Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-30
GREAT WORK,
Preliminary Trial Of the
North Dakota Successful.
With Foul Bottom the Ship
Makes Better Than 10 Knots.
Develops $4,000 Horse Power...
Great Things Are Expected.

Boston. oct 2j.-The shaking down
trial OF The second american Dread
nOught, North Dakota, off Cape Cod
yesterday, was in every way success
full, according to the statement today
of her builders, the Fore River Ship
building CO., and the officials of that
yard are looking confidently to exceed
ing the government requirements of q
knots an hour in the official speed
trials of Rockland next week.
The big battlCshir was successfully
locked at the navy yard shortly after
noon and on coming ashore the Fore
River officials stated that in the trial
runs OF the cape yesterday a speed of
more chan 10 knots had been attained
and that the turbine engines Whirled
the screws at a speed of 253 reVolu
tons a minute. No horsepower Gata
was given out but il was reported that
well up 10 10000 was developed.
The North Dakota will be groomed
in every way during her two days in
the naval drydock ana it is expected
that she will leave here on Monday
forenoon for the Penobscot bay.
According to the officials green hands
yesterday. but it is hoped to take on
some of TIE hremen from some of tho
other Warships at present at the navy
yard
Engineer w. l.. Edwards, of the Fore
River Co, who designed the turbines
Of the North Dakota, was most en-
thusja5tic in his statements of their
action in yesterdays run.
We got the bells pretty rapidly from
Capt. Evans yesterday as We We're go
ing through the draw at Quincy" said
Engineer Edwards. and yet the en-.
gin"s acted beautifully. From half
speed ahead when the wheels were
making 120 revolutions a minute we
had them reversed in 10 seconds.
yesterdays trip was not a speed
trial at all. The bottom of the ship
was foul for she has t:cn in III, water
year. We developed 2l.0U A@rse-
power and a little irore tam 5000
horsepower will send us thrnlgh the
water at more than Il knots pcr our
The engines worked so smoothly that
all We had to do Wnon we had finished
yesterdays run was to clean up and
prepare for the official trials Oft Rock
land.
only one other United States ship is
equipped with oil fuel, and that is the
North Dakotas sister ship, the Della
ware. which was given her trials a
week ago. The koerting method of US
ing oil fuel in conjunction with coal
has been installed in the North Da-
kOta.
"Oii is spread into the furnaces, over
the coal, under high pressure This
fuel was not used yesterday but we
expect to employ it when We start out
for Rockland
I'VE made a speed of 1872. knots per
hour over the course at PrOvincetown
yesterday and we We're not pushing her
very hard at that. That was nearer
the guaranteed speed than we have
ever made with a ship in the condition
of the North Dakota. | think Wen de-
| velop our 10000 horsepower in the Of
| fetal trials all right, for we did $4,000
| yesterday, and [ did not have the en-
gines running at their full capacity. [
| I am satisfied that with a clean bot
| tom We'll do 10000"
| Nearly $1,000 600 Of the SIC 900. coo thai
| the North Dakota cost is expended for
guns alone. There are-JO Finch guns
of $4,000 each and IA 5-inch rifles at
$4,000 each in the main battery. be-
sides II rapid-fire guns and minor
pieces.
TO fire one broadside from thc\ main
battery will cost $1,000. exclusive of
cost of maintaining gunners one shot
from each Finch gun will cost SLIGO
| and from each --inch rifle $3.50
| TO fire one shot from each 12-inch
gun viii require $50 pounds of powder.
at so cents per pound. Each projeetile
weighs $50 pounds and costs 1910,
m aking total cost of $50 for each
shot. To this is added an allowance OF
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