duchesse were about twenty
or twenty-five experts in different lines,
some of them representing the Plant peo-
pie, others the Newport News Shipbuild-
ing Company, which built her. Among
them were Capt. Fitzgerald. superintend-
ent of the Plant line of steamers; Mr.. Reg
inald r. Bolton, a consulting engineer of
New York, also representing the Plant
people; Mr.. George Clarke, superintendent
of construction of the Newport News Ship
building Company; Capt. F. NJ.
Passow of the American Line
steamship City of New York,
also representing the builders, and Mr. J.
de Kinder, engineer and marine lawyer
CT Philadelphia, representing the Babcock
& Wilcox boilers. There were others besides
these, who looked after different details
of the trip.
Capt. Passow spoke very highly of the
Duchesse and her record under trying cir
cumstanees. Supt. Clarke said that the
trip was an excellent one under the cir
cumstances.
There have been very few changes
made in her machinery or boilers" he
said. She has simply been up for an
overhauling during the summer. A new
propeller was put on and she is now in
of coal was normal on the trip, and every
thing, I think, generally satisfactory.
1t is said the new wheel has entirely
done away with the vibration of the ves~
sell which was so noticeable last year.
The rolling was so easy that, as great as
it was it did not move in the slightest
an empty barrel which stood in the open
between decks all the way down. Capt.
HanlOn mentioned this instance particu-
larry, and expressed himself as very proud
of the excellent run she had made
This trip, 1t is understood. was intended
to settle many points raised between Mr.
Plant and the builders, which caused the
Duchesse to go back to the company
yards at the end of last season. The vi
bration was one of these, and a consump-
ton of fuel that was considered excessive,
was another. Supt. Clarke did not care to
say much upon these points in advance of
his report, but he stated that he thought
that the present trip down and back to
New York would settle all questions, and
that her ability to do the work required
would be shown beyond dispute.
Both the representatives. of the Plant
people and the shipbuilding company will
make reports upon their observations of
the work of the Duchesse on this trip, for
which purpose they will, no doubt, so into
the most minute detail.
In all, just fourteen steamships sailed
from New York during Saturday before the
Grande Duchesse left her dock. She pass
ed the last one of them some distance
north of Hatteras.