Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-30
VESSEL HAS HIGHLY
SUCCESSFUL TRIALS
Immense Freight and Passenger
Steamer Built at Local shipyard
Develops Speed of Seventeen and
one.haif Knots an Hour-New Rec
ord Made in Her Construction.

During her Official trials IN the low
er Chesapeake bay yesterday morning,
the immense freight and passenger
steamer Wilhelmina. the newest prod
uct OF the plant OF the Newport News
Shipbuiiding & Dry Dock Company,
and one OF the finest craft ever turn
ea cut here. exceeded every contract
requirement. The vessel developed
a speed of seventeen. and one-half
knots an hour and had she been in
the open sea with plenty of water
beneath her she probably could have
done even better than that. Nc speci-
nc high speed is called for in the
contract. but the ship Is designed for
q sustained sea speed of fifteen knots
an hour.
Heavy Fog Prevails
Owing 10 heavy banker OF fog,
which hung over the Atlantic ocean
yesterday, It was impossible to adjust
the ships compass and for that reason
she did not have her trials in the
Atlantic However. her showing in
the shallow water in the bay was
highly satisfactory to both the build
ers and the representatives of the
owners. So much so, in fact, that
the ship win not have any test in the
open sea before she is turned over
to the owners, the Matson Navigation
Company, Of San Francisco. Cal
Use oil on Long Journey.
Coal oil was used as fuel during
the trials Of the wilhelmina yester-
day and later the announcement was
made that the ship will use this fuel
during her run OF $4,000 miles from
this port to San Francisco. Cal She
has storage room for sufficient guam
.tity OF oil to run her the entire dis
ttance and she will make no stops
during the ;ournev, which IS expected
10 consume about forty days. This
will be the first big ship 10 attempt
a run rom the Atlantic to the Pacific
via the Strait of Magellan with oil
as fuel and her performance will be
closely watched by shipping men and
throughout the United
States.
Record In Construction
The present plan is to have the
wilhelmina leave here next Sunday.
Decembr 5. for San Francisco via an
Atlantic coast port. The vessel VIII
take a cargo before starting out on
her long Journey. The snip is now
practically completed and something
Of a record has been made in her con-
struction. From the date OF the lay
Ing of the keel until the time she
leaves the ward lust ten months VIII
have elapsed. The vessel Is an I'm
mense one and this is unusually fast
time for building Il ship Of her d.
mansions.
The wilhelmIia Is 100 feet long
overall. 81 feet broad and SO feet.
inches deem to the upper deck she
Is steel thfee-deck. single-erew
steamer and is equipped with quad
ruple-expansion engine. Her boilers
pre- equipped for burning both coal
ana oil as fuel. The vessel has car
20 carrying capacity q 5000 tons and
accommodations have been provided
fer 40 6rst-class end los second
class passengers. The staterooms.
saloops. smoking rooms. etc. are
handsomely hnSshed and furnished
and every detaii for the comfort OF
the passengers is complete
Equipped With wire.esA
The vessel is equipped with wire
less telegraphy and submarine sig
nails and has a complete double bot
tom fore and aft. The machinery ana
boilers are located aft giving I'M
usually large cargo carrying space
The ship is especially designed Tor
the quick loading sn6 unloading OF
freight. She is cisssed under Goyd's
and when put into service VIII be
the largest o. the Natson fleet plying
between San Francisco and Honcl9lu.
Captain johnson. commodore o. me
sfst=on feet. and who took the Mat
SOC liner Jnrlins from the local yard
TO San Francisco two wears ago. VII
COMMAND the wilkeimina when abe
rr,~r- hr-o 81 the Pacific coast.