The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-20
EDITORIAL NOTES.

The war-ships now being constructed by
various nations would form a good sized navy.
Brassey's annual shows we have building and
rebuilding twelve armored ships of total dis
placement of T2,72o tons. In the matter OF
speed the new consITuc ion ranges from l6 10
20 knots, il armament, the heavy guns from
inches, The caliber of the New York's, to IS
inches, the caber of the batte-shlps. In armor
the range is from inches IN thickness on The
New York TO IS inches on the battle-snips
Great Britain has building eight battle-ships of
total displacement of l09,550 tons. In speed
they range from 17.5 to Is knots; in armament
from lO-inch to 1312-nch guns and In armor
from II TO Is inches. III France tie aggre-
gate tonnage is S7.961 ions, belonging TO thir-
teen ships The speeds vary from Is to 9
knots the great guns from rs inches in caiOer
10 1874 inches, and The thickness Of the armor
from inches TO l7$4 inches. Italy is building
one Is, 750tOn battle-slip of s knots speed
armed with 134-iDch guns ana armured with 8
inches OF metal. Germany Is at WORK on four
barbette baite-ships OF 10 600 tons each and four
afmored cruisers OF $500 tons each. the agcre-
gate tonnage being 54, 900 tons. The speeds of
all are given as 10 knots; the ornaments range
from 50 guns TO 1l-inch guns and the
amor ranges from 95 inches to 1874 inches
Russia's table of aTmOred ships shows battle
ship OF 1O,2S0 tons and TWO armOred cruisers of
10000 tons. She is also constructing a number
OF vessels for the Baltic fleet Ali the European
nations above mentioned are also making ad-
dtiOns 10 their lists of cruisers and torpedo
| fOilllas.
Fuller details Of the bids for constructing 100
guns for coast defense in accordance with the
Congressional appropriation OF 81, 200, 600 show
some disappointing features. For instance, the
Midvale Steel Company submit bids aggregatIng
S5,359,5oo, The guns to be d vered In eight
years. The South Boston Iron Works bids ag-
gfegated 50, 174312. Their deliveries OF eight
inch guus begin in 1894 TO be made at the rate
Of six year. OF The len-inch guns five are to
b. delivered each year after 1895. and Of The
twelye-lnch guns five are TO be delivered each
year after 1896. The Bethlehem Steel Com.
pany's bids are the only ones coming within the
Congressional limit, the total being So, 785, $50.
The company proposes TO construct an eight-iueh
type gun for S43.893, delivered in AGO days,
and S42,035 II delivered in 2I90 days; "a ser
Vice guns OF same kind at S19,723 each, deliv-
cred IN $50 days, or Sl7,246 If delivered
in 80 days; ten-inch type gun, S7S. 937.
delivf red in go days, or S73.755 delivered ia
SS2 days; 40 service guns OF this size at S4o.-
929 each, delivered in 2130 days, or S37, 754
delivered In 34o4 days; twelve-inch type gun,
sll3.95l. delivered in 791 days, or S10G, 55S de-
lyered IN 1895 days, and "a service guns of this
Size al 6l,S46 each, delivered IN 2O33 days, or
s54,473 delivered In 3194 davs. These figures
demonstrates the necessity OF Congress speedily
agreeing 10 the location OF ordnance works at
Bencia.
The recent explosion Of a 6-lnch gun with
disastrous results on the English cruiser Cor
della has attracted attention to the superiority of
the weapons provided for Uacle Sans new
cruisers. The English gun was one built up by
shrinking jacket and hoop OF wrought iron
over lube OF tough steel. Our own guns have
been entirely constructed of steel, and the 6-nch
rifles OF the Chicago, Boston and Atlanta are con
sidered 40 per cent stronger than the English
guns OF The same type on The Cordelia The
Pebble powder used IN the English navy is yio-
lent IN Its action, while the brown powder used
by our navy gives the high veloeities called for
with very moderate strain on the gun.
The forthcoming annual report of the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture Is the largest edition OF a
Government publication ever issued from the
Government Printing ONCE, the total number
ordered by Congress being 4o4,774. More than
325 people are exclusively employed in the pub
ltcation OF the report, 246 of them being women.
To store the editions requires a room 100 feet
long and 30 feet vide, with the books piled
sol idly 10 height OF feet inches
The recent state banquet at Windsor afforded
an opportunity for the display Of plate valued at
about S4,o0o,ooo, including the GOLD service
manufactured for George ~, Indian and China
trophies. famous gold shields, the huge silver
wine cooler, In which two men can be seated
comfortably, gold fiagons, vases and the well.
known ST. George candelabra