Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-06-15

1l.31 Knots for Four Hours-She
Also Demonstrated Her Wonderful
Steering Qualities by Describing
Circle Within 800 Yards in Three
Minutes, Enabling Her to Turn on
Foe in Short Order-Everyone
Concerned Highly Pleased.
Boston, June 13--With the proud dis.
tinction of being the fastest huti!cShip
in America. and the Specdicsl of her
class in the world, the new sea fighter
Illinois lies at anchor in President
roads, after II most successful trial
over The government course. from Cape
.\nn 10 Cape 'orlmisr and return. Il dis
tance of Gi nautical miles. she cStab-
liShed Il new record by maintaining an
average speed of 1871 knots for four
consecutive hours.
Not only did she demonstrate that she
was faster than any ,varslip of her
inches alloat, but she proved her ability
to turn upon an enemy with cNiraordi,
nary quickncSS by describing Il complete
circle within 300 yards or little more
than twice her length, in three minutes
and ten seconds, while ploughing
through the sea III full speed
StcndinrSS and reserve power char
hrterizrd the performance of the ship
throughout the severe test III" work
of her engines was smooth and cvrn
and the records OF the day showed huI
Il point difference in time between
the northern run and the return. The
machinery easily met every requirement
ana not an accident of any kind marr,d
the success of the !aH
Naval officers who participated in the
trial were thoroughly pleased with the
new champion, ana aS she stpa med back
to her anchorage with Il broom nt her
masthead. the officials Of the Newport
News Shipbuillin@ company, whose
three years of labor had reached such
Il happy climax, We're enthusiastically
congrHl ulatcd.
The day could not have been more per-
feet for the trial of Il battlrship. 4
bright early morning sun bcamed down
ON the grim warrior, and had diSposr
of the haze that hun" over the harboJ
before . o'clock. when her anchors were
raised and her prov turned Senward
Hardly Il breath of air ruiilrd he water
and as the vessel steamed out of Boston
harbOr the dense black smoke which
hrlchrd from her stacks settled down
nndiSturbrd by the slightest breeze, ana
left Il long trail behind.
\ new ship on trial is not made at
lractivr by the embellishments of paint
and polished brass which mark Il naval
thoroughbred in time of peace. and the
Illinois was hardly Il thing Of beauty as
she laid her course for Cape Ann. But
the great white wave turned up at her
bow, the swirling sea which her pro-
pcllrrs churned nstcrn AMI the steady
grind of her machinery gave those
aboard the impression that she was out
for II serious. business like days work,
and such proved to be the ease.
Tidal corrections may make some al
lrratiOn in the figures recorded hut the
changes nr" not likely materially to
effect the net result. mHSmllch as the
maximum change on recent triu Is over
this course has been but O4 knots
The mean steam pressure at the boil
crs during the trip was IL pounds, and
the maAinum. $50 pounds. Under the
government regulations for these trials.
Il forced draft of one inch mean and
II inch maximum is allC wed. but at
no time was the draft in excess of ~
inches, and ii was as low as .O1 inches.
The engine speed was over llG rcvolu-
tionS per minute just before the start.
and soon after the Ship crossed the lin"
ii went upto l1S. On SplrtS he engines
were run up to 40. but the mean for the
actual trial was us.
The steering gear was given the usual
test Immediately after the boat crossed
the finish line. when The slip showed re-
markable turning ability. The first
complete circle was made within 300
yards in , minutes and 10 seconds, and
the second in 3 minutes ana SSecOnds.
The mean drHllght of the ship during
he trial, according to contract require
mcnis, would be % feet inches. and
the displacement nj that drnught
Before the start the draft of the ILL
noiS was - feet I IL inches. On the
first half of the run the coal burned and
other weight disposed Of had brought
the draft of the vessel exactly to re-
ulliremcnts.
Off Gloucester the anchors wcretested
in 80 fathOmS of water Both great
mud hooks were over at once and 20
fathomS of chain run out. They were
hove mp simultaneously in II minutes,
ur at the rate of six fathOmS of chain
per minute.
the Illinois is n sister ship to the Wis
cOnsin. which has previously held the
record for American tirSt-clHSS battle
ships. with 11.12 knots to her credit.
She is also of the same class and style
rs the Alabama, recently tried. The
vessel is 3GS feet long on the waterlinc.
with an extreme beam Of - feet > -
inches: with Il draught ut normal dis
placement of 1.j25 tons of % feet &
inches. Her maximum displacement
with ammunition and stores ON board
is 12.:as2I tons. During her trial the
Illinois was equipped with her full bat
terry. consisting Of four l3-nch brepch-
loading rifles, II G-inch rapid-tire guns,
lG G-ponnders. t 1-pound rapid-tire guns.
two Colts and two field guns.
President Orcuit of the Newport News
Shipbuilding company expressed him
self after The trial as being thoroughly
satisfied and pleased with the perform.
ance of the ship.