The leader., 1902-11-26
TIE CRUISER CINCINNATI.
Despite Her Handicap She Won
the Great Ocean Race to
Culebra Light.
I'll; GREATEST CONTEST EVER RUN.
From the Virginia Capes to the is
land Rendezvous the Cincinnati,
Mnchiaa, indiana, kearsarge, Ala
bama and Massachusetts, strug-
RIed.

New DIRK, NOV. 22.-A gan y udu
kPorta Rico) dispatch says:
Carrying a great white bofie In her
teeth, and with phospherent spray
dashing high up on her short bows,
the cruiser Cincinnati forged abreast
of Culebra light house, Thursday
night, winner of the greatest ocean
race between warships ever run on
the Atlantic coast. Barely two miles
astern of the cruiser flashed the
searchlight of the great battleship
Alabama.
One by one she had left behind the
little guiibeat Maehias; the Indiana,
of Santiago fame; the new battleship
Kearsarge, her own particular rival,
and last of all, the plucky Massachu-
sets, sister ship of the Oregon.
That the comparatively old Massa-
chusetts was stroger competitor
than the Kcarsarge is one of the sur
prises of the race.
That the Alabama came in SO close
a second to the fast commerce. de-
stroyer Cincinnati, even though the
cruiser had been handicapped 35
miles at the start, is a superb per-
Torrance for a first-class battleshfp
heavily armed.
This Is the first time in its history
that the ships of the North Atlantic
squadron have engaged in such a long
distance speed contest in the open
sea.
AS Competent part of the great
feet now assembling for the Writer
naval maneuvers, under command of
Admiral Dewey, the North Atlantic
squadron was ordered to the naval
rendezvous off Culbrera lighthouse.
Here was superb opportunity to test
the actual relative speed of the ships
of the fleet in competition, and under
thoroughly practical conditions.
Five of the ships lined up for the
start at noon on Saturday last, the
Alabama, the Kearsarge, the Massa-
chusetts, the Indiana and the Ma
chias, baby of the fleet The last
named is a gunboat $50 feet long. The
other four are battleships. The Mas
sachusetts and Indiana are vessels
launched in 1898, and with the Oregon
hot entered in this contest, they mark
the earlier type Of frst-class battle
ships of the new navy.
The Kearsage and the Alabama rep
resented later types of seafighters.
Thirty-five miles behind the line of
battleships rs they passed the Vir-
ginia capes came the protected cruiser
Cincinnati. By reason of her lighter
type this was regarded as d capital
chance to see the result of a race.
At the flash of the gun the leviathi-
ans were off to sea, under full head
of steam, and in ten minutes all were
blowing through the ocean headed for
Culebra, with widening mae1stroms Of
white spume boiling from under their
pounding screws. The Cincinnati
gained visibly on the Indiana and the
little Machias. The Kearsarge was
regarded as her most dangerous adj
versary of the battleship class. In
tense rivalry has always existed be-
tween the officers and crews of these
ships. Smoke poured from their huge
stacks, and their decks quivered above
the throbbing engines. Four hours
from the start, just before twilight,
the Alabama left the Kearsage hull
down astern with only her firing tops
in sight. The older Massachusetts
made hard struggle. But newer
lines and greater power were bound
to tell. By midnight the old ship was
left astern and gradually even her
cleaning lights faded out of sight.
Then the lookout sighted the Cincin-
matt coming up like a racehorse COM
ing up for the finish She had made
her handicap and was now speeding
in the wake of her sole competitor. 1t
seemed a HOPELESS task for the battle
ship to try to hold the cruiser, but
she made brave fight of it all day
Monday and on Tuesday and Wednes-
day. She cheered her rival as the lat
ter slowly forged abeam and then
ahead of her, almost within sight of
the goal.
When Culebra light was picked up
the Alabama was under forced draft
and going at a terrific clip, but she
could not close the gap. Barley two
miles astern of the cruiser, at mid
night, she hove to. The Kearsage,
Massachusetts, Indiana and Machias
were not in sight at the finish.