New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-16
FRANCE AND DAHOMEY.
THE BAD NATIVES OF WEST AFRICA TO LEARN
SOMETHING OF THE MODERN WAYS TO
EXACT OBEDIENCE

@The Journal of the Society OF American Naval En-
eineers, gives an interesting description oil he"
river gunboat provided for in the shlpoulloihg pro-
gramme OF the French Government for 1913, STERN
wheel g,inboat-the srangest OF all the uheNpec'eu
,rpes Of war vessels At first sight nothing would
snnear more unified for fighting purposes than this un
calmly looking craft-a tea tray with flying deck ana
vat II has points which would enable 1t To perform MIL
jtary operations that would be impossible Tor any oher
class OF vessel Its great virtue Is lis shallow draut
of the same sort Of the wooden stern wheers
Of the Mississippi River which We're such marves OF
light wooden structures that Ii was said OF them that
they would run wherever there was heavy dew"
II fact that stern-whee boat will travel In less
water than sidewheeler even II the hiils are OF the
same form and they have the same immersion below
the waterne but the perfectly Nat bottom would
hardly hold together under its own weight, and the
low sides gave only small vertical faDge To supply
stiffness the vessel has to be trssed In some way and
the trusting is taken advantage Of TO support raised
living deck which hen forms the other MEMBER ~
the order. The boat recently completed LOT Tue
French Government IS wanted TO go up tne African
rivers TO chastse all bad Pagsns. as the Dahomans
are and Il has been built in hurry by larrow 10.
1t Is constructed OF mild steel instead OF wood ana the
hll Is composed of seven SECTIONS or pontoons Its
antire length is 100 feet. It's beam Is Is feet It's
draught Is inches Its speed ten miles an hoir ana IL
has a carrying capacity equal to 400 troops. The
of each OF pontoOns Is two and half TONS
and therefore does not prescnt anS uhhcuity u
shipment
On the main deck there are two cabins. providing
sleepng accommodations for three officers and eight
men The troops will sleep In hammocks. and the
NJ alive crew will sleep on the deck An upper Geek
extends from end TO end of the vessel In the centre Of
which Is the captains cabin. over the entire vessel
there are canvass awnings AS protection against the
heat OF n tropical sun. The machinery consists Of
engines OF the simplest kind, one on each side. con-
Meeting directly with the wheelbarrow like propeller
NJ the stern boiler OF the locomotive type Is IN the
how and the furnace is large for the burning Of wood
fuel which is the only kind obtainable the rivers
in West Africa. Another bit OF machinery essential
TO vessels navigating African rivers. to avoid illness
TO European officers and troops, Is freshwater
denser to supply drinking water. between the stern
and the wheel twin rudders which are moved sim
UNANIMOUSLY $500,
propery designed. are exceptional, as they may be
rned In a circle the radius OF which Is a trife more
than the boats length The armament OF this boat
for the purpose OF reminding the natives
Of Dahomey that they must not fall recognize that
the French Government will administer chastsement
and exercise corrective efforts that must not be for
volvtne cannon the main deck. and four 81 MILL
metre rapid Hiring guns on the flying deck. The latter
are we'll elevated being fourteen feet above that
level, thereby securing good range over the river
banks and will no doubt lnculcate new ideas among the
women that compose the Kings army VINO are formed
in regiments and armed 9Th mskes, short swords
and clubs.