Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-09
Seven Battleships of the At
lantic Squadron In Novel
Contest at Sea
THE MISSOURI EASY WINNER
The Distance Was 200 Miles and all
the Big Sea Fighters Made Good
Time-The Iowa Finished Fifth in
the Race, But Made An Excellent
Showing.

ships of the North Atlantic squadron
raced for eight hours on the high seas
on Saturday, with Rear Admiral Rob-
ley D. Evans as starter, official time
keeper, and judge.
The battleship Missouri won with
ease The others finished in this or
der: Maine, Kearsarge, Kentucky,
Iowa, Massachusetts, and Alabama.
The race began 200 miles south of
Cape Henry.
The squadron had consisted of
eight battleships, but left the Illinois
at Pensacola. Rear Admiral Evans
split the squadron into two divisions,
taking the Maine as his flagship and
with 1t the Missouri, kearsarge, and
Kentucky, leaving the Iowa. Massa-
,husetts, and Alabama under COM
mand of Rear Admiral Charles II.
Davis. The iowa and Massachusetts
have less tonnage and less horsepower
than any ship In the first division.
Before o'clock Saturday morning
the big ships began to draw abreast,
and at exactly the signal for the
start was given from the flagship.
The first hour was designated to test
the smoothness of the machinery
rather than to attain a high speed.
From 0 to 800 O'clock the ships pro-
ceeded at twelve knots; then the rate
was Increased to fourteen knots, and
at 10 o'clock they were permitted to
go ahead at full speed with natural
draft.
When the real race began the Mis-
souri, drew ahead rapidly from the
Massachusetts, Iowa, and Alabama,
and also, tho less rapidly, from the
Kearsarge and Kentucky.
The race went on in this way until
noon when the extreme test began
with forced draft. More clearly than
before in the next four hours under
forced draft the Missouri demonstrat-
ed its superiority. On paper the Maine
was superior, for 1t has a slightly
greater displacement than the other
and in the official trial made an aver
age Of 1873 knots to cS.2 for the
Missouri.
The Missouri, however, upset the
trial figures when we'll going under
forced draft, and showed the fiagsnlp
so clean pair Of heels that there re-
NAMED no question of Its superiority.
From IL to o'clock the battleships
became well strung out In the order IN
which they finished. Much more than
1t showed was expected by the Ala
bama, supposed by everyone in the
navy to he feeter than the Massa-
chusetts and Iowa. the only ships IN
the squadron completed before the war
with Spain. These veterans beat the
newer ship easily.
At no time, so it was said on the
Alabama, yesterday. did 1t develop
more than thirteen knots Its officers
said that the horse power was up to
the best record and the revolutions
were smooth They could ascribe Its
falling behind only to foul bottom. The
craft was painted about Christmas
time, they said, in storm OF sleet
and snow, and after that lay for sew
eral days in the ice of the harbor.
The sister ships, Kearsage and Ken
lucky, which made the same speed,
Tx knots, on their trials, furnished
fine contest turnout. The Kearsarge
finally drew away, but the margin was
smaller than that between any two
others.
1t was not until the arrival Of the
Alabama at the Brooklyn navy yard
yesterday afternoon that the result Of
the race became known.
Officers of the Alabama said yester-
day altho every commander urged his
ship to the limit there was not the
slightest mishap or injury.