Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-21
Did Not Come Up to the
Standard Desired.
BUT IT WAS ACCEPTED
As the Builders Will Get Almost
Nothing fer it--RepCrt O tie Board
or the Test OF the Dahlgren is
Made Public.

New York. Nov. 21.-A special to the
Tribune from washington says: The Of
fetal report of the acceptance trial of
the torpedo boat Dahlgren fails to sus-
tain the published accounts of the tests
Of that vessel. On the contrary, it APP
pears that the DaolgreN in repeated trials
failed to make her contract speed under
the NEST favorable conditions and her
builders. rather than risk overstraining
the boat by further attempts, consented
to pay the penalty FOR the vessels detic-
icncy in that respect and seek to have the
fine RENTED by congress. The contract
fer the Dahigren was not q very tight
one, or the boat would have altogether
been rejected by the navy department
as she will never be of much value in
peace or war.
When the instrument was signed in
October. 1895, it was stipulated shat she
should be completed in Is months. under
penalties of S25 2 day for the first three
months delay. $50 o day for the second
three months ard s100 Il day over two
years. She was completed so far as she
may row be called completed. in q little
over three years, which would make the
oSetSodtS icoSl Jci,OUt. lSSl
contract Cost was Sl94. 900. She was re-
CURED to be we'll built ard as a prelim-
mary to acceptance it WAS specified that
She should run at a speed of 30I2 knots
for at least one hour. If her speed SHOULD
fall below sol. knots $4,000 should be
deducted from her cost and il below so
knots the boat was to be rejected. The
contract contained no requirement as to
how the speed should be made, whether
actual cruising conditions should be cb-
served, nor how the rate should be meas
ured.
The report Of the trial board. consist
ing of Commanders Emory and Roel-
/ ecker, Constructor Caps n Lieutenant
Commander Henderson, says the board
met at Bath on Oct. % n requested
the contractors to proceed with the pro-
gras;ive trials for st-andardizing the pro-
pelleIs. At l O'Clock the Dahigren pro.
cceded to the measured mile in Booth bay,
marked poles set by Commander Very,
who, according to today's dispatches
from Manila, has just taken Zamboanga.
The poles have presumably not been dis
tulbed in his absence. The Dahlgren ran
over the course eight times at rates OF
from q. 9S to 23.!0 knots and her speed
curve was plotted, from which it was pos
sible to estimate her speed precisely,
from counting the revolutions of Net
screw. This consumed all the afternoon
ard the night was required 10 make re-
pairs to the feed pump. which failed IL
work at the end of the s~tandaIdizina
! runs.
The following day, set, "a. two more
rurs were made over the mile course. BIT!
the feed puE.p was stubborn again and
finally q tube Of the orwar boiler burs'
ard although TO one was Injured, exter-
sive repairs We're necessary and the trials
were postponed. The board then went
to Boston to Inspect two other vessels ant
on the 18th reassen5led at Bath. 1t was
found that repairs had been completed
that the vessel was weighted as required
by contract and next morning the Dab
eren was put at her best for one hour
ard 40 minutes and IS seconds. During
this time for 60 minutes beginning Will
the 35th minute of the trial. the Dahl
gren's speed was declared to be at tn
rate of 80. Ge75 knots an hour. She proved
a very steady boat, remarkably free from
vibration and steered SO easily by hant
:. that her steam rudder gear is to be take,
4. out.
!, The D~ahlgren's 80 knots were obtained
t according; to the boards report. 10y III
use of a fuel mixture composed of 1
| pounds of Z~PocahOntas and 81 pound
! Kentucky channel coal burns with grea
Pocanontas coal Is merely snokeless fue
and is in general use in the navy. 1t i
regarded as essential for torpedo boat
as they must be concealed from an enemy
Kentucky camel coal burns with grea
smoke and lame and is never used i
warships for many good reasons. 1t wa
found, however, that the Dahlsren Woul
make about % knots with Pocahonta
coal alone and to give her quicker steam
ing power for a short run an unseryice
able fuel was used.
Persons who witnessed the trial de
clare that there wss a flame 10 feet hig
standing out of the DahlGren's funnel
during her run and tremendous volume
of black smoke envelOped her and hun
on her wake for hours. At night it
estimated she would have been visible b
the reflected glow OF the sea for over l(
miles and by day her smoke would hay
been shown so miles. For these reason
alone officers think the Dahlgren unde
favorable circumstances should not
listed in the naval records as a 30 knC
boat and her builders fined only $4,000 fo
dropping a half knot of speed, but ths
She should have been altogether rejected