The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-03-27
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1888.
EUROPEAN NAvlES.
THE FORMIDABLE 1RON-CLADs or TIM
BRITISH NAVY.-wAR StiIrS OF
THE OTHER NATIONS. How
THEY RANK.

The naval powers of Europe hold
rank in the following ordcr:--
Great Britain, France, Germany,
Italy, Austria, Spain, Russia, Tur-
key. BY far the most powerful
naval establishment on the globe is
that of Great Britain. According
to the latest navy lists her ships of
war of all classes number about
400. Among these are some of the
most formidable iron-clad ships ever
built. The latter class of vessels is
being added to every year by the
construction of one or two vessels
of enormous tonnage and armament.
The style of heavy ship most in
favor now with the British Admit
raltv is the class of the lntleXi-
ble," the ship which attracted so
much of the worlds attention at the
bombardmcnt N the AleXandrian
forts. The Intlexiblc is really
floating fortress. She is 800 feet
long and 75 feet beam at the water
line. The power and strength Of
the ship is concentrated in the mid
die, and consists of citadel II feet
high. one-half above and one-half
below the water. The walls of this
citadel are Al inches thick. They
consist of armor plates 1G to "a
inches thick, and teak backing from
, to % feet thick. The central part
of this armored citadel is filled by
two turrcts - feet high and % feet
in diameter. These turrets, which
are "a inches thick each, hold two
S1-ton guns, capable of firing a
l,7OO-pound shot with $50 pounds
of powder. The tonnage or dis
placement of the Inhexible is H.
800, and her engines, which drive
her IA knots an hour, are 5000
horse power This is the most
powerful ship in the British navy.
There are, however, ten other. ships
of the Thunderer and Devastation
class which have from II to Is inches
of armor and are armed with 40 and
GO ton guns. They are of G,OOO
and 1000 tonnage and 10000 horse
power. The first iron-clad ships
built for the British navy are well
remembered, for it was those vessels
that were q great bugbcar to us in
the Mason-Slidell days. They were
the Black Warrior, Minotaur,
Achilles, Black Prince and others.
They were unwicldy things, but they
carried heavy batteries of four-and-
one-half-inch plating. So great has
been the progress in naval develop
ment in England that these vessels
which twenty years ago were
terrors of the sea, are now rated in
the fifth class. All of these ships
have, however, superior speed, and
can even now out-steam anything
John Roach has ever built for the
American navy. The actual sea-
going and fighting strength of the
British navy is IA vessels, of which 8
are heavy iron-clads, with five more
now building. The reserve ships,
including those for harbor defence
and coast guard, number BAG.
THE BRITISH NAVY.
The personnel of the British navy
is as imposing as the fleet. There
are Admirals of the Fleet, 1G Adj
mirals, 10 Vice Admirals, 81 Rear
Admirals, 173 Captains, POS Com
manders, $40 Lieutenants, and d.
600 officers of lesser grades. The
annual appropriation for the support
Of the naval establishment is fl0,-
100000 and Ell 100000.
TIE FRENCH NAVY.
The navy of France numbers S03
vessels of all classes. OF these 81
are serviceablc iron-clads. The
most powerful vessels now afloat are
the turrct ships Devastation, Fon
droyant and the Admiral Duperre
They are designed on'the same lines
are 312 feet long, and are construct
ed mainly of steel. The Fondroyan
carries guns of 13-inch calibre
and has IA inches of armor. Two
other ships of the Intiexible pattern
though smaller, are now being built
Jlle Rcqull anu luc NueTIlcTc. lHcS
are each 1900 tons and will be pro
tected by Is inches of armor
France builds about A ships year
the Charles Martel and the Brennus
both of 5000 tons, now being OF
the stocks. The personnel of tin
French navy is, according to tn
budget of 1884, 2 Admirals, "a Vic
Admirals, 36 Rear Admirals, 80
Captains, 724 Lieutenants, 600 les
ser officers, and $4,000 warrant off
GERS and men.
KAISER wILuELM's SHIPS.
The German navy, though one O
the youngest, is yet one of the mos
compact of all the European navies
1t was only started in lS4S, but ha
been rapidly developed. The flee
consisted in 1883 of iron-clad fri
gates, 6 iron-clad coryettes, Is crui
sers, and 80 other ships of a
classes, but all serviceable. Their
is no dead wood in the Germa