Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-09-14
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.
SPEED TRIALS Of BArTLesAIPs.

SPEED TRIALS Of BAT TIESHiPS.
When a large vessel built for the
United States navy is to have a speed
trial it must run for four hours on a
line carefully measured. and it is highly
important that the depth of water shall
not be less than twenty fathoms. In
order to place the terminal buoys of
the course with absolute accuracy ii Is
necessary that they shall be within
sight of landmarks on shore. These
conditions are better fulfilled off the
coast of Massachusetts. between Cape
Ann and Cape Porpolse. than at any
other place on the Atlantic coast, and
for about ten years all the batteships
and large cruisers have been sleeded
over that course. Deep water is es
sential, for in water less than ninety
feet deep the huge vessels drag tie
water along with them to such an
extent as to disturb it all the way to
the bottom. whence results retard-
alton of their speed to very appreciate
extent.
The course is marked with buovs at
each end and smaller buoys between.
and during trial navy vessel is
anchored opposite each buoy for the
purpose of observing the direction and
speed of the tide, because if the tide
was flowing with the trial steamer
deduction therefor must be made. and
if it was flowing against the run the
rate at which the tide was moving
must be added to the apparent speed.
1t is customary to lay of course
equivalent to two hours run of the
vessel under trial, over which one run
to the north-roriheast is followed hy
a return along the line sOuth.south-
west The government inspection board
has charge of the ship, but the engines
and boilers are handled by the contract
Or's men. The board notes the time
OF passing each buoy. and IT'S figures
are checked by the officers of the wal-
ships stationed along the course, who
also make accurate meesur ements Of
the movement Of the tide. The condi.
lions and the method OF taking obser-
vations secure a knowledge OF the steam
er's speed that cannot be doubted
Over this course the new battlpship
Alabama, built by The William Cramp
& Sons ship and Engine Building com
pany, made a four-hour run recent
lv. It's speed is reported az having
been Il knots, Nhich is one knot more
than the contract called for. The high
est speed hitherto shown by an Ameri-
can battleshp Of the first class was
l7.0S7 knots, made b. the Iowa; but
possibly when the tidal corrections have
been made for The Alabama it will be
found that the las, -comer has beaten the
previous record. The Oregon made lG 20
knots while the Kearsarge did only a
shade better than he Oregon
One OF the satisfactory chsractcI j., tics
of the ships of oUc navy is that thev are
almost uniformly equipped with boilers
and engines capable of maintaining their
contract requirements. Foreign vessels
are generally tested under such circum-
stances rs make their trial records mis-
leading. They either Iun over - meas
ured mile. haylug their steam bottled up
for a short squirt which they could not
continue for an hour. or else they are
not brought down to their fighting
draught during heir trials and are not
steaming under The conditions of actual
service. Bur all the warships of the
United States, whether they are battle
snlps, cruisers, gunDoats or torpedo craft,
are obliged to test their speed at their
full fighting draught. and they must
run for not less than four hours at or
above the contract requirements.-Chi-
cagO Record
1000
so CALLED ABANDONED" FARMS.
Something of the character of any Sec
ton of the country may be judged or
guessed by glimpses caught from the
windows of swift moving railway train.
But a leisurely carriage ride affords
much better opportunities for observa-
ton. By this experience the writer has
learned the real conditions existing in
eastern Connecticut, throughout local.
ties to which railway trains have never