The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-09
DELAWARE MADE
RECORD VOYAGE.
Arrived Home After Cruise Of e, 1000
Miles and Was Ready Then
For Anything
Else.
IS GRAND OLD SHIP
Goes to England Next Month to Rep
resent America in the Great In
ternational Naval
Review.

WASHINGTON, May s.-since the
famous around-tne-horn cruise of the
q. s. battleship Oregon at. the out
break of the Spanish-American war,
nothing 80 notable in American naval
annals has occurred as the record
breaking voyage Of the Delaware, just
completed.
On April rs last, the Delaware fash
ed by wireless to the navy department
AIS well on board and ready for
anything. This was on her arrival
outside the Boston harbor, after a
cruise of 10000 miles. She had
stopped for no longer intervals than
to take on coal and stores during the
cruise, and the day after reaching
Boston, was sent to sea again for a
grilling 24-hour endurance trial and
two days standardization run. This
last test she met superbly.
Navy officers are fairly jubilant ov-
er this demonstration of sea-going fit
ness. They declare it proves beyond
question that the United States navy
is an efficient sea-going, fighting force,
and always prepared for "a fight or a
frolic."
AS demonstration of the advance
of the United States since the days
of 1898, the cruise of the Delaware
may be most interestingly compared
to that of the Oregon. which at that
time marked an epoch in naval his
tory.
The long cruise of the Delaware
began last fall with the despatch OF
the entire Atlantic battleship feet OF
sixteen vessels to Europe. The feet
engaged in war game on the return,
and proceeded to Guantanamo. I'm
mediately upon the arrival of the
warships at that station, the Della.
ware was ordered to Hampton Roads,
to get the body OF Minister Cruz, of
Chile, who died in Washington, last
December, and convey it to Valparaiso,
Chile
The cruise to Europe and return via
Guantanamo covered total distance
OF 5000 miles, while the voyage to
Chile and return to Boston was IT,
900 miles-a total of $4,000 miles.
During the cruise to Chile and back
again, the Delaware followed an ex-
acting schedule made out before her
departure, and on her arrival at Bos-
ton, was exactly 80 minutes behind the
hour set on her itinerary. Her only
stops were for the purpose of taking
on coal and provisions.
Though the cruise of the Oregon,
in 1898, from the Pacific coast to
Sampson fleet off the coast of Cuba
was more thrilling, as the warship
was depended upon to lend valuable
aid in the expected engagement with
Cevera's fleet, the cruise of the Della
ware is considered more remarkable.
The Delaware is almost exactly
twice the size of the Oregon, her dis
placement being 10000 tons, while that
Of the old Bulldog of the Navy as
she was known was 1926 tons. Uncle
Sam is now building, it is worthy of
note. $4,000 tons of battleships. though
the Delaware has been in commission
less than year.
When the size of our battleships was
doubled, the horsepower of the mach
inery was nearly trebled. The Della
wares engines develop in actual SER
vice 10000 horsepower, while the en-
gines of the Oregon were designed for
10000 horsepower At full speed, the
Delaware has repeatedly made 2l.5
knots. while the maximum of the Ore
gon was somewhat less than Z knots
Both vessels, however. on their ex-
tremely prolonged cruises, steamed
at low rate, largely for reasons of
economy in coal consumption. The
Delaware, on the voyage to Chile aver.
aged little less than Is knots while
the average speed Of the Oregon was
about ! 1 knots
In respect to the armament develop
ment of the last decade, however, the