New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-03
FOREIGN Ma VAL NOTES.

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FOREIGN Nal AL NOTES.
The explosion Of The 6-lnch gun on the British
cruiser Cordela recently has awakened the ordnance
experts of the British Navy TO consideration of
the dangers from the modern bulltup guns II such
gun Is so liable TO burst and do such terrible thing
as TO kill the men who are WORKING t. then builtup
guns are not satisfactory ordnance II the forglngs
of steel for guns OF small calibre contain and
unsupported flaws that result so disastrously II is fair
to suppose that they may exist in guns of larger
calibres. But then the English guns are proverblal
for disaster-from the 6inch to the 1IO-pounders.
There are MANY carpers who are prone to snarl and
whine concerning the neffcency Of the machinery
supplied to some Of the newest American cruisers.
Even if there foundation for some of the com
plants, we are certainly no worse off than are the
foreign navies. The shoddy work on the British
cruisers Barllam, Bclona, Centaur and some Others
not confined TO their machinery, but the plates OF
the armOr decks Of some Of them were actually put
in place with rough instad Of planed edges so that
the water would have streamed through the defective
joints to the and below The French cruiser
Forbns machinery is said to have been so badly turned
out tha good many thousands of dollars must be spent
to make the necessary repairs The French ironolad
Requn, when locked recently TO have her bottom
cleaned, found TO have many llvets so badly
put in that the plates were open In many places at the
joints and one of the compartments was full of
water. In the of the machinery Of some of
these vessels 1t is not much the faults of constrc
ton 1t is of design due to craving for excessive
nghtness.
The ordering homo from the North American
station Of the fisi-cl-s gunboat Thrush commanded
by Lieutenant Commander Ills Royal Hlghness Prince
George Of Wales dhe official title, was sur
the peonlp in In the
subjects in Canada. Bermuda and tho West Indies
The Thrush was only put in commission IN May, 1890
and has just got into thorough working order hence it
remarkable that after she Is inspected at Sheer
ness by the Commanderin-Chef she is TO be put out
Of commission. If the Thrush is really paid of and
dismantled, 1t would seem 10 be shameful waste Of
public money. Prince George will be promoted, and
subsequently be detached from her, but he could
readily be succeeded by another lieutenant who would
be extremely lucky in finding such a wellequlpped
craft ready to his hand.
There is great energy shown at the Russian dock
yard at sebastopol In the construction Of the rstcass
lne-of battle ship GeOrg Pubedonossez. The mechan-
cs arc even working at night with the aid of the cleo
trio light TO get the vessel finished She Is 800 feet
in length the water line, and IS expected TO attain
speed Of eighteen knots. The Dvandzat Apostoi,
sister ship to the eorg Poedonossetz building at the
dockyard at Nooaief. Is a,5o being pressed forward
The frstclass French Ironclad NIarceau, which was
recently accepted fOm the builders Is reported 10 have
proven most desirable acquisition 10 the French Navy
She attained speed Of sixteen knots. which is
than expected from a vessel of her tonnage.
Both engines and guns were subjected 10 the most
severe and exhaustive tests. Tier engines were run
continuously for four hours without mlshap Of any kind
and her big guns we're each fired seven tines-fve
times with full and twice with reduced charges When
Of the big guns was fired right astern the captains
gallery was blown to smithepens and the effect Of
firing OF the other guns right ahead was to dlstort
plates in the sapersructure and send some vets
flying, but the damage done considered trifing.
In order to see what the effect the gunners
Of the secondary battery would be when the big guns
were fired over their heads. four sheep and huge
dolls, representing men, scattered In different
parts Of the ship. The sheep stood we'll but after
a couple Of rounds they were stupefed. Her main
battery consists Of four 34-centimete guns mounted
in barhetcs and seventeen guns Of 14Centimetre cali
bre. The vessel begun In 1881, and hence has
taken about ten years to complete, principally on
account of the alterations introduced While
in the course OF construction.
The "old Tub" Fanny. steam tender to the British
cruiser Belleise which recently had her repairs com
pleted by Dublin contractors has remarkable history
She was launched in 1880. under the name OF the
Fox and was first commissioned for service in sup
pressing the slave trade the African coast On the
outbreak Of the Crimoan war she was suddenly cleu
home and she had the luck 10 take the first Russian
merchantmen captured, which she tOwed INTO Leitl.
At the conclusion f the she was transferred TO
the Revenue Marine service her name being changed
TO The Argus Later her name was changed TO the
Amelia and SHE was transferred to coaStguard duty,
and soon aftcrwad she became the Fanny IL Is not
clear why the successive changes were made IN her
name, which tended to destroy the IDENTITY OF INC
vessel unless IL was to deceive the public as to her
history. The venerable craft has twice been con
demned by the docl1yad authorities and the last time
shc was found to bc rotten thai was recommended
TO break her up and send her remains 10 tho scrap
heap.