Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-18
METHODS CRITICISED
REPORT ON THE TRIAL TRIP OF
THE MAINE.
A Number Of Important Recommends
tions Made by the Naval Board
Certain Alterations Favored.

The naval board which conducted the
trial trip of the battle ship Maine made
number OF important recommendations in
the matter of the conduct of such trials
in its report TO the Navy Department.
The board criticises the method of test
ing the speed of ships over such a course
as that used by the Maine, and says that
II such trials are to be continued larger
stake boats must be used. If these are
not available, much more accurate results
in the determination of the speed viii be
obtained by standardizing the screws over
measured mile course, and then determining
the speed during the four hours run at
sea by the number of revolutions of the
main engine.
The engines were found to be in excel
lent condition, and the boat was structural
~ sound and up to contract requirements.
Other conditions referred to were con-
nected with the displacement of the stake
boats, which obliged the Maine to run at
least 100 yards more on each leg Of the
course than was necessary. These stake
boats were tugs, and their small size rem
dered it impossible to keep them m the
proper places during the trial. This not
only made it impossible for the Maine to
steer a straight course, but cast grave
doubts on the accuracy of the current OBJ
servations taken from the tugs. Correct
ing the speed by the drift of the stake
DOdtS, the DOarQ 1OunQ tnat true mean
speed developed by the Maine was eighteen
knots exactly the contract requirement.
The board criticises the practice of allow
ing vessels to run their trial trips before
they completed, and says:
Constructor Woodward's Recommends
tons.
THE board concurs in the recommended
tfons contained in the report of Naval Con-
structor j. j. Woodward, U. S. N, as to
certain alterations which should be made
on the Maine when time permits so as to
correct defects in the present arrangement
of quarters, and desires to call especial at
tention to the very unsatisfactory condition
of the Maine for inspection at the time of
her trial, owing to the large amount of I'M
finished work of important character.
The undesirabiity of subjecting vessels to
preliminary acceptance trial when they
are so far from final completion has been
made the subject of repeated reports to the
department by the board. 1t is rot believed
that the time of delivery of the vessel to
the government is fastened to any anpre-
ciable extent by such action, while, On the
other hand, the preliminary acceptance
trial is simply reduced to determining the
speed over the trial course, and no salts
factory opportunity is offered to determine
the value of the vessel in other respects
than speed, or in observing defects or de-
ffciencies in construction. since none of the
principal mechanisms that determine the
military efficiency of the vessel. such as
turrets, ammunition hoists, magazine fit
tings, etc, were so far advanced in their
construction as to be capable of operation
in any manner whatsoever. Under such
circumstances the preliminary acceptance
trial fails to realize the full inter. Of its
purpose under the contract, and The gov
eminent loses a valuable and necessary
safeguard in determining that the contract
for the construction of the vessel has been
properly executed
THE board believes that this matter is
of much Importance and merits The most
careful consideration of the department.: III
order that such conditions may b. avoided
in the future trials of vessels built by con-
for no