The sun., 1893-07-26
The Navy of China.

| The Navy of China.
The possibility that China may side with
| Slam in the latter country's dispute with
| France. has lent much interest to the ques-
tion Of her present naval capabilities Nine
| years ago she was beaten by France with
| great case. and one OF her most important
| squadrons was completely used up by Ad-
| miral GOURMET in tho engagement OF Min
] River. The French did not need to put
| out their full strength. but triumphed by
appliances which cost them very little loss
or exertion. They used their torpedo boats
to large extent for blowing up the Chinese
war ships. moved down their crews with
Hotchkiss revolving cannon. and captured
many Of the batteries along the river. de-
stroying the cannon with gun cotton. Some
forts they left intact, simply because they
would not expose their own men to heavy
musketry fire. There and at Sheipoo the
French caused n terrible slaughter with the
most businesslike and economical use Of
their own forces; and the utter inferiority
OF her own navy was most disheartening to
the Middle Kingdom.
But during the last nine or ten years
China has made q decided advance in her
navy. She had. indeed. already begun to
establish a strong naval force before the
war of 1884. OF course. there is no compari-
son between her fleet and the splendid one
Of France; but for defensive purposes. at
long distance from the base OF the latter
country, and with the aid afforded by shall
low or easily obstructed rivers. it is worth
considering. At all events it would be an
enormous addition to the weakness Of Siam.
Rrit @ nplv rI hnt, fn nioba
war vessels to China. Among the earliest
were number Of gunboats of 1850 tons
displacement, which were almost the foun-
dation Of her navy. More important were
two Elswick-built. double-bottomed, pro-
tected cruisers. the Chih-Yuan and Ching
Yuan, Of $500 tons. which had speed, very
high for their day. Of 1917 knots. produced
by triple expansion engines. and bunker
capacity OF 45O tons. The main battery OF
each consisted Of three slI-inch Krupps and
two 6-inch. protected by shields. and the
secondary battery was OF eight 6-pounder
rapid-fire Hotchkiss rifles and six Gatlings
They had each four torpedo tubes. their
coming towers had three inches Of armor,
and they were electrically equipped. Other
vessels built at Elswick, still later are the
Yang Woi and Tchao Yong, OF 1850 tons,
2.40O horse power. speed Of 1862 knots and
1863 knots. and batteries Of Armstrong rifles.
Stettin has also provided many modern
steel war vessels for China. The Vulcan
Building Company furnished two cruisers
OF about fifteen knots, carrying two 8-inch
and eight A. a-inch Armstrong guns. Much
more famous were the armorclads Ting
Yuen and Chen Yuen. built at the Stettin
Works. They were of 7.4OO tons displace-
ment. being heavier than our Maine and
Texas. and had speed OF fifteen knots
Besides steel protective decks. they had
water-line belts of 141s inches Of compound
armor. and the main battery OF each in
cluded four l2-inch Krupp guns. protected
by an armored brenstwork. and two smaller
krupps. while each also carried eleven
HOtchkiss cannon and tubes for torpedoes.
Another pair OF armored vessels built by
the Vulcan Works were the King Yuan and
the Lai Yuan. Like those just mentioned.
they are double e-bottomed steel vessels
carrying compound armor. having a maxi
mum thickness of 9la inches Mt the water
line. taperlng TO inches. They carry two
St4-lnch krupps, mounted en- bdrbette in the
bows. surrounded by an armored breast
work, besides 6-inch Krupps. together with
good secondary batteries and torpedo tubes.
The Isl Yuen. built at Stettin. is l5-knot.
3.2OO-ton cruiser. carrying two 81. inch and
three 6-lnch Krupp guns. with Hotchkiss
revolving cannon and Whitehead torpcdocs.
Still another order to the Stcttin Works
was for two large const-defence vessels
Moreover, China has also shipbulldng re-
sources OF her own. Her yard at Foochow |
Is indeed most noticeable proof of tho ad- |
vance OF the empire in modern naval sci
ence. 1t Is situated on the Min River, |
and was originally established by French |
officer In the service OF China. Docks, |
machine shops. and rolling mills have been |
added and it Is u busy scene OF construc- |
tion. At that point was built the armored |
coast-defence vessel Ping Yuen OF about |
$500 tons and 2.400 horse power. She is !
only about as fast as our Miantonomoh, but |
has a water-line belt Of eight inches and a
two-inch protective deck. She has 10I4-
inch krupp gun at the bows. in
u 5-inch breastwork two 6-inch guns
eight small rapld-fre guns, and
four torpedo tubes Later ships there con-
structed are the Kong Hi and Kong Bui, two
torpedo gunboats OF about /, 900 tons. The
kuang Keng, Kuang vi. Kuang Ping, and
NN""HS N'hh' soiilptlce at JIc EOOCHOW Ar
senal. have each u length of 236 feet. beam
OF 2its, II mean draught OF -, and displace-
ment of l,O3O tons They have l-inch COM
plete steel deck, Pinch coming tower,
carry three 4,72-inch Armstrong rapid-hre
guns. with II lighter pieces and have horl-
lontal compound engines OF 2.4OO indicated
horse power. One Of them made l6l. knots
on trial
Perhaps the similarity OF names may have
led to some duplication in this record OF
vessels. but at all events at recent date
Nhlna had six armored vessels and twenty
six unarmored, built or building, OF u dis
tinctlvely modern character. without reck-
lnng miscellaneous craft. She has suffered
= great loss in the withdrawal Of Admiral
LANG, II Captain in the British navy, who
lad organized and drilled the Chinese navy.
aud greatH improved it, But. as it is. she