New-York tribune., 1899-11-21
FAILURE OFTHE DAHLGREN
THE TORPEDO BOAT NOT UP TO con-
TRACT REQUIREMENTS.
F1clENCY IN SPEED AND SEEK TO HAVE
IT RENTED RY CONGRESS
my TELEGRAPH TO rHE rRrBrxE

tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
washington, Nov. %.-The official report OF the
acceptance trial of the torpedo boat Dahlgren fails
10 sustain the published accounts OF the tests OF
that vessel. On the contrary it appears that the
Dahlgren after repeated trials failed to make her
contract speed under the most favorable conditions
ana her builders. rather than risk overstraining
the boat by further attempts consented to pay the
penalty for the vessels deficiency in that respect
and seek to have the fine remltted by Congress.
Inc. contract for the Dahgren not very
usht one. or the boat would have been Altogether
rejected by the Navy Department, as she will
never lie Of much value in peace or war. When the
instrument was signed in October 1896. It was
stipulated that she should be completed in eighteen
months. under penalties of s25 a day for the first
three months delay. $50 a day for the second three
months, and 800 a day over two years She
completed so far as she may now be called COM
plete. In little over three years which should
make the penalties aggregate about $685. 600. Her
contract cost was $4,000. She was required to be
well built and a preliminary to acceptance IT
was specified that she should run at a speed Of
thirty and half knots for at least one hour. II
her speed should fall below thirty and half knots
5000 should be deducted from her cost. and IL
below thirty knots the boat was to be rejected.
The contract contained no requirement to how
the speed should be made, whether actual cruising
conditions should be observed how the rate
should be measured.
REPORT OF THE TRIAL BOARD.
The report Of the Trial Board consisting OF Com
manders Emory and Rocker. Constructor Capps
and Lieutenant Commander Henderson. under date
OF November 5, says tho Board met at Bath on
October q and requested the contractors to pro-
coed with the progressive trials for standardzlng
the propellers At l o'clock the Dahlgren proceed
ed TO the measured mile In Booth Bay. marked by
poles set by Commander Very, who, according to
to-day'g dispatches from Manila. has just taken
z1:amn9anga, me poles have presumably not been
the course eight times at rates Of from 2l9S TO . 20
which II was possible to estimate her speed pre-
csey, from counting the revolutions Of her screws
This consumed all the afternoon, and the night
was required TO make repairs to the feed pump
which failed to work at the end OF the standardH-
more runs were made over the mile course, but the
feed pump was stubborn again, and finally a tube
was injured. extensive repairs were necessary ana
the trials postponed The Board then went
26th reassembled at Bath. 1t was found that re-
pairs had been completed. that the vessel was
weighted required hy contract, and next morn
ing the Dahlgren was put at her best for ono hour
forty minutes and fifty-eght seconds; During this
time for sixty minutes, beginning with the thirty
fifth minute of the trial. the Dahlgrens speed was
declared to be at the rate OF SOM5 knots an h9ur;
from vibration and steered so easily by hand that
her steam rudder gear is to be taken out.
UNsERVICEABLE FUEL USED.
The Dahlgren's thirty knots were obtained. ac-
cording to the Boards report. by the use OF fuel
mixture composed OF forty pounds Of Pocahontas
and thirty-hve pounds of Kentucky camel coal In
seyenty-fve pound bags. Pocahontas coal is nearly
smokeless fuel and Is in general use in the navy
1t IS regarded as essential for torpedo boats. as
thev must be concealed from an enemy: hehtucky
camel coal burns with great smoke ana iame, ana
Is never used In warshps Ior many soou Ieaoo,i e,i5
Twas found however that the Dahlgren WouIl
make only about twenty-five knots with focahontas
coal alone. and TO give her quckeI sseaniIe i ms Pad
for a short squirt an unserviceable fuel was useu.
Persons who Witnessed the trial declare there Wa d
funnels during her run, and that tremendous vol
umes T.. black smoke enveloped her ana huHe run h nt
would have been visible by the reelected ed glow bon on
erooka would have been shown for nifty miles
For these reasons clone, officers tnnK 'hso VIA
not he listed I'm the naval records as a thirty KNOT
hoat and her builders fined only 5000 for cropping
a half-knot OF speed, but that she shouiu "1''
been altogether rejected.