The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-10-17

|
swell done, Scott The wiscon-
sin is only continuation Of your
| engineering triumph and'a guarantee
of greater success in the future.
| The mechanics Of San Francisco
| need no greater commentator.
| Santa Barbara, CAL, Oct. 12.-AI rec
ords for vessels Of the class were brok-
en- by the new battleship Wisconsin in
it's trial trip in Santa Barbara channel.
The average speed attained in the thirty
mile trip was 1925 knots, ffteen-hun-
dredths Of a knot better than ever made
before. This ranks the Wisconsin as
the fastest ship of its kind in the world.
When the figures showing that a new
record had been set were announced
there was rejoicing on the new vessel,
officers and crew joining in the. jubila-
ton. The best previous record was
made by the Alabama, twin ship to- the
| Wisconsin, which showed a speed Of IL i
knots.
lasx An Unfavorab1 Start.
At the start many things seemed
! against a successful trial. An easterly
wind was kicking UP a choppy sea and
| threatening sQually voyage. After a
preliminary spin over part OF TIE
course the big vessel steamed full ahead,
| passing the eastern beacon at 1920 a.
m. at a speed exceeding 16 knots. The
course was marked by the battleship
Iowa, gunboat Ranger, training ship Adj
ans and cruiser Philadelphia. Between
the Ranger and Gavieta wharf the Wis
consin gained her maximum speed of
1884 knots per hour and maintained
! throughout the westerly course an aver
age speed Of 1879 knots. The average
speed of the entire run, sixtyfour knots,
was 1925 knots per hour. The average
number of propeller revolutions during
the. western run was 1884 per minute
and on the return 1915, a difference Of
only 10 of a revolution. So close run
has never been made before.
Under Forced Draught.
The average steam pressure was $50
| pounds and the vessel was under forced
| draugbt. The boiler valves lifted fire.
| Quently. When at her maximum speed
the vibration was slight. Approximately
the horsepower was II 800. 1t is expect
ed that the tidal corrections when com
puted will indicate greater speed than
| recorded, as the current was against the
vessel for longer period than with her.
! The weather continued squally, some
rain falling until more than half the
course was completed. After turning at
| the Western beacon off Point Conception
she had a whitecap sea, bows on, for
She SHIPPED no water forward, but the
water rose in the bow wave twenty-five
| feet. From start to finish there was pot
a marring incident, not an irregularity
in the movements of the machinery.
| Without stopping the engines the trial
board took charge of the ship after the
run and put her through the required
eVolutions.
Not Pretty Ship.
Exteriorly the Wisconsin is not yet q
thing of beauty. The paint is not final,
by the elements. The great turrets
seem to be finished. The 13-inch rifles,
red painted, stand out from the slant
ing armor aggressively. There are four
teen inches of nickel steel in these tur-
ret walls; the barbettes are the same.
The four 13-inch rifles and most Of
the fourteen 6-inch guns are in place. Of
the latter. two are forward on each side
of the upper deck, two forward and aft
on main deck, and eight in the case
mates. There will be sixteen 6-pounders
on the berth decks, in the cabins, on
main forward decks, and on the bridge
decks, besides two 3-inch feldpieces and
four Colts automatic guns on the bridge
decks. Most of these, constituting the
secondary batteries, are now at Mare is
land. The full armament will be forty
six guns, in addition to four Whitehead
torpedoes of the abovewater, broadside
kind, two forward and two aft on the
berth deck. The two armored fighting
tops are to be armed with light artillery.
Made to Fight.
On the whole the Wisconsin is not as
pretty ship as others Of the United
States navy. She has a square bulldog
look, grim and chunky in her vast pro-
portions, and even the mighty Iowa in
comparison looks like a gazelle. There
are other factors beside the 1000 tons
weight in favor of the Wisconsin that
makes this difference. The short, thick
smokestacks, set close abeam or "side
by side," contrast oddly with the tunnels
| Of the Iowa, far from each other in line.
The Wisconsins turrets are more con-
| splcuous, and her two fighting tops (the
Iowa has but one) make her appear more
formidable. Then, too, she sets high
now, being not heavily laden, and this
armour appear like city wall
The Alabama and the Illinois are the
only other ships presenting the general
outlines of the Wisconsin, and these
three represent the most advanced type
of irst-class battleships in the world. In
| figures, her dimensions are: Length, 1858
feet; BREADTH II feet 21a inches, and the
distance from the bridge to waterline at
normal draft is 45 feet.
Will Lead Fleet.
Although none of the furniture for the
officers quarters is on board, complete
accommodations for an admiral have
been fitted, and this indicates that she
will some time lead an American fleet
upon the seas. This will result in thirty
five more men being added to her COM
plement Of 521, and greatly increases her
Importance in naval circles. Ordinarily
there will be thirty-four officers; fifteen
of the wardroom, eight juniors, and sew
en- warrant officers, such as gunners,
boatswain, etc.
Best Ship in the Navy.
"She's the best ship in the United
States navy today, ana that's saying
that there isn't a better afoat any
where" said David Rodgers, master
steamftter, standing on the forward
bridge, his eyes glistening with pride,
as the Wisconsin slid easily away from
| her smoky anchorage at the Union iron
works. David Rodgers is the man who,
through many toilsome months has seen
the battleship slowly evolved from
chaos of crude and meaningless material.
steely ribs, plates, braces, beams, and
whatnot Of the builders art, gathered and
shaped, to a year-long din of shrieking