The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-04
OUR WELL BUILT WARSHlPS.
Their Condition After Being Subjected to
the Most Trying Tests.
(From the Baltimore American. ]

| (From the Baltimore American
Washington. May 29-After two months
of almost incessant cruising by the ships
| constituting the fleets around Cuba, and
at times when many Of the vessels were
run at top speed in overhauling merchant
steamers or on scout duty, not single
breakdown of machinery has been report
ed which could not be effectively attend
ed to by the machinists on board. This
record is regarded as unparalleled in the
history of great feet movements for SO
extended period, and confirms the opin-
ion of naval officia Is that the American
ships are better than any aft oat of their
type and class, from mach inery to guns
and keelson to Fighting tops.
The strain under which many of the
vessels have been placed has tested every
part of the machinery to it's fullest work
| ing capacity. Forced draught has been
| used on a number of occasions by the
smaller cruisers. and the steam logs show
| that in several instances the little fellows
have made better runs than they were
credited with on their official trials. En-
gineers of the navy attribute the absense
of serious mishaps to the machinery of
the ships during this period of unusual
activity to the superior workmanship and
the attention given to the vessels before
they were sent South. Hundreds of thou.
sands of dollars, they say, were expended
| in repairing every defect and in
strengthening every part where it was
practicable during the last six months, so
that when the fleets went to Key West
soon after the Maine disaster their ma
chinery was in as fine trim as it was DOS
sible to be.
The logs of the various ships indicate
that the navy has burned more coal in the
Gulf since March last than the whole SER
vice consumed almost in the last six
months. Thousands of tons of coal are
being shipped monthly to Key West and
under contracts this will continue no
doubt for weeks yet. just how much the
Government has paid for coal so far
is not known to the engineers, but they
estimate that it is safe to assume not loss
than 81, 900, 000 worth has already been
purchased. The constant work reouired
of the vessels, however, cannot continue
indefinitely, the officials know, without
the attention Of a dockyard being given
some of the ships
AS all the vessels will undoubtedly be
retained in Cuban waters this SIMMER.
| the officers of the construction and steam
engineer bureaus are now specializing as
to when it will probably be necessary to
Withdraw some OF them for dry docking
and repainting their bottoms
The marine growth of the tropical wat
ers has already had the effect of reducing
the speed Of sone ships by at least knot
and Within two months they will be in
such condition that their speed will be
greatly impaired unless the growth is re.
moved and the bottoms cleaned and
painted The battleships are said to be
suffering more than the other vessels OF
the 1leet, all of which have been in docks
since any OF the big fighters were.
Inc Iowa has never been docked since
she was commissioned, and the Massa'
chusetts has been af1oat now over a yeal
WITHOUT having her bottom soraped e1
cept by divers, which is not regarded as
an entirely satisfactory methou OF SoU6ing
the barnacles Off The Indiana was II
COCK at Halifax last autumn, ana tht
Oregon was in the new Puget SounC
dock some months ago. The blg ar1norec
cruisers and many Of She sma Her cruisers
T will suffer from foul bottoms 1nls sum
mer and the officials think IL VIII Ds
necessary to bring some ed Of them IL to Por
hoyal at any rate 70 III tie fleets fleets " MAJ" '''tA
The Port Royal station has now beer
thoroughly equipped to handle the larges
shins md to make any repairs required
g This s kat in the event of serious dam
age being sustained by ships around Gu
Bald ga, "G be- sent and being the leon only on
where battleships can be locked, become
now of great Importance to the navy. Re
nair shops, machine quarters and all nee
essary equipment for rendering prompt as
sistance TO disabled ships are there, will
naval constructor in charge and larg
forces OF Skilled machinists and men
the construction department.