Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-10-30
THE MISSOURI NOW QUEEN.
New Battleship Proves Herself Very
Speedy

DOStCT, MASS. (SpeCldl) - ll1 IN"
battleship Missouri proved herself the
queen of the seas in her class in a
speed trial over the Cape Ann course
with weather conditions of consid-
erably handicapping nature.
Steaming over a course Of 80 nautical
miles and return, the battleshlp made
an average speed of 1906 knots per
hour, which, with tidal corrections
greatly in her favor, it is believed will
advance it to 1922 knots, new worlds
record for battleships OF her class.
The first part Of the run was made
against a strong northwest breeze,
which kept down the speed to 1874
knots, but coming back the conditions
were more favorable, and the 80 knot:
were covered in I hour and AZ min
utcs and 9 seconds, speed OF I8.4f
knots per hour.
The big battleship at one time attain,
cd a speed of 1875 knots per hour. lht
contract requirements call for 10 knots
and the margin was very gratifying moi
only to the builders, the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Drydock Company,
but to the government officials or
board.
The best previous record made by
battlcship in the Missouri's class IS
that Of the Maine, sister ship, which
was 1903 per hour.
The Missouri lett her anchorage If
Presidents Roads shortly after 8 a. n.r
and steamed down to Cape Ann, where
the measured course began. On the
battleship was the naval trial board,
number ofnaval officers stationed in and
near Boston and guests OF the COM
Dany. The weather was clear, but
stiff quartering breeze blew from the
northwest and roughed up the water
considerably. The cruiser Chicago,
marking the southern end Of the course.
was sighted soon after 10 o'clock, and
half an hour later the Missouri was
headed for the line. 1t was found that
steam was a trife low, and so the big
warship described a couple OF circles
before she again headed northward, the
;tokers shoveling coal upon the fires
ali the while, until at II o'clock the
steam pressure was satisfactory to the
engineers in charge.
Whar tho wnrd yuoc JiUer the Mis-
;ouri's whistle notified the Chicago that
she was ready to start on her trial,
and then Capt F. NJ. Howes, who
;teered the craft with great precision
over the course, headed for the line.
The new warship was abeam OF the first
buoy at II:I3:5o, and with speed that
increased steadily she sped away to the
northward, passing stakeboat after
stakeboat, until the cruiser Baltimore
was astern. The latter craft marked the
northern end OF the course. and, swing
ing off to port, the Missouri turned in
\ circle and steamed back again Co
ing to the northward, the warship en-
countered heavy seas, that swept over
her low bows, and breeze of half
gales strength. Added to these
speed-reducing conditions, the tide ran
strong against the new vessel, so that
her speed was figured as averaging
1854 an hour.
The vessels marking the course were
stationed GO knots apart and the Mis-
;ouri's lowest elapsed time between any
two OF the mark boats was Fl minutes
3 seconds, made on the homeward leg.
which makes her best actual speed
1875 knots per hour. On the northern
eg the engine attained a speed Of III
revolutions a minute and the average
or the entire trial was ~. Commander
Cowles said that the tidal corrections
would no doubt add II of knot per
hour to the speed of the ship.