The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-11-22
New York Paper Evidently Had No.
tive.
SAYS Boat Doesn't Meet
Requirements.
Statement BY Mr.. Hyde of Bath
Iron Works.

New York, Novsm Der 2l.-A Washing
ton despatch to the Tiinure says: The
Official report of the acceptance trial Of
the torpedo beat Dahlgren fails to sustain
the published accounts Of the tests Of that
vessel. On the contrary. 1t appears tnst
the Dahlgren after repeated trials failed
TO make her contract speed uncer the
most favorable conditions. and her build.
era, rather than risk overwhelming the
boat by further attempts. consented to
psy the penalty for the vessels deficiency
In that respect and seek to have the line
remitted by Conarets.
The contract fer the Dahlgren was not
a very tight one, or the beat would have
been sltos ether rejected by the navy de.
partment, as she will never he Of much
value Ia peace or war. When the instr--
ment was signed in O,tobsr, 1895. 1t was
stipulated that she should be copplstei
Ia eighteen months, under penalties of
s25 day for the frat three months de-
lay, SO a day for the second three
months and co n day over two years.
She was COR p'eted so far as shs may now
be called cemplete, In little over three
years, which should make the penalties
Aggregate about $50 00). Her contract
cost was $i9i, co., She was required to DO
we'll bailt, and as preliminary to ac-
ceptance 1t was fpgoihed that she sh 3uld
run at a speed sf thirty and a half knots
for at last one hour. II her led should
fall below thirty ard half knots $4,000
should tie deducted from her cost. and II
bel1w thirty knots tbs boat was TO be re-
jscted. The contract contained TO re-
uuire me nts as to how the lpeed should be
mae, whether actual orGising conditions
sh ould be observed. nor how the rate
should be neast r,d.
The report OF the trial board, consiftir
of Commanders Emory and Rocker, Con-
ct -uct.r Ctpos and Lieutenant Com
man /, T. Henderson TN Ter date of Novem-
ter 6, seys the losid met at Bath on o.
toll er % ana rcquet ted the contractors 10
proceed with the Irlgressive triols for
standa izire the propelierr. At one
O'clock the Dahlgren proceeded to the
me lsr red mile near poothhay, marked ~
to'es set by Commander V,ry. who. &C.
cording t, today's dispatches from Ma
mia, has just taken Zimbcanga. The
roles have Presumably not been dist, reed
In his absence. The Dahlsr n ran over
the course eight times at rates Of frcm
21.qs to 20 20 knots, ard ter speed curve
was plotted, from which 1t was o sihle
TO estimate her speed precisely, from
counting the revolutions of her screws.
This consume ed all the afternoon, and the
,f.h "a al IN. - N "a
feed pumps, which tailed 10 wo.k at the
end of the standarlizing runs. Tho fol-
10 wing day. O,tobsr "a. two MGR, rams
were made over tire mile ocrr e, but the
feed pump was stubbC RI again, ard final.
~ a tule Of the forward roller burt and,
although 70 one was injured, extens!v
repa T., we're Necessary and the trials W., e
postrcnsd. The beard Il Tn went to Hos-
ton tt insre,t two Other vessels, anu on
the 10th Assem- bled at Bath. It was
found that repairs had been completed,
that the vsssels was weighted as required
by contr lct aoi nsxt mcrilny the Dahl.
gren WAS pnt ut her hest for one hour
fcrty minutes and tifty-eight SEQ ndf.
During this tine. fer sixty minutes, be-
g'n5iny with the thirty fifth minute Of
the If al, the Dahlgrsn's speed was de-
clared to be at the rae Of 30 007 KIN OTIS an
hour. She proved RI steady boat re-
markedly FREE from vibrat; o and ste red
20 eisiIy by hand that her steam rudds r
gear Ia to be taken out
Inc Dahlgren's thirty knots we re OBJ
tainej, according to the boards r'por',
tv tina a ga of n fuel mi ura cou pof adj of
forty poi n Ia of Poo hor tas ami thirt -