Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-12

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A return made recently TO the British
parliament of the strength OF European
nayies gives material for form ne
some estimate of the comparative eff
ficiency of the navy our government is
now building. The largest and fastest
European vessels belong to Italy. Her
largest ship. the italia. has a displace-
ment Of nearly 1900 tons, or about
5000 more than any other war vessel
a1oat. Notwithstanding this enor-
nous bulk. the italia steams Is
knots an hour while the fastest amor
clad in the British navy is the "Collos-
sus, $50 tons. VIII ch altains l5.4
knots. The Italia carries the hcav-
lest guns of any vessel aoat. consist
of four breech-load NJ guns of l69
inches calibre and eight of inches
calibrc. Two other vessels, the
"Dulo' and the "Dandalo." nearly
approach the Italia in she and ar
mament. Altogether Italy has eleven
war vessels of the first class. and is
building seven more, and three Of the
second class She has one torpedo yes-
sci completed and eleven in progress.
with fifty-iiyc torpedo boats and twenty.
eight in progress.
Although England has n larger navy
than any other power. most of her ycs-
sells are unprotected by armor or onl,
partially so. She has twenty turret
armor-clads completed and six more in
progress. Her largest guns eighty
tons in weight and of l6-inch calibre-
are carried by the "In1cxible,' but
they are muzzle-loading. One of the
vessels now in progress. the "Sanspa-
reil, with others Of smaller calibre
will carry two ll0-ton guns, and with
their completion England will then
have the heaviest battery atloat. Seven
armed cru scrs Of 1000 tons are build
ing, three barbctte ships are completed
and six more are in progress. and there
are twenty-nine broadsidc ships also
in commission. When the ships in pro-
gress are completed England Will have
three vessels of between II, 900 and -
go tons. built 10 compete in s.ze and
armament with Italys three great
monsters
France has sixteen fir,t-class armor-
clads one of over 1000 tons, and
thirteen others are in progress. Al
the gun, are breech-loaders. while Eng
lands armament !, mostly Of muzzle-
leaders The largest French guns are
fourtctn-inch calibrc. France has
twelve armor-clad. Of the second class.
the largest having a displacement of
COCO tons Russia has six armored YES
sells n the Black Sea fleet and fifteen
battery ships aud monitors. with five
hcltcd cruiser, i'm the Baltic fleet Ger
many ha, thirteen armored vessels.
ranging from 4 600 to under 10000. and
carrying guns Of not more than a little
over ten inches caibre. She has also
fourteen OF a smaller class under :. 90
tons. Au,tr has ten armored ves,e
OF from 5000 to over 1000 tons.
Compared with these great fleets
our navy will appear very small. The
largest OF the new vessels. whose con
struction la, been authorized by con-
Crcs, are two G,000-ton iron-clads.
They ave. however, to have a speed Of
sixteen knots an hour, faster than any
English war vessel now anoat. The
bill passed by the last congress pro-
vide, for one cruiser which is to pos
,e,s the highest practicable speed and
which hence ought to equal or exceed
The eighteen knots an hour of the
'Ita.ia There is no necessity for
oHr government to enter into the cosly
cd European powers in
urn NJ out caormous war vessels.
We should, however, have as fast and
ye.larmed vessels as there are in The
world. and it begins to look a. Il we
.haIl get thcm.-P,Hsb yga con- ..er-
id-stkc.