The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-12-09
The Navies Of Europe.

A return made recently to the British
parliament of the strength of European
naries gives material for forming some
estimate of the comparative efficiency
of the navy our government il now
building. The largest and fastest En-
ropean war vessels belong to Italy. Her
largest ship. the Italia" has displace-
ment Of nearly 1900 tons, or about
5000 more than any other war vessel
afoat Notwithstanding this enormous
bulk, the Italia" stesms Is knots IN
hour, while the fastest armor-clad in
the British navy is the Colossus" 9, $50
tons, which attains 1874 knots. The
italia" carries the heaviest guns of
any vessel afoat, consisting of four
breech-loading guns of 16 3-4 inches
calibre and eight of 6 inches calibre.
Two other vessels. the "Duilo' and the
'Dandalo," nearly approach the
'Italis" in size and armament Alto
gether Italy has eleven war vessels Of
the first class, and is building seven
more, with three of the second class.
She has one torpedo vessel completed
and eleven in progress, with tifty-tive
torpedo boats and twenty-eight in pro-
gress.
Although England has 4 larger navy
than any other power, most of her yes
sells are unprotected by armor or only
partially so. She has twenty turret
armor-clads completed and six more in
progress Her largest guns-eighty
tons in weight and of 16-inch calibre-
are carried by the '.Infexible,n out they
are muzzle-loading. One of the vessels
now in progress, the ''Sanspareil," with
others smaller calibre, will carry two
110-ton guns, and with their completion
England will then have the heaviest
battery afoat. Seven armed cruisers OF
5000 tons are building three barbette
ships are completed and six more are in
progress, and there are twenty-nine
broadsides ships also in commission.
When the ships in progress are COM
pleted England will have three vessels
of between 1000 and 1900 tons, built
to compete in size and armament with
ltaiy's three great monsters.
France has sixteen first-class arnor-
clads, one OF IL ,00G tons, and thirteen
others are in progress. All the guns
are breech-loaders, while Englx nd's
armament is mostly of muzzle-load srs.
The largest French guns are fourteen
inch calibre. France has twelve arnor-
ciads of the second class, the largest
having displacement of 5000 tons.
Russia has SIX armored vessels in the
Black Sea feet and fifteen battery suips
and monitors, with five belted cruisers
in the Baltic fleet Germany has thir-
teen armOred vessels, ranging from f.
600 to under 10000, and carrying guns
OF not more than little over ton-inches
CaiibTe. She has also fourteen of q
smaller class under 1000 tons. Aus
tris bias ten armored vessels of from s.
600 to over 1000 tons.
Compared with these great fleets our
navy viii appear very small. The larg
est of the new vessels whose construc-
ton has been authorized by congress
are two 6,0O0-ton iron-clads. They are,
however, to have speed of sixteen
knots an hour. faster than any English
war vessel now afloat. The bill passed
by the last congress provides for one
cruiser which is TO possess the highest
practicable speed and which, hence,
ought to equal or exceed the eighteen
knots an hour of the italia" There
is no necessity for our government to
enter into The costly competition OF Eu-
ropean powers in turning out enormous
wal vessels. We should, however, have
rs fast and well-armed vessels as there
are in the world, and it begins to look
as if we shall get them.