The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-11

was 20 small that Il merely served 10 make our
tube ends tiGhk without being enough 70 cause
any bad effects on the boilers. Az ell events,
from that time until long after our arrival on
Santiago We did not have another leaky tube.
We spent the night at anchor m Port lamar.
and the next morning started out with the In
tention OF making Sandy Point By dark. This.
OF course, required . semi-forOedd raught run.
what IL known technically ~ "asaisted
draueht;' that Il 20 say. the forced draught
blowers are run. but the frerooms are not
closed up alright. a. under full forced
draught. We ran our blowers at such q
speed as to give an air pressure Of one
quarter OF an inch OF water. and were thus able
to run the engines at q speod Of 1918 revolu-
tons per minute. giving the ship q speed
through the water OF lac knots Dor hour. As
q matter Of fact our speed from point 70 point
along the shore was much greater. as there was
a very strong current running through the
straits in our favor.
While at Callao We had heard that q Spanish
torpedo boat was at Montsvideo. and va thought
It Just possible that shs might attempt to inter
cept US in the straits, lying behind one Of the
numerous high points and darting out on US.
30 the rapid-fre gun crews were kept at their
guns. ready for instant work. However. we saw
nothing OF her.
Sandy Point was reached In the evening. and
tb0 u6Ah AhOAAAlAA NAbAh AOl VIVIAN OuA "
~work-coalinG ship. cleaning. repairing and
~overhaulinR machinery. OF course. the only
way to keep the 'ship going was TO turn 70 at
every opportunity and do everything possible
In the time allowed; but II was beginning to
tell on all Of rs. We all had TO stand watch
at sea, and as soon as port was reached all
hands OF the engineers force had 10 60 at the
work and keen It up, going for every little
| thing that showed tho least sign Of wear. and
- u 49, AkA
things OF which there was the least probability
Of their becoming out Of order. But all hands
stood the strain well.
We remained at Sandy Point until the morn
ing Of April 81. leaving with about 1000 tons
OF coal In our bunkors. T Marietta accom-
panied us from Sandy Point to Rio. or rather
until the morning OF the 90th. when we In
creased our speed to about fourteen and a half
knots an hour. in order to arrive In port during
the afternoon. leaving the Marietta to follow in
later. The run from Sandy Point to Rio was
without incident. and was at q slower speed
than our previous runs. on account Of the
Marietta
1t was at Rio that we received the news that
war was on with Spain. and at the same time
O rumor Of Dewey's victory at Manila reached
US. We also received o long cablegram from
Washington. informing us that Admiral Ger
vera's squadron OF four heayy armored cruisers
and four seaGoing torpedo boats had left fol
Cuban waters. and we were advised to avoid
them II possible. We remained at Rio until
May 4. doing what repairing we could and
filling up with coal. taking something over g
thousand tons. During our stay in this port We
were not allowed to visit the shore. Here. too
we found the Nictheroy. which had been bought
by an American firm and was flying our flag
and which was to be conveyed by us to the
United States. However. she was not allowed
to leave port with Us. 30 we stood up the coas
q few miles to wait for her. She Joined us thu
following evening. but her boilers were In sucl
bad condition that It was decided not to wastt
time with her. so che was left In charge OF thu
Marietta. and we went ahead. arriving at Bahii
on the evening OF the 9Th. Hero we put on on
war paint and made arrangements for reflllini
| our bunkers, but on the evening OF the 9th
cableRram was received from Washington, or
/ dering us to leave. so out we Wentimmediately
heading for Barbados. which was reached q
about 8 o'clock on the morning Of May 1e
Here we took $40 tons Of coal and left the sam
evening. standing well 10 the eastward. an
finally reached the Florida coast at Jupite
Light on the evening OF the oath. reporting on
arrival to Washington. Orders came back :
proceed to Hampton Roads IL in need Of repairs
otherwise to Key West. There was no hestita
ton as to which direction to take under thes
:. orders, and finally Key West was reached o.
8 the morning OF the 26th. thus completing tn
r most remarkable and successful perfotmanc
ever undertaken by Q battleship.
: Ihave since heard that there was, great am
: iety among our OWN people at homo on accour
Of this ship and that foreign nations wei
many doubted our ability to successfully az
8 complish 1t.
o In tho first place the machinery OF this shi
i was beautifully and strongly built. and abov
: all was erected In the ship with the creates
g care and t~horoughness. Great credit is there
y fore due to her builders and to the inspector
o who supervised the work: From the day sh
Q went into commission the greatest care hl
d been taken to keep everything up as nearly
Q perfection as possible. On the discovery Of tn
least defect In any part it has been remedie
Immediately. whenever q run has been mad
no matter how short 1t maj have been. @
reaching port again the cylinders and vhlN
y chests, afr pump valves. &C., have been car
b fully examined. cleaned and oiled. The mo-
l. careful attention has been paid to the conditio
10 OF the boilers. and every endeayor has bee
made to avoid the use OF salt water In then
that. indeed. Is the pointto which our success
K largely due. Every leak. however small. in Il
10 boilers themselves. in the steam pipes. in Il
b engines or in the condensers has been stoppt
of just as soon as possible. and thus only has
sr been possible to keep Town the amount
1t water necessary for make up feed to such
point that our eyAporators have been able
furnish II. in addition to the water required {
al all other purposes.
10 The following Is q summary In tabular for
ut Of our runs, showing at a glance the number
knots run. the speed Of the ship in knots p
IN hour. the consumption Of coal and the kno
IT run Dor ton of coal. The data In this table q
ID taken from the time Of getting fairly und
ID way, the time while entering and leaving pc
Is. being eliminated. The coal. Of courPe. does n
i'd include that used while lying In port. but 1
ne eludes coal consumed for all purposes while
hit sea:
:: I IllEI 4 I.