Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-31

REPORT OF CAPTAIN HEMPHILL
RECEIVED.
Head Winds, Head Seas and Head Cur
rents Observation-Disclosures Handi-
capped by Gale, Icebergs and Fog.

Inc official report Of Captain Hemphill
commanding the battle ship Kearsarge to
Rear Admiral Barker. commanding the
North Atlantic fleet. in regard to the re-
cent performance of the vessel named,
was made public at the Navy Department
today. The report Is dated Bar IIarbor,
Me-. July 27. and is as follows:
Il have the honor to report that this
vessel arrived here yesterday afternoon,
having left Portsmouth, England. on Fri
day July q, the squadron leaving the
dock yard In column with Admiral Cotton
on board this ship. leading.
After getting outside the forts Admiral
Cotton transferred his flag to the Chicago,
and this vessel proceeded to the United
States, in obedience to her telegraphed
orders, for full speed under natural dra #
during the trip. The departure was taken
from the Needles at 1870 pm, Greenwich
time.
From the beginning to the end OF our
journey we encountered head winds head
seas and head currents, and were further
handicapped by a gale. and later by ice
hergs and dense fog while in their
neighborhood.
Average Speed of 1871 Knots.
"The total distance to run from the
Needles to Mount Desert Rock was 1856
miles. Mount Desert Rock was reached
in the midst of dense fog at 1915 pm,
Sunday, the 2ith instant, thus making
the actual running time, allowing for the
difference in longitude. nine days four and
one-half hours This gave an average
speed of 13.1 knots per hour for the total
run. Had she been going to the eastward
with wind sea and current instead of to
the westward, she would undoubtedly nave
averaged II knots for the average revOlu-
tions per hour of the engines would have
- lr br,,r
The head wind varied from force Of
three to six every day except two, and on
day, that Of the gale, the force Was
estimated at eight During this gale
green seas washed over the forward S-inch
turret, when 1t became necessary to slow
down, although the engines were behaving
beautifully, and also the ship herself. This
reduced speed was maintained for four
hours
Sighted Large Icebergs.
Shortly after starting on the first day
out from 80 to 2:10 pm. the port engine
was slowed for hot bearing. In the fog
and among the icebergs above referred 10
the ship was slowed to ten knots for ten
and one-half hours. The first berg, quite
large one, was sighted about 5 o'clock in
the afternoon on the 2;;d instant. For
tunately at that time the weather was quite
clear and l carefully noted the water tenn
perature approached. When WITHIN
two miles of the iceberg the tempera tufe
dropped degrees. At o'clock this !ce-
berg was abeam distant about one mile to
the southwark, latitude 42 degrees 4S min
utes north longitude AZ degrees minutes
west. Shortly afterward a dense fog set
in and continued all through the night and
as the changes OF the water temperature
showed that we We're passing in the vicinity
of ice several times in the night, deemed
1t necessary for the safety of the ship TO
slow down to ten knots as the fog was so
dense that 1t was impossible for the greater
part of the time to a ships length
ahead. AS soon as | felt that we were
clear of ice regions | went ahead full speed
although the fog was as dense as ever.