The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-11-22
NAVAL VESSELS
IN OCEAN RACE
Cruiser Cincinnati With Heavy
Handicap 0yercomes All
Competitors.
ALABAMA GIVES HARD RUB
Course From Hampton Roads,
Va, to San Juan, Porto Rico
and Contest Lasted for
Five Days.

N|NNeAb AfNfs ~As-NoAh thS "a
great white bone in her teeth and with
phosporescent spray dashing high up
on her sharp pows. the cruiser Cincin-
natl forged abreast OF Culebra light
at midnight last night. winner in the
greatest ocean race Of warships ever
run on the North Atlantic seaboard,
saws Herald dispatch from San Juan,
Porto Rico.
BARELY two miles astearn OF the cruis
er flashed the white searchlight OF the
great hattleship Alabama. She had
distanced all her rivals OF the heavy
weight class and had shown her quail
ity by putting up hammer-and-to
struggle all the way from Hampton
Roads. Va, with the fieet-footed cruis-
ef.
One by one she had left behind the
little rrlnboat Machias. the Indiana,
the new battleship Kearsarge, her own
particular rival, and last Of all, the
plucky Massachusetts,, sister ship Of
the Oregon.
That the comparatively old Massas-
achusetts was stronger competitor
than the. Kearsarge Is one Of the sur
prises Of the race.
This is ihe 'lrst time in its history
that the ships of the North Atlantic
squadron have engaged in such long
distance speed contest in the open sea.
As component part of the great
fleet of warships now assembling t"r
the winter naval ,naneuvers under com
mand OF Admiral Dewey, the North
Atlantic squadron was ordered, after
assembling at Hampton Roads. to pro-
ceed to ,he naval rendezvous off Cul-
ebra Light, the beacon that CLEANS
from the pinnacle of a rocky little is
land OFF San Tuan Point, Porto Rico.
Five Of the ships lined up for the
start at noon on Saturday-the Ala
bama, the Gearsarge, the Massachus-
etts. the Indiana and the Machias, pa
nv of the fleet. The last named Is
gunboat only 100 feet long end of 1000
tons displacement. The other four
are battlaships.
The Massachusetts and Indiana are
sister vessels, launched in 1888 ana
with the Oregon, not entered IN TINS
contest, they mark the earlier type OF
frstclass battleships Of the new navy
The Kearsarge and the Alabama re-
presented later types of sea-fghters.
AT the flash of the gun the leviathahs
were off to sea with full head OF steam
and In 10 minutes all were ploughmg
through the ocean headed for Cuiepra'
with widening maelstroms OF white
,pume boiling from under their pound
ny screws. Almost from the start
n eAlabama began to forge ahead os
,ar rivals, She gained visibly on the
Indiana and the little Machias. the
<earsarge was regarded as her most
dangerous adversary of the battleship
lass,
No device was neglected on either :
# the giants of the fleet to speed them
n fheir limit. Smoke poured troh'
heir huge stacks and their decks qulF-
red above the throbbing engines. Four
,ours from the start, just before twi-
Isbt the Alabama left the Kearsarss
NIL down astern with only her fight
ng tops in sight.
Barring accident, It was the Ala
ama's race. so far as the battieshlpS
rere concerned but at sundown Mon
nv the lookout at the stern of the
,aaer sighted the Cincinnati coming
n like race horse held in check Tor
h, spIsb. She had made up her
andicap, had passed all the others
nd was now speeding in the wake OF
or sole competitor.
II seemed a hopeless task for the bat
esbip to try to hold the cruiser but
De made brave fight of it all day
Ionday and on Tuesday and Wednes-
nv She cheered her rival as the
liter slowly forged abeam and then
heal of her, almost within sight OF
lie goal,
When Culebra light was picked up
,e Alabama was under forced draught I
nd going at a terrific clip, but she /
,uld not close up the gap. Barely !.
70 miles astern of the cruiser at mid
ght she hove to, The Kearsarge' 1
massachusetts,, Indiana and Machias 4
ere not In sight at the finish.