New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-28
FOREIGN NAVAL NOTES.

The happy, though narrow, escape Of the British
warship Seraps on her voyage: home four weeis ago
with the battalion OF Lancers board has naturally
been the subject Of much comment among navy peo-
pie. II that the Scraps was saved from utter
destruction by the satisfactory and prompt working
Of her engines, quite as much as the Caiope WIS
during the hurricane at Samoa two years ago. The
commander and the navigator had lost their reckon
ing and believed that Ushant was miles away 10 the
eastward but the sailor lookout suddenly reported the
lighthouse ahead. IL WAS seen that should the YES
81 % little 10 the right or little 10 the left Of the
narrow channel which she was in, there being heavy
fog and tremendous sea on, she must have pied
wreck in which case very few If any lives would have
been saved Fortunately the engines were worked at
full speed astcrn without difficulty, and the ship was
backed ont OF danger.
The British Navy very near losing another Of
her gunboats a couple Of weeks ago. The Naval
commander IN chief at Davenport had ordered the
gunboat Rlngdove In the teeth Of violent gale
which had already strcwn the British coast with
wrecks But after being bufetcd about In the Eng
lish Channel and making little or no Roadway the
vessel had TO put back to Plymouth: Tho result
40 account much unnecessarily expended, and the
gunboat far injured that It took week TO
repair her.
Much complaint has been made recently by the
people in civil life respecting the injustice and the
downright mischief caused by the arbitrary power
given 70 commanders Of English warsps respecting the
punishment Of those under them. 1t Is charged that
sailors guilty Of petty breach of discipline are
often sentenced to prison. and marched off IN prison
carb and hanGcuffed together to Bodmn Jail. This
manner of degrading and dsgraclng sailor men. who
have right Of appeal except to that OF pablo opinion
By many means which would not be tolerated now.
The time has como when no seaman should be sen.
fenced except by court martial, which Is the practice
In the United States Navy.
The new swedish war-vesscl Gotta is nearly COM
pleted at the Crcusot Works She has displacement
of g. 100 tons and her armament includes four sixnch
She Will also have several torpedo tubes Her armor
plating is 10 be Of the best Crcusot steel.
The Sardegna is called the colossus Of the Italian
Navy She was recently launched at spezzla
and Is All feet long. or eleven feet longer
than the Italia Lepanto. Re Umbcro and STELLA and
seventy three feet longer than the Dandale Her hull
is wholly Of Martin siemcns mild steel and the hori-
zOn,a and perpendicular frames form kind Of reticu
lated work. which promises great strength. She is t.
have four G5ton guns. of which will be mounted
In forward armored edoubt, and the other two will
be mounted in red9nbt aft These guns are said ~
bo powerful the 100 ton guns 81 other vessels
IN the Italian Navy. she wiil also carry eight SIX:
TO ire 100 pound projectlleS three times minute
sixteen 4.7-nch guns and ten two-inch guns.
The fact TO be pretty well established that the
loss OF the British gunboa of the Spanish coast the
night Of November II was, The Tribune at first
suggested. due t. structural weakness No better
proof needed Of this statement than that the gun
boat Sand Fly safely passed through the same storm.
only being obliged 10 throw her cargo overheard. one
Of the English service papers thus severely crtiicses
the First Lord Of the Admiralty according 10 the
noble Lord George Hamton's logic the scrpcnts los,
is not due to her having been sent 10 improper
weather, but TO some unavoidable and unaccrnntable
Incident for which the Admiralty cannot bc held re-
Onsible.'- But matter what excuses the Admi.
rally may make, the fact remains that the serpent
structura nj fault ard the loss Of this vessel
with the sacrifice Of many noble lives the
natural result Of the Admiralty stupid methods"
The fact seems also TO be established that some
one must be crimin0lly responsible for the loss Of
the Serpent. inasmuch the constructors either
incompetent had neglected their duty with regard
10 a proper inspection OF the vessel while building
This inference may be drawn from the fact that the
Sand Fly escaped being wrecked in the same storm
That the Serpent lost Only few days bcfor,.
this the sand Fly being coaled 20 start for the
Mediterranean when some Oa,s Of ccal were droppcd
the Serpent had been DELAYED In her departure Tor
the west coast OF Africa whittier She bOnnd when
lost owing b certain defects that should have been
attended TO during tho two years she has been the
steam reserve TheSc stories OF the English gunbnlh
will he interesting reading 81 those who thought The
Tribune too severe In It's criticism Of the practice
I OF the Cleveland Administration In buying at great
cost plans and designs OF English cruisers and gun.
new gunboats begun during the four years OF Dem
Ocrac afministI alton at Washington being OF tho
| same design rs the Serpent.
A report from the Pacific Coast brings the state
ment that the British cruiser Warspte recently finished
a ten-days' with all the spiendor peculiar TO
British vessels During this cruise her hull took
to leaking badly. Of her big guns burst durns
practice. and her anchor cable broke while she wa,
| lying among dangerous rocks on a dark night.