New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-11
FOREIGN ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.

The japanese Government is having six new steel
vessclsOf-war built. each Of which will be about
700 feet long and OF 1000 tons displacement. Each
will be armed with one IL inch and eleven 4.72-lnch
brccchloaders. six rapti-irlng guns, twelve IIoch
kiss revolving canrOns. and four torpedo tubes.
They will be fitted mp with irlpc-cxpanslon engines,
twin screws, and have estimated speed Of sixteen
knots They arc intended for coast-dcfcncc vessels
The Chiyota IS being constructed IN England: the
Matushima and IlsukIshma IN France: tho IIashldate
and the Oshirl1 in the dock yard al YokosSa. and
tho Akitsushima at Onohamdo. Tho dockyard al
Yoloska is the chief naval arsenal Of Japan. II
was begun in 1865 and the works were completed
in 1870. at a cost Of Of ~ 100000. II IS about
ten miles below Yokohama fin the bay Opcning out
Of The Gulf OF YcddO. and in connection with II Is
a school for the technical education Of worhmcn and
p0l ion OF each year there under practical instruction
In the shops. f1undiics and arsenal For The last
eight nine years the JaTancsc war-vesScls have
engineering department, which requires a peculiar
rule. have been retained Il is expected. however.
that the foreign engineers will be succeeded by native
officers IN another year. The Naval department Is
about TO rc-aim tho marines win The Italian repeating
rife.
At the German Army manoeuvrcs recently the
Emperor took up The defensive position, which was
strengthened by eight iron clad towers uirrcs,
invented by The late Captain Schumann, and armed
with machine guns. These nrrcts placed on
wheels. and rcscf1ble hc Nar.llo towers They are
armed With a QDickIrlilng gun, filing thirty small
shrapneI she'll III soN sh0. and are bullet and shell
one on 4 aallls !ae faaf III a birvclc aud the other
ertc- ,re I'd aod -, t,,1 n, gfvc oIy hi,it
nash Al the Instant n fire.
1hcre have been many experiments made with the
snolcl-.s- DOuder. IDrd Armstrong says: The al
vantage which have been achieved by qulck-nrng
guns VIII be s1ll further enhanced by the employ
ncnt II The ncu smokele3s powder which. It may be
sald f. now certain - De brought into use. With
ordinary pOndcr n would b. impossible TO fire these
largo guns A. their maximum rate u some ten rounds
per minute. On account of the hanging smoke from
the dlscAarg~. which renders aiming impossible
with the called smOkcless pOwdcr-ln which
nitrate Of ammonia Is used a. base-the same
hndrancc !, not experienced. tho smoke produced
by the discharge being much lc,s In volume and dss
paung very readily"
The British Admiralty greatly interested in the
" first lnstalmcnt " the new American Navy which
Is about ~ make a cruise In the European waters
The London World in an opening paragraph on the
subject says: The Government Of the United States
has for 80 many years held to The belief that II had
no manner OF use for navy-and Indeed its mer-
camille marine has long ceased 70 be anything 10 brag
about-that considerable Interest In, attached to tho
new battle ship, and cruisers The British Admiralty
VIII probably be urplse whcn thcy sec these splendid
ships Of American msiena! ana American workman
ship. and armed with guns which may b. fired without
grave apprehension concerning them Indeed, the
ROald Of Admiralty may be able "a profit from what
they will be permitted 10 look upon.
"The London Tines IN a recent issue asks tbs
question, Are the great guns failure ~ lis argu-
ments are conclusive that the United States Navy
has nothing 10 gain by the study of English methods
ard English models the eXclus OF tho ideas OF
American inventive genius. The article has reference
10 whether the Armstrong guns, even after they have
been obtained, will be worth having. says also It
Is very state Of affairs for tho first naval
power In the world, a Nation whose very existencc
depends the efficiency of her navy that her most
important and heavily armed lroncads should be sup
piled with ordnance about which cloud Of msgvings
and suspicion hangs, which few believe TO DO trust
worthy weapons II war should come upon u.s. and
that these IN sgivings should be more than ustlhot
by what has aeiy occurred" Not only hal the con
stfuctioD OF these monster modern weapons been
entered upon before sufficient expcnmens D. prove
them adequate had been made but the failures during
the preliminary trials of them caused grave appiehnn-
sion concerning them. AT the works OF firm alone
ono lotion gun, ono IL inch gum two 1O.inch and
TWO s-nch guns had 10 DO condemned while under
going proof; AMI II is found that the two III ton
guns OF the Victoria are practically inefficient for
ngnthig purposes. There seems TO be something
radically wrong with the whole system OF gun manu-
facture In ENGLAND.