The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-05
THE ALABAMA'5 SPEED.
Official Report Gives Rcr "a Record of
1903 Knots.

The performance of the battleship Ala
bama on her remarkable trial trip last
week is particularly gratifying to the
Navy Department for its demonstration Of
the practical value of speed records made
under the specifications laid down fer ac-
ceptance tests. and as showing conclu-
sively that the new vessel is indeed the
new queen of the Navy.
The corrected speed for the four hours
run gives the vessel a record OF 1908
knots an hour. This was accomplished
under favorable conditions, with 1900 tons
short of the weights the Alabama must
carry in starting on a long cruise after
she is put into commission on October 10,
AS she draws about one inch TO every
fifty tons she will have thirty inches
greater draught with the 1 800 tons added
II includes 1,Gd0 tons OF coal, full maya
zines and stores for three months, and
with this increased draught the ship with
the developments of the trial trip horse
power, Will easily maintain speed CT
1850 knots which is pre-
cisely the rate adopted by her designers
when her plans were drawn four years
ago. Admiral Melville having projected
his engines to make precisely that speed
as maximum under service conditions
The 17-knot record which was made with
the ship slightly lightened by the removal
of one-thiTd her movable weights. It IS
now certain viii be readily attainable I'M
der regular service conditions. wnen the
ship will hardly be loaded 10 the maxi
num- 1t has always been the case with
American naval vessels that they con-
stantly exceeded trial records OF speed
after a short time of actual service, While
foreign ships have never been able TO
maintain for any length of time the ap-
surd rating attributed to them from dash-
es over measured mile.
Just how good a goer the Alabama turns
out to be is concIusiyely shown by the fol-
lowing letter received by the Secretary OF
the Navy from Capt. Willard II. Brown
son. who has superintendent the eonstruc-
ton of the ship. and who has been 'dered
20 command her when the Cramps deliver
her to the Government on October 10:
Philadelphia, Aug. 80, 1900.
Il have to report the arrival Of he Ala
bana at this yard today at . p m, thirty
seven hours from Boston Light The run
from the latter point TO Cape HenIopen
was made at an average speed OF 1876
knots. which included a lower rate Of speed
for the first few hours and slow down for
one and one-haIf hours in a fog From
South ShoaI Lightship TO Northeast End
Lightship. distance of PASS miles, with
smooth sea, clear weather, and ordinary
coal the run was made at an average
speed OF 1926 knots. While this high speed
was made on a draught less than the nor
NAL enc l cannot but think that the result
was even more cTeditable to the builders
than the splendid showing made on the Off
ciaI trial indicating as 1t does that the
ship can easily sustain for a long period
the maximum speed for which she was de-
signed. The results can be but most graf
flying 10 the bureaus Of the department
charged with the design OF hull and en-
gines. as we'll as to the builders Very re-
spectfully w H BROWNSON,
Captain L S. y. General Inspector.
The Wisconsin, the sister ship OF the Al
ALBANIA. built by the builders of the peer
less Oregon, will have her trial trip of the
California coast within two weeks, when
an effort viii be made 10 eclipse the Ala
bama's record