New-York tribune., 1891-12-18
FOREIGN NAVAL NOTES.

When Lord George Hamilton urged upon the House
Of Commons few days ago to vote another big appro
pration for further increase Of the British Navy
OF the members got out their larats and tried to
bring down the wild Bull" Lord George took the
ground that the British Navy should be large as
any two other opponents, and his opponents declared
the British Board OF Admiralty engaging in a
political Of poker that each foreign Power would
see England and 20 one ship better hence England
would have to go on and build two fresh ships to
every one built by each other Power The opponents
were. of course, denounced "wretched beings and
ny 10 vile and contempt!be economyS Il Is the
fact all the same that the French are meeting the in
creased amaments Of England by an Increase In theirs
There are not many OF the vessels OF the British
Navy which have developed the power, speed and
other conditions that were promised. Take the
Blake, for instance says a British admiral "The
vessel that is to be the flagship OF the North American
Squadron England has not got in her anything like the
cruiser OF transcendent speed that promised, and
with her present boilers Of defective design II Is i'm
pos sible that she should attain to that deal'
The first attempt OF the TerpsehoEe for successful
trial resulted In failure. Unler natural draft, after
the vessel had been under way about seven
hours the tubes began to leak and she had to return
to port. The defects were repaired and the
hours and then the trial had to be discontinued. An
examination proved that not only did the tubes leak
badly but that a boiler seam had given ou'.
After repeated failures tile torpedo depotship vul
which Is accepted as fairly successful. But with
an increase OF the estimated natural draft power sho
made only 17.2 knots, nearly knot short OF tho
estimated speed II Is not deemed probable that
better results be obtained from her present boilers
for after the termination of the trial. and when the
boilers began cool down. eral OF the tubes
leaking and Of the tube plates showed signs Of
bucklng.
The largest and most powerful battleship Of the
French Navy, the Brennus, was recently launched.
She is 374 feet in length all. will have dis
placement of 10000 tons. and draws 26 IA feet OF
water or too much TO the bar at Sandy Hook.
Her estimated speed is nineteen knots. The hull,
which has straight stem without ram, Is constructed
OF mild steel and chromatized steel The vital parts
will be protected from stem To stern by nrmor belt
formed of two strakes of steel The principal arna-
ment will consist of three 56-ton guns two of which
will be placed In pear shaped central closed turret
secondary battery will be ten 6.3inch guns twenty
rapid firing guns and five torpedo tubes. The 5ston
and four of the 6.3inch guns will be mounted on
hydraulic pivos.
The beled armored cruiser Rurik is being constructed
for the Russian Navy at the Baltic works. She Is
4a6 feet in length displaces about IL 900 tons and
will be the largest cruiser ahoat when finished. 1t is
estimated that her seaSpeed will be about eighteen
knots she will carry enough coal TO steam 10000
knots al her economical speed OF ten knots hour.
The armament will consist OF four Sinch guns. SIX
teen 6inch guns. fourteen 4.1inch guns. eighteen
small rapld-frlng gums and I'VE torpedo tubes