The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-11
THE ROWAN TAKES A SPIN.
TORPEDO BOAT GIVEN A BrIIDER.s
TRIAL RUN YESTERDAY,
omcfai Trip to He Made in SIX Days
-festerday's Trial Was Satisfac-
fory-as Good N Any Destroyer in
the Navy-Lieut. Parker Talks.

The staunch torpedo baat Rowan was
given what Is termed a builders trial
run yesterday morning. TIE Rowan, IS
shs proudly steamed from the sshipyarJ
or the Moran Bros. Company. attracted
much attention. and was the object Of the
observation OF many curious eyes X was
generally supposed. and by many people
positively presumed. that the run made
yesterday morning would be the final and
oinclal one. prior 10 the time that the
spanish destroyer would BE turned over
ID the United States government. "a
strpng was this belief in the minds of
. many people that large crowd cSonzre-
gated al the yard OF the Moran Bros Com
pAn* 10 witness the departure of the boat.
ana they continued their gaze until sAe
mad disappeared around the poin; i'm the
pay. Inc run was satisfactory in every
respect, and demonstrated that the Rowan
would be in readir;ess 10 be placed In
the service OF the government In ABOUT
ons week.
Aboard the Rowan yesterday morning
were Capt. Libby ard a crew OF sixteen
men, The members az ,;ie board desis-
mated ny the navy els, alent 10 make an
oinclal inspection o. tae boat ware a4So
aboard. but only as visitors The hoard
CID not act In an official capacity. but sim
ply watched the operations of the naachin.
cry anu also the manner in which the crew
sns"hea the craft. The members of the
BOARD or Inspection are g. =. Perkins
lieutenant commander of the Nonaanocx.
Lawrence Spear. experimenting inspector
or construction. q. s. N: F. d, Reed. as
sastant engineer of the Monadnock and
~, - douglass, ensign Of the Monadnock
AFTER the trip member OF the firm OF
the Moran Bros Company said 10 a Post
lnteiiigencer reporter:
The trip made by the Rowan to,iay was
what Is known asy a builders trial rum
ana 1t was made purely for our benefit.
we expect that We will make the official
trlal run in about six days. and for that
reason We exercised the crew today, MS
Wen as the machinery. The trip was emil
nently satisfactory, and we believe that
the boat will be in condition 10 be turned
over 10 the inspecting board Ia about SIX
DAYS. on the run today We simply cruisesi
about and did not 40 farther than Alki
point. We covered about thirty-five miles
anu during the trip the machinery Was
considerably numbered up Yes we ere
well satisfied with the Rowan, and conf
IDENTIFY believe that 1t Will rank among the
very best torpedo boats IN the United
States navy"
Lieut.. Perkins. chairman OF the examin-
Ing board, was also seen by Post-Inteni-
gencer reporter after the run was made.
and he said:
Yes. i was aboard the Rowan on the
trip today In company with the other men,
bers or the examining board. and | can
say to you frankly that the machinery
worked splendidly. and there was no hitch
or any Kind. I was notified last Monday
by the Moran Bros Company that the
official trial run would be made on wednes-
day. June ID. and the entire board viii re-
main in Seattle until that time. I have
great confidence in the Rowan. and the
run made today convinced me that she
viii prove TO be the equal OF any other
torpedo boat in the navy OF the same d.
mansions and destroying qualities. or
course, would prefer TO be in a position
10 be able to leave Seattle Immediately and
go to San Francisco IN order TO resume
my command I have just been notified
that the MonadnoclS Is to be sent from
San Francisco 10 Manila. and for that rea-
son I am anxious TO get through with my
work here and be able TO start for the ISL
ands In the Eastern waters. / am no;
in possession OF Information which would
enable me to tell you where the Rowan
IS TO be sent"