The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-15
A f YACHTS
sss AND WARSHIPS.

ooesal Correspondence Of The Sunday Republic.
Hoston. Dec. 12.-Residents OF Cape Ann.
familiar with the ocean trials Of big.
speedy Government warships over the
measured nautical mile between Eastern
Point Light at the entrance to Gloucester
Harbor and the twin towers OF Thatcher's
Island. were much surprised. not long ago.
by the performances of a little 70-foot
steam yacht over the same course. APP
parently. the smaller vessel was mimick-
ing the actions of a warship undergoing
trial-as n matter OF fact. this was exactly
what she was doing. The yacht was the
Helena-only thirteen tons burden. but
equipped with powerful engines of the
most modern construction and carrying q
+ party of students from the naval depart
ment of the Massachusetts Institute OF
Technology-and her engines were being
tested as II they had been those Of a grim
.battlesldr or flying cruiser.
Although this was the fifteenth test that
has been made, at one time and another.
under similar conditions and for the same
I purpose-now with one steam yacht, now
with another@the spectacle was sufficiently
unusual to arouse natural curiosity. The
course. as il generally known. IS particu-
11rly well adapted for such work. There Is
. depth Of some 70 fathoms of water about
1 Q mile from the shore, with comparatively
little difficulty to fear from irregular tide
currents. The test was under the charge
OF two Instructors. q student who is max
/ Ing the analysis OF such trial records the
1 0Le9oct OF Q graduation thesis. and Others
/ who acted a. assistants and to whom the
s work was an object lesson In the testing of
I marine machinery.
In actual operation these student tests
{ ere much like the regular Government trials
that have become almost sporting events to
The n~eighborhocd OF the Cape. Similar ap-
/ paratus II used and. in the case of the
2 Helena. the tall white poles that marked the
I limits Of the course had been already set
mp for the trial OF the 3-knot destroyers,
( Lawrence and Macdonough. building at Fore
! River. These poles stand IN pairs. one pole
sf each pair being directly behind the other.
and almost uninhabited moorlands that
mark this part OF the Cape. The sailing
master, no matter how far his vessel may
Be from land. knows that he IL at the start
ing point when a line drawn from the ves-
eel would pass through both poles.
When the Helena reached the course she
4 had been brought down to the slowest
speed that could be steadily maintained.
The low pressure cylinders. like those Of
. great warship at a similar moment.
Roaned for lack OF steam, and the little
vessel. with scarcely steerageway. rolled
badly In the long SwellaI Seven young. men
had been assigned their duties, and had pre-
pared the apparatus to be used In recording
the boats performance-to determine. that
-. the pressure and utilization Of steam. the
revolutions Of the propeller, the horse power.
the elements OF friction In the hull and in
the machinery. at half q dozen various
speeds from the highest to the lowest OF
which the Helena should be found capable. J
of these men one stood upon the bridge,
stop watch In hand, to take the time of
each run and to signal the engine-room
when each mark was passed. Five others
were stationed In the engine-room. One of !
them. With m assistant to record his read
ingD a. quickly as they were made. stood
ready 70 read the steam gauges and take
tho revolutions Of the propeller shaft-the
steam gauges showing the force Of the
steam - It left the boiler. high pressure
cylinder. intermediate cylinder. and con-
;9enser: while the revolutions were read from
q dial mot unlike that OF a bicycle cyclom-
etef. Three others were stationed, one at
each Of the three cylinders-the high pres
sure. intermediate and low prsssure-to
manage the pressure indicators. ready to
taks indicator diagrams OF the working pres
sure inside the cylinders Of the triple-ex-
Dansion engine.
The men being At their posts. the little
Helena with her big engine steamed over
ne course at the slow rate OF about three
and one-half knots an hour. covering the
0easured mile In seventeen minutes -Four
trips were made At this speed in order that
he dde and other variable elements might
- BVk0A0 evSA88SAs AAGA LAX 60SV4 "S0
Increased gradually. six. eight. ten and
Evolve knots. with Q running start each
e1me ana q long turn At the end when the
Eecording machinery required readjustment.
i've men tn the engine-room. stripped
b shirts and trousers on account OF the
Aeat and flying oil. were now kept busy
Dlacing o. the Indicator drums cards made
e Q prepared paper with q metallic sur
eAcinG. upon which q pointed bit OF brass
1savss . black mark like that OF q pencil,
burning o the steam for q few seconds
until Q record diagram was made, then
hiking Oh the card and putting on a new
A fourth student kept the indicators
n coalition and prepared duplicates to be
substituted whenever one OF these
Important but troublesome little machines
got out Of ordsr.
On Q regular Government trial the ex-
= rendered all the more intense
lfum the fact that the reputation Of the ,
builder and perhaps q bonus OF thousands :
e dollars for additional speed depend
the result-a condition naturally alb
Dent from the student test Neverthe-
less, the speed itself and the necessity Of
quick and accurate record-takipg supply
} suficient Incentive to excitement to
the two scenes strikingly alike.
kacht and W1rship are equally put through
heir best placed and a. the test progressed
he white bone In the teeth Of the little
EAcht grsN steadily bigger and the stern
W8y9 W O000AsAA8 Ao1AA 8I0W hlBHSI ia
pursuit. Finally. with everything in the
on the jump. the shaft whirl-
out oome 90 revolutions In q minute.
The busy record takers trying to do
Q little less than i've minutes what
hey had previously had seventeen minutes
accomplish. the time record recorded
announced the maximum speed Of twelve
md one-half knots, and the test was over.
Although the yacht made but eighteen trips
gver the course. she had been steaming
constantly for more than six hours. during
which time some 800 pressure diagrams had
been taken for subsequent measurements
md tabulation-a long and tedious labor
bogether with the records of the steam
Bauges, the revolution. counter. and the
top watch.
BY the Wayside.
COOL In the shadows and kissed by the dew.
Deep In a tangled wood.
\ little Wild rose by the wayside grew,
80