New-York tribune., 1900-07-30
BREAKING STEAMSHIP RECORDS.


There has been some breaking of records at
sea during the last few days, though not so
much of it as is commonly supposed. The
Deutschland on her first eastward voyage seems
to have closely approached twenty-three knots
an hour for the whole trip, and to have slightly
exceeded that rate for a single day On one day
she covered $50 miles thus beating the best
days work of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
under similar circumstances by seventeen miles.
Months may elapse before the new Hamburg
American liner realizes her full possibilities. but
there can no longer be any doubt of her ability
TO develop speed of twenty-three knots or
more for week at time Hence new chap
ter in marine history is about to open The last
one five six years long The Lucania
made the westward trip at an average speed Of
21S1 in 1894, and in May, 1899. crossed in the
opposite direction at the rate of 22O1 knots an
hour.
There appears TO be some misrepresentation in
regard to the Russian cruiser Variag which
was tested off Cape Ann last Wednesday. II
was intended by the Russian Government and
her builders that she should develop % knots
and thus prove the equal of the two fleetest
cruisers of the United States, four or five of
Engands and half dozen more of other
navies. But while it is probable that she will
do so, evidence is lacking of any special su-
per1ority. During the best five miles of her
trial the other day she averaged 2314 knots
The Minneapolis, on her official trial Oh July IA
1894, averaged 23.O5 knots for a much longer
distances miles. Considering the duration of
the two tests, it requires a good deal of an
dacity to claim that the Variag did anv better
than the Minneapolis. Moreover it is asserted
mo doubt truly that the Variag showed a speed
Of 24.6 knots during a short spurt Well the
Minneapolis made part of a mile six years ago
at the rate of 2520. If you please, Yankee
Doodle still wears feather in his cap
However. the highest speed ever made by any
steam craft in the world is that shown n fort
night ago by the new British torpedo boat de-
stroyer Viper. On her earlier trials several
months ago she failed to do all that had been
expected of her. But she has now been so i'm
proved by changes that for six successive runs
of nautical mile she averaged 365S1 knots.
and in one run developed speed of 37113
knots. 43 statute miles. This remarkable
achievement. which places the little Vippr far
ahead of any other vessel in the world was due
to two things-the wonderful power and the
peculiar character of her engines These were
able TO develop 10000 horsepower while her
displacement is less than four hundred tons C3SO
10 he precisel. The horsepower was more than
thirty times as great as the tonnage The sig
nifcance of this ratio will be appreciated bet
ter when one recalls that the horsepower of the
Minneapolis (21o0Ol is scarcely thrice as great
as her tonnage 0,376. The Deutschland de-
velops @f oHo horsepower. and at full load dis
places $4,000 tons
But 1t must also be remembered that the Viper
is the first torpedo boat ever equipped with the
Parsons steam turbine The Turbnia, In which
this type of motor was first tried and which
attained speed Of 35 knots, was never de-
signed for service, but purely an expert
mental boat. MI. Parsons declares that with his
engines 1t Is possible TO get twice as great horse
power for the same space. and that he saves
one-third of the weight of the machinery now