Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-18
Running at Night 10 FOPly.Kaol Gale
The Vessel Averaged 22'48
Knots an Hour.
ENTIRE CITY joins IN REJOICING
Ship Had Failed Twice to Make Her
Contract Speed, and it Was Feared
That the Yard Had Turned GU, It's
First "Jonahn--Tes. Was Made in
Heavy Sea.

Streaming at night in heavy and
chonpy sea. and with stiff westerly
9 guile bearing over her starboa,d quar-
ter, tho new armorod cruiser North
Carolina. the latest product OF the
plant of the Newport News Ship
building G. Dry Dock Company, cs-
S tablishcd new speed record for AM
cricali armored cruisers by mai..aln
Ing an average speed of 22.4S knots
an hour during four hours forced
uraft run in the Atlantic ocean, O..
tho coast of Virginia Saturday nignt.
Throughout tho trial the ships en-
sines worked with remarkable
srnoothness and strength. and, had
~ peen necessary, the cruiser doubt
less could have maintained the same
snecd for another four hours.
inc performance OF no warshp
eyer built In Newport News has
Drought so much joy to tho hearts
OF the yard officials and the people
Z or this city as that of this new cr,ris-
or. Twice had tho ship failed to
make her contract speed of % knots
an hour and the belief prevailed, that
Tor once this yard was to turn out
4 2 wsirship that could not measure up
70 the government speed require
ments,
Joy Aboard Cruiser.
When the trial was concluded Sat
strday night, Joy reigned supreme
aboard the cruiser, and General Man
aSer Wnlter a, Post, Superintendent
of HUI Construction Homer l.. Fer.
gpson ana Superintendent pf Ma
chinery James. Rowbottom congrat-
ziilated and thanked the engIneering
Z anu fireroom forces. The members
of the trial boarS were also very wen
pleased with the showing or the
cruiser and I'm their official report TO
the navy department. yesterday. they
state that the trial was highly sat
isfactory although mada In heavy
sea
On the previous trials the valves
OF the engines Were adjusted accord
lhg 10 tho navy department snecih-
cations and the failure of the shin
was attributed to the fact that the
valve leads were too short. After n
second test, the navy department
f,;::slnted the request OF the builders
that the yard engineers be allowed
10 ateist the valves 10 conform In
plans OF the yard engineers. BY this
adjustment the lead to the valves
was Increased permitting OF a more
equal dtstrihution OF the steam in the
cylinders OF the engines.
Off the capes.
RAISING out of tho Virginia Canes
at 1880 o'clock Saturday afternoon,
the North Carolina steamed due east
Tor three hours until she was In about
50 fathoms of water. Turning her
nose UP the coast. the cruiser tncn
steamed over u course set almost dino
northeast. The vessel was mn nm.
der forced dat and the four hours
run began at exactly 1882 O'Clock
saturday night. The cruiser started
the run making over - knots and
( tue speed was gradually increased
until at times she was making as high
rs 22.53 knots an hour
Although the sky was partially
clondy there was very good horizon
aud the navigator had good view
for many miles around.
~'ePPJf T1tdVy sea-
Tho sea was very choppy ana quite
heavy ana at times the cruiser rolled
rs much rs is degrees With more
iayorable weather IL is possible tina,
SNc could have made slightly more
speed than was developed The coal
+ used was of the best grade ana the
boilers supplied more steam than was
necessary An average of nearly 30
700 horsepower was developed DIR
Ing the test On the previous trials
the average horsepower was about
2s.4OO. The designed horsepower IS
$4,000.
When the run ended the North
Carolina put about and steamed for
TINS port. She passcA In the Canes
SHORTY before O'Clock Sunday morn
ing and Proceeded to Old Point where
inc members of the naval trial hoard
and the firemen were nut ashore
Then the vessel proceeded ON Ter
Journey to this port. arriving about
u w clock She was Immediately
warped into the berth on the north
side q pier NO at the shipyar
3 Third Armorcd Chuser.
inc Washington and Tennessee are
efe only armored cruisers of the
North Carolina type now in commits
siolls On her official trial the Wash
ingion made 22.l7 knots and the
Tcnnessec made 22.24 knots an hour
on her speed test.
The North Carolina will be turned
oteit 10 the navy department at the
soi9p'G nayy sa;d abotl April /.