Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-10
ON THE SAME DAY
Kearsarge and the Alabama May
Have Their Trial Trips.
THE LATEST SCHEDULE
Washington in Connection With New
Battleship Built Here. Much In
terest Manifested in Test.

The Newport News Shipbuilding ana
Dry Dock Company has expressed to
the Navy Department. officials at Wash
lnSton its desire to have the official
trial trip of the battleship Kcarsurge
take place September oSth.
In its application for the use Of the
dry dock at the Brooklyn navy yard.
the company stated that the ship can
be at New York ready for docking
September %.
From this it appears that the Kear-
sarge Will not leave the shipyard Sep
'te11'ber l6, as at first reported.
General Superintendent Walter A.
Post went TO Washington Friday for
the purpose of consulting with the
Navy Department officials i'm reference
70 the approaching official trial off the
Maine coast. '". "a.
If the Kearsarge has her official tria!
on September IS. she Will not be able to
return to New York harbor in time to
turn to New York harbor in time to
take part in the naval Welcome to Ad-
miral Dewey, who is expected on the
Olympia September 30.
The Cramps shpyard has made appli-
cation to the Navy Department for the
use of the dry dock at Brooklyn in 4
few days and Will make an effort to
nave the official trial Of the ba ttleship
Alabama take place this month on the
government course off the Maine coas..
Vt can be stated authoritatively that
the officials at the Navy Department in
Washington are now planning to have
the official trial trips Of the Kearsarge
and Alabama take place at practically
the same time.
Through such an arrangement the de-
partmeEt viii be saved the expense
and trouble of marking off the course
twice, making TWO details of stake
boats and appointing two trial boards
Naval attaches here and the en-
ployees Of the shipyard are wondering
how the Alabama will be able to take
her trial trip this month. The Ala
bama is really not battleship yet, hav-
ing no guns aboard and only part Of
her armor III she is tested officially
this month her required Displacement
Of 11525 tons Will have to be made up
with pig iron in her bottom which will
give the builders a big advantage in
having so much Weight i'm the hold in
stead Of in the upper works. .
The Newport News Shipbuilding and
Dry Dock Company will give the kear-
sarge an honest trial. The ship will
carry every gun. every piece Of armor,
her bunkers will be filled, she will have
a shipyard crew aboard Which Will
equal in number the ships complement
in the navy and the kearsarge's dis
placement will be II ,525 tons as required
in the contract.
If the Navy Department finally de-
c:des TO give both ships their official
trials OH the same day, this Will be the
first event Of the kind. Considerable
interest Will center in the double trial
because the ships are the work of rival
builders and each represents the latest
ideas in naval construction and belongs
to u different class Of battleshps
OF course the greatest interest cen
ters in the I<earsarge. Her phenomen Al
speed run under unfavorable conditions
last Tuesday and the prediction of her
builders that she Will do even better
on the official trip has opened the eyes
of other shipbuiders and the naval ex-
per;s. It is confidently believed here
that the kearsarge will, exceed her con-
tract speed by at least IL knots and
possibly knots.
The Kearsarge will go in commission
about November l. e
NOTES OF THE YARD.
Il ne LIGHTHOUSE tender Maple was a
the yard for about half an hour yes
terday. She came to bring an Office:
The schooner Lucy e Friend went
into dry dock yesterday
The schooner Oscar C. Schmidt, who
lost her captain overheard some time
ago while coming to this port is at tho
shipya,d undergoing extensive re-
pairs.
The tug E. Luckenbach and the
barge Mystic Belle are both at the
yard for repairs.
In the last six weeks there have been
four successful trial trips from this
yard. This is about a record.
Rear Admiral Fiichborns monthly
Statement OF the progress of work on
construction issued yesterday, shows
| that the Kearsarge is ninety-five per
cent. completed, the Kentucky ninety
two, per cent. the Alabama, ninety
per cent; the Illinois, seventy; the
WISCONSIN, seventy seven; the Maine.
twelve; the Missouri, one; and the Ohio
six per cent; the Albany is eighty-five,
the Monitors Wyoming, twenty-two;
Florida, fourteen; Connecticut, twenty,
and Arkansas, two per cent.
$3. 80 Round Trip TO Koanoke.
| Via NJ &, w rO17to ,GSaa,,,a, ,,;.a