The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-25

Wore Than 81 Knots and That Her
Guns Are Firmly set just q INT Faster
Than Her Sister snip the Tennessee.
The crack new cruiser Washington slipped
into her berth at the Brooklyn navy yard
yesterday morning with consciousness Of
her ten inch shooting irons and with the
powder smut Of her recent labors fresh
upon her. For the Washington had been
entertaining the trial board for engines
and guns from the Navy Department for
three days and had gone over all the high
hurdles set for infant ships before they
can become full fiedged members Of the
nations floating sisterhood. Tn Washing
ton hoped yesterday that the board had
been pleased with her stunts
The new cruiser has been a precocious
youngster. She took the water from the
New York S~hipbuilding Company's yards
on the Delaware in March. 1905. and On the
following April she made her 22.272 knots
under four hours Of forced draught of the
New England coast and was accepted by
the Government. But when she vent over
and hobnobbed with the French and Japan
csc cruisers at Brest under Admiral Stockton
a short time ago all the rudiments Of her
education had not boon completed. IL
was necessary to come back here and take
on the board from Warrington that was to
determine whether or not her guns could
shoot without jumping of their mountings.
and to test her speed powers again after
the year passed in commission.
The Washington put out OF Newport
last Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock in a
heavy fog and started to feel her way down
the coast through the blanket that had
kept her shut in for almost two days. Capt.
Theodore Porter nurscd his schoolgirl
through the fog until clear weather broke
down about Cape May. then he began to
put her through her PAGES at the dictation
OF the naval board.
First of the fires were stirred up and
forced draught applied to the fire.
boxes. For four hours the Washington
churned through a moderate sea n at the
end Of that time the naval board took reck-
onink. She had made 2i.se knots at her
best speed. The sister ship Tennessee. a
twin. line for line and bolt for bolt, Of the
Warrington. nae only o 2o.s2 at her very
best on the last service trial.
Then the Washington dropped down 10
natural draught for eight hours steady
steaming up the coast. At this she made
SIS at her best speed. all Of which is salts
factory and above the requirements OF the
Government.
The Washington had to do another trick
- - HI -- ..Ns.AA1
Every respectable cruiser has to be able to
20 some, OF course. but she must also be
ready to put mp a fight II occasion arises.
Hence. the naval board wanted to watch
her gum work.
Somewhere south Of Sandy Hook there
must lave been some startled shippers OF
Friday, for when an instantaneous broad
side of eight Q inch guns is let OF there IL
bound to be some noise. That broadside
from the starbosrd battery Of the Washing
ton was only the beginning. After eight
respective projectiles had dropped into the
sea somewhere of on the horizon the board
members took q look at the guns. Every
thing tight and shipshape-no straining or
dislocation.
FAN right" said the board. Now your
10 inch guns. please
The turrct men forward hoisted bags
OF cubical powder from down below some
where and charged up h forward 10 inch
barkers Just as they would II II was a ship
Of the enemy that they wanted to hit. A
key was pressed, n spark jumped across
an armature and on went the guns In q
Simultaneous below. Maybe the Wash
ington kicked q bit, what young woman
wouldn't? But after the smoke had cleared
away the board members looked all around
the turret and could find not one bolt
strained or one fianRe on the groove. The
same result attended the firing Of the turret
guns aft.
With the big guns tested the naval board
vent all over the ship swapping on every
gun In the secondary battery and On the
superstructure. There were twenty-five
. inch guns to be sampled. eight 3
Founders and two machine guns. The
Warrington carries nfty-two tubes meant
to carry projectiles in all.
AL Of the smaller guns stood the test
without q hitch. For several hours the
Warrington was surrounded with powder
wreaths and fire shot out across the water
from every round steel muzzle. The
gunners thought II was a pity that they
were not shooting at anything smaller
than tho horizon. for they want TO begin
to make shooting records. just as they
hope to get in on he ext annual baseball
championship with the rest Of the Atlantic
squ~adron-if IL doesn't play at Yokohama.
Yesterday afternoon while the jackies
were swarming over the Washington's
side with swabs and mops wiping on the
powder stains the officers were dropping
little satisfied bits Of conversation with
all visitors to the after deck. The WASH
ington had beaten her sister ship the Ten
nessee at running under forced draught;
she had fred on all sorts Of heavy charges
without straining a. mount or twisting
a turret track. Guess the Washington was
all right.