Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-21
CINCINNATI WON OUT
GREAT RACE OF WARSHIPS TO
SAN JUAN.
Some Surprises in the Performances
of the Battle Ships-A Bril-
liant Contest.

A special to the New York Herald from
San Juan, P. R., Thursday says: Carrying
a great white bone in her teeth and with
phosphorescent spray dashing high UP on
her sharp bows the cruiser Cincinnati
forged abreast of Calebra light at midnight
last night. winner in the greatest ocean
race of warships ever run on the North
Atlantic seaboard.
Barely two miles astern OF the cruiser
flashed the white searchlight of the great
battle ship Alabama. She had distanced all
her rivals of the heavyweight class and
had shown her quality by putting up
hammer-and-tongs struggle all the way
from Hampton Roads, Va, with the feet
footed cruiser
One by one she had left behind the little
gunboat Machias, the stanch battle ship In
diana of Santiago fame, the formidable
new battle ship Kearsarge, her own par
tlcular rival, and, last of ALL the plucky
Massachusetts sister ship of the immortal
Oregon.
That the comparatively old Massachusetts
was stronger competitor than the Kear-
sarge is one of the surprises of the race.
mat the Alabama came in SO close a
second to the fast commerce destroyer Gin
cinnati, even though the cruiser had been
Handicapped thirty five miles at the start,
IS a superb performance for first-class
armored.
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
1t IS required by naval regula tons that
new ships shall be speeded to their utmost
capacity at such intervals opportunity
may afford
AS component part of the great fleet Of
warships now assembling for the winter
naval maneuvers under command of Ad-
miral Dewey. the North Atlantic squadron
was ordered, after assembling at Hampton
Roads, to proceed to the naval rendezvous
OIL Cu!ebra light the well-lnown beacon
that CLEANS from the pinnacle of a rocky
little island off San Juan Point, Porto Rico.
Here was a superb opportunity to test
the actual relative speed of the ships of
the fieet in composition and under thor
oughly practical conditions.
Under orders of the department. the rivals
lined up for the start at noon Saturday
Five of the ships lined up for the start
the Ala bama, the Kearsarge the Massa chu-
sets, the Indiana and the Machias, baby
OF the fleet. The last named is gunboat
only 1870 feet long and Of loco tons dis
placement. The other four are battle ships.
The Massachusetts and the Indiana are
sister vessels launched in 1893, and with
the Oregon. not entered in this contest,
they are the earlier type Of first-class bat
tie ships Of the new navy.
The Kearsarge and the Alabama repre-
scented later types of sea fighters.
Thirty-five miles behind the line Of bat
tie ships as they passed the Virginia capes
came the protected cruiser Cincinnati. BY
reason Of her speedier and lighter type
this was regarded a fair handicap for
the greyhound Of the fleet. which. to do
her destined work, should easily outclass
them all in cruising qualities.
AT the flash of the gun, just as the sun
crossed the meridian, the leviathans were
off to sea, under full head Of steam, and in
ocean, headed for Culebra with widening
maelstroms of white spume boiling from
under their pounding screws.
Almost from the start the Alabama began
n q IF har riyr Shn oil rah
visibly on the Indiana and the little Ma
chias. The Kearsarge was regarded as her
most dangerous adversary of the battle
ship class.
Intense rivalry has always existed be-
tween officers and crews Of these two ships,
as well as between the advocates of their
respective designs.
The Alabama represents the highest grade
of workmanship of the Cramps and the
Kearsarge is the product of the Newport
News iron works.
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 quvered above the throb-
bling engines.
But the Alabama's superior speed was
soon demonstrated. In the first two hours
she fairly ran away from her rival. and
four hours from the start, just before twi-
light she left the kearSarge hull down
astern, with only her fighting tops in sight.
With the older Massachusetts 1t was
harder struggle. The contest now seemed
to lie between the two Cramp fighters, the
product of 1893 and the other porn IN
the battle year of 1893.
But newer lines and greater power were
bound to tell. Before night the older snip,
despite her most gallant efforts, was LETT
astern, and gradually even her cleaning
lights faded out of sight.
Barring accidents, it was the Alabama
race. far as the battle ships were con-
cerned, but as the sun fell Monday the look
out at the stern of the leader sighted the
Cincinnati coming up like race horse held
in check for the finish.
She had made up her handicap, had pass
ed all the others, and was now speeding not
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
a brave fight Of it all day Monday and on
Tuesday and Wednesday. She cheered her
rival as the swift commerce destroyer SLOW
ly 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 gos
ing at terrific clip, but she could not close
the gap. Barely two miles astern OF the
cruiser at midnight she hove to. The kear-
sarge, ssachusetts Indiana and Machlas
were not In sight.
During the run the Alabama had steamed
eight hours at full power under natura!
draught and had averaged 15.2 knots an
hour Her average under forced draught
for four hours was 1866 knots an hour
On her official trial trip the Alabama reg
istered 17103 knots under forced draught:
The Kearsarge, during her builders trial
trip, in September 1899. was credited with
II % knots under forced draught. Her off,
cial average for four hours on her govern
ment trial, however, was only 16 SIG knots
The Cincinnati, which was built IN the
New York navy yard by the government
and was launched in 1894, made record
of seventeen and one-half knots on her
speed trial.
In 1896 the Massachusetts, made a run OF
u knots an hour, and just one year ago
the Massa chusetts and the Alabama were
tested over the Barren Island course, in
Chesapeake bay, with assisted draught IN
stead of forced draught, and both ships re-
corded between fifteen and sixteen knots an
hour.