The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-04
TIE CARS new CRUISER
Russians Greatly Pleased With the
Performance of the Variag.
Snid to BE the Finest Fighting
Vessel of Her Type-Lnrgcst In
stallntion of Water-Tube Boilers
in the WOrld-Tcsts of the Guns
Show Them to BE Satisfactory.

PHILADELPHIA. June 3-The sea trial
yesterday of the new cruiser Variag, OF
the Cars navy, which is claimed by the
Russian officers who will command her to
be the finest war ship of her type in the
world, was most successful. In speed. con-
struction, seaworthiness and, in fact, in
every other way. the big warship fully
came up to the expectations of her build
ers During her speed trial Off the Della
ware Capes. the vessel developed speed
of 22 knots under natural draft and with
one of her boilers not in use. The contrac:
calls for speed of % knots an hour for
twelve consecutive hours, and the Cramps
and the Russian officers are confident that
she can exceed the requirements under
forced draft
The particular feature of the Variag
is the Niclausse water tube type boilers.
and she is the first warship ever built
in this country to be fitted with boilers
of this type. Her installation of water
tube boilers is the largest in the world.
the English warships Terrible and Power
full, sister ships. standing second in this
respect. There are thirty boilers IN all
in the variag, with s.2iO tubes, which give
heating surface of $1,000 square feet.
The boilers heated rapidly and most of
the time made steam so fast that the fire.
men had to slow up in their work. The
work Of the boilers was highly pleasing to
the Russians
The stability Of the warship under fire
OF the guns was also severely tested while
under full headway at sea. The Russian
officers claim that the Variag has as heavy
battery as any warship of her type in
the world. She carries twelve 6-inch rapid
fire Canet type guns; twelve 75-millimetre
rapid fire Canet guns; eight 47-millimetre
rapid fire Hotchkiss. two 37-millimetre
rapid-fire Hotchkiss. and two 1-2-inch
Baranovski field guns. Smokeless powder
is used in all but the field guns. The g.
inch weapons were fired singly except the
guns On the after bulwark, which were let
go in pairs.
The bow and stern 6-inchers were fired
across the decks, which Is considered the Sc
verest test that can be given ship. The 10
millimetre (3-inch) guns on the port
side Of the ship, four in number. were fired
simultaneously. 1t took two days to thor
oughly test the ship in this respect and |
not the slightest weakness was found any |
where. The guns which were made at the |
Abuhoff Gun Factory. near st. Petersburg. |
worked smoothly and easily. Solid shot |
was fired from all the guns, the 6-inch |
guns carrying aTmor piercing projectiles
a distance of from eight to ten miles.
The Varaig will have her official trial
in July. and in August she viii go into
commission. One hundred Russian sailors
are already here, and AGO more will be sent
in few weeks from Russia. or the 100
now stationed at Cramps about fifty
were taken on the trial trip. OF these
twenty were gunners and the others engi-
neers and firemen. While the speed test
was being made the Russians were sent
below to watch the American engineers
and firemen while at work under pressure |
The foreigners were greatly impressed
with the dexterity with which the men
went about their work