The morning call., 1892-03-18

armored shipS, the Dmitri Donskoi and the
Duke OF Edinburgh; three unarmored cruis-
erS. NayeZinik of four guns, the Orpritch-
mix OF eight guns, the Digit of three guns,
and two gunboats, the BOber and tie
SWutch. each of two guns. The Duke of
Edinburgh, formerly the Alexander Neysky,
is teltc0 cruiser OF fifteen knots speed,
with SIX inches OF armOr and two S-inch and
four 6-inch guns. The Dmitri Donsko has
SIX nches Of armor aud 10 guns, viz : two
S-lnch guns and il 6-inch guhs. The Duke
OF Edinburgh is go feet long and Is feet
beam. L e deck Is not protected by armor,
the guns being so arranged as to fire in all
directions. The Dmtri DOnSk0i, launch ed
IN 1883, Is 295 feet long, with an extreme
breadth Of % feet Besides these there is
the almored schooner Aleut, launched IN
1887. fitted with rhed cannon ana rapid-fir-
iDg guns.
But besides these fighting vessels Russia
has number OF gunbOats and torped 0-bOatS
available Tor immediate service, ana lastly
there Is the important volunteer feet which
the Car has been getting into practical
utility on the Northern Pacific ever since
the Narclouds of 1873 and 1886 appraised him
Of possible contest with England in the
Pacific
A VOLUNTEER FLEET.
The Russian volunteer fleet in the North
Paclhc i first and foremost 4 commercial or
gauiZation, but IN times OF peace it is pre-
pared for war. Destined for commerce il
aloO ilNhtutS LOT tIiB transportation el eN-
lies TO Saghalien IN time OF peace and Tor
other purposes IN time OF war Ia the lat
ter event II could furnish eight cruisers, of
which two, the Oyel and ROssiya, have con
siderable speed, nineteen and fifteen knots
respectively. The other cruisers are in
reality mere transports with speed Of ten
ana eleven knots.
The men composing tue Russian yolun-
teer force are superior IN many res pectS 10
The corresponding force IN Grea. Britain.
Whereas, great number Of the naval vol
untsers OF Russia on the Pacific are praeti-
cal seamen, II is stated on English author
lily that scarcely per cent OF the royal
naval artillery volunteers are seafaring
men or connected with The sea. and that %
per cent OF the total corps are recruits OF
less than two years standing.
LOCAL RUSSIAN INTERESTS.
When Russia withdrew her little colony
from California her Interests in this State
were eXtinguiShed. But when she coded
Alaska TO the United States on March 30.
1867, she acted as a seller in good faith and
the military occupation Of the territory by
the United States in April OF the following
year did rot terminate Russia's moral obl-
cations in regard TO the great seal industry
of the Aleutian Archipelago and the Pribi-
ion Islands any more than it rendered the
Russian sealeries on the west of the bound
airy line safe from the seal-poachers of
British Columbia. Russia is Shrewd enough
10 see that if the Alaska seal rookeres are
suffered to be depleted it Is only one step to
the Strengthening OF the seals On her own
territOry-Copper Island, Boring Island and
on the kamchafka coast. Were IL neces-
saTy To defend these Russia has q third
available force ia the Siberian squadron,
comprising one eIsht-gun cruiser, five gun
boats mounting twenty-six guns, three
schooners and two large and four small
torpedo-boat
HISTORY OF THE CONTROVERSY.
A far hap IL 10
ceived that the United States Government
would have to take some measures for the
protection of seal life on the Pribiloff
Islands. In 1873 a number OF small craft
fitted out In san Francisco and contiguous
ports, cleared Tor the northwest coast and
the Aleutian Islands on fishing ventures.
These ventures resolved themselves into
wholesale and TantOn destruction Of seals
to such an extent that in 1874 the matter
was brought to the attention of Congress.
By this time the British Columbia sealers
had also been getting in their deadly Work
at the seal rookeries Of the Aleutian group,
and the result was that the Committee on
Appropriations in the House and Senate
granted The iuadS Tor the fitting out OF reye-
nue. cruisers. The first cruise was made by
Tie Richard Rush in the season of 1871
From the fact that the killing season usu-
ally commences about the 10Th of June in
each year 1t has happened that there has
been what might be called an annual spring
States ever since the presence of the revenue
cutter has placed restrictions on the killing
Of the seals. When the United States Cow
eminent bought and paid 81, 600 for
Alaska there was a general howl through
out the country that il was an unwse and
another story 10 1881 the total rev.
enue received by the Government
from the acquisition and lease OF the
seal Islands was Sc, 300, 900, entirely exclu-
AC
oped mineral resources OF the Territory,
British statesmen began TO see that they
had made a mistake about Alaska, and when
the trouble with the Newfoundland fisheries
became accumulated in 1884 and 1885 they
formally opened a campaign in Bering Sea
as sort OF standof. Claims were made
which had no foundation either in law OF in
equity. But meanwhile the seals were be-
log killed oil at an alarming rate. and it
looked as II the r00keries would bs depoDu-
lated before the question was AUTOMATICALLY
settled. ms led 10 the establishment of q
modBs viyendi by which both Governments
agreed TO send cruisers to Boring Sea to stay
the hands Of the poachers.
ACTUAL BRITISH INTERESTS
In point Of fact, the legitimate British
interests III the scaling industry are very
small and are confined to the supper. Of the
operatives in the fur-dyeing industry in
London. The amount annually derived
from this source does rot exceed $4,000,
for the killing is limited to 100000 seals and
shIllings is the price for dyeing and pre-
pairing each skin. AS there are but four
shiliingS to each dollar. the above calcula-
ton comes very near the mark.
AS soon as the killing season is over the
bundled skins are shipped from the seal
islands TO San Francisco. where they are
put into casks, twenty bundles to a cask,
and shipped by rail 10 New York and thence
by water to London. where they are sold to
the fnrriers at their annual auction sales
Before being ready to make into cloaks,
they go through dozen different processes
OF preparation. They arc ut first tanned,
then the outside coat of hair is taken off or
plucked. Down to the fur, which is now a
light, dead coiored brown, it is colored,
carded and cleaned.
PLENTY OF CRUISERS.
Last year the British Government sent
three cruisers. the Symphe. the Porpoise
aud the Pheasant, TO co-operate with the
United States vessels Tbetis Alert Marian