The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-26
KEARSARGE A GREAT SUCCESS
NEW B1TTL ESHIP EASILY EXCEEDS
 THE REQUIRED SPEED.

lh 11eE SAAc ANDSAAsS a Splendid Marine Picture-A Slight Ac- cldent Retards the Vessels Progress But She Is Equal to the Emergency Officers Pleased.
 Boston, Sept. 25.-With the splendid average of 1884 knots to her credit the United States first class battleship Kearsarge, the latest and greatest ad- dition to the navy, ended her official speed trial this afternoon-a trial which was successful in every detail and which for marine picturesqueness has been unequalled in our naval career The run over the famous Cape Ann course, in short, came up to the eXpec- tations of the Kearsarge's builders, the Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock company, and delighted the of fcial representatives of the government beyond measure. Greater interest, it may be said, centered in the trial of this battleship of honored and historic name than in any previous trial runs of our line of battle craft. There were many reasons for this, chief of which was the desire to compare the Kear- sarge type with the Indiana and Iowa classes, both of which so remarkably proved their worth in the recent war. The new battleship, with her sister ship, the Kentucky, now nearing com pletion, descriptively, is distinguished by superimposed turrets, called Samp- son turrets, after Rear Admiral Samp- son. who stands sponsor for them. These turrets carry thirteen-inch guns in the lower and eght-inch in the upper bar bettes, and the main and secondary batteries constitute tie heaviest arma- ment of any ship Tn 'the world Again the new battleship differs from the In- diana type in having two masts instead of one, and likewise much additional ponderous machinery. On her speed trial to-day she carried four bilge and lNO uOChllfS hSNlS, tlt ioWtl dlOHC pCiliS presented in this shape for her trial run, and it is to the credit of the Rear sarge that her relative speed with 800 horse power less and $50 tons greater displacement was approximately equal to that of the Iowa, although the lat ter on her trial made t702 for an aver age.
 The Kearsarge, while nominally a sixteen knot craft, will probably be spoken of in naval circles as of seven teen knots based no doubt on her per formance to-day with a green crew and as the builders say under economical conditions. The latter important fac tor has intervened through the aboli- tion by our government of payment of bonus for an extra quarter knot or greater over the contract speed. Be- sides the Newport News company be- ing certain of reaching the required sixteen knots, had che glory alone of adding to tha. figure. As to the sta bility determined by her performance in sea way and as gun platform, that is to be proven later, but on the work of Rear Admiral Rodgers, pres- dent of the board of inspection and survey. she is remarkably stiff, and a fine boat in every respect. In the course of the run two remarkably fine marine pictures were presented, aside from the one of this mass of steel being forced through the water at great ST, ed The most impressive of these
 he fyic1, 1jna the ships helm was put hard over and round she went in circle the diameter of which was scarcely more than twice her length. As the screws churned up the water, the wake made a great wave of boiling green water which rushed towards a center with the force of tidal rip, the foamy tops meeting in miniature cataracts The other pie ture was during the homeward run when. with a huge bone in her teeth the forward deck was bathed in clouds of spray irridescent in the autumn sun.
 The day was perfect overhead and in the air, except that on the run back the wind freshened and the speed fell quite nOticeably, as the figures afterwards showed. This was due to an accident, explained by C. B. Orcutt, the president of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock company, to the effect that shortly before the ship turned the stake boat on the homeward run the tube Tn the feed water heater burst, letting cold water into the boilers, running the steam down, thus decreasing the reVo- lutions of the propelers eight turns per minute This mishap reduced the speed of the ship nearly three-quarters ot knot. The trial was so successful to the builders and the margin so hand some that the slight mishap cut but lit tie figure The Kearsarge on her return trip lay-to about three miles outside of Boston lightship. She will at once re- turn to Newport News.
 She averaged 1884 knots per hour. on the outward run of thlrty-three knots she averaged 17.32 knots, with smooth sea and wind abeam. On the return she averaged 1887 knots against h ad wind. The contract requirement was 16 knots.
 SITUITION IN TENEZUELI.