The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-21
A GREAT RACE
OF WARSHIPS
The Cruiser Cincinnati, With 35-
- Mile Handicap, Wins the
Contest. =,
Superb Performance of the Alabama
Race From Hampton Roads
to Porto Rico.

! New York, Nov. 21.-Carrying a great
white bone in her teeth, and with phos-
phorescent spray dashing high up on her
sharp bows, the cruiser Cincinnati forged
abreast Of Culebra light at midnight last
night, winner in the greatest ocean race
Of warships ever run on the North At
lantic seaboard says a Herald dispatch
from San Juan, P. r. Barely two miles
astern of the cruiser flashed the White
| searchlight of the great battleship Ala
bama. She had distanced all her rivals
Of the heavyweight class and had shown
her quality by putting up a hammer and
tongs struggle all the way from Hampton
Roads, Va, with the f1eet-footed cruiser.
One by one she had left behind the little
gunboat Machias, the Indiana, > Of San
tiago fame; the new battleship kearsarSe,
her own particular rival, and, last OF all,
the plucl1y Massachusetts, sister ship Of
the Oregon. -:
That the comparatively old Massachu-
sets was a stronger competitor than the
Kearsarge is one Of the surprises OF the
race. That the Alabama came so close
a second to the fast commerce destroyer
Cincinnati, even though the cruiser had
been handicapped thirtyfve miles at the
start, is superb performance for
first class battleship heavily armed.
This Is the first time In it's history that
the ships Of the North Atlantic squadron
have engaged in such long-dlstance
speed contest IN the open sea.
AS component part of the great feet
of battleships now assembling for the
winter naval maneuvers under command
of Admiral Dewey, the North Atlantic
squadron was ordered, after assembling
at Hampton Roads, to proceed to the ma
val rendezvous off Culebra light, the bea-
con that CLEANS from the pinnacle OF a
rocky little island off San Juan Point,
Porto Rico.
Here was superb opportunity 10 test
the actual relative speed of the ships OF
the fleet in competition and under thor
oughly practical conditions.
Five Of the ships lined up for the start
at noon on Saturday-the Alabama, me
Kearsarge, the Massachusetts,, the lndla =
ma and the Machias, baby OF the meet.
The last named is gunboat only, l9o 1eet
long and of 900 tons displacement. Inc
other four are battlesh1ps.
The Massachusetts, and the Indiana are
sister vessels, launched in 1893, ana WIN
the Oregon not entered in this contest
they mark the earlier type OF hrst-class
battleships Of the new navy. The kear-
sarge and the Alabama represented later
types of sea fighters
Thirty-hve miles behind the line of bat
tleslps as they passed the Virginia capes
came the protected cruiser Cincinnati.
BY reason Of her speedier and lighter type
this was regarded fair handicap Tor
the greyhound of the fleet. which to do
her destined work should easily outclass
| them all in cruising qualities.
At the fash of the gun the levethians
were off to sea under full head of steam
and in ten minutes all were ploughtng
through the ocean, headed for Culebra,
with widening maelstroms Of white spume
boiling from under their pounding screws.
Almost from the start the Alabama be-
gan to forge ahead of her rivals. She
f9e viSih1v tho Indiana md ia
little Machias. The Kearsarge was re-
garded as her most dangerous adversary
Of the batt1eship class. Intense rivalry
has always existed between officers and
crews of these two ships. No device was
neglected on either Of the giants of the
fleet to speed them to their limit. Smoke
poured from their huge stacks and their
decks quivered above the throbbing en-
gines. Four hours from the start, Just
before twilight, the Alabama left the
Kearsarge hull down astern with only her
fighting tops in sight.
With the older Massachusetts it was a
harder struggle. But newer lines and
greater power were bound to tell. Before
night the older ship, despite her most
gallant efforts, was left astern and grad
ually even her cleaning lights faded out
of sight,
Barring accidents, 1t was the Alabama 8
race, so far as the battleships were con-
cerned, but at shutdown Monday the look
out at the stern Of the leader sighted the
Cincinnati coming up like a racehorse
held in check for the finish. She had
made up her handicap, had passed all
the others and was now speeding in the
wake OF her sole competitor
1t seemed hopeless task for the bat
tleship to try to hold the cruiser, but she
made brave fight Of it all day Monday
and on Tuesday and Wednesday. She
cneered her rival as the latter slowly
| forged abeam and then ahead Of her al
most within sight Of the goal. When
Culebra light was picked up the Alabama
was under forced draught and going At
terrific clip, but she could not close
the gap. Barely two miles astern of the
cruiser at midnight she hove to. The
kearsarge, Massac husetts, Indiana and
| Machlas were not in sight at the finish