Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-05-05
soME OF n Bla,uss.
Tho British Fiasship Blake . world by
ItselG-Other vessels.

rae ssrislsn EIagship Blake . World By
Itsele-Other Vessels.
Vice Admiral J. o. Hopkins came
on the British flagship, the Blake.
This magnificent cruiser Is q high
class armored cruiser, Of double the,
size Of our largest now at the Roads,.
Her length is $40 feet, five feet less
than that Of our armored cruiser, the.
New York; her beam is 81 feet 10
inches, only two inches less than the.
New York, but her draught is 25 feet.
nine inches, or about two and one
half feet more than the New York,s.
Their speed will be about the same
20 knots an hour-though neither
ship has yet had an Official full power.
forced draft trial. In battery the
New York has some superiority, in
spite OF the fact that the Blake has.
two 9.2-inch guns, while the New
York has nothing larger than an
s-inch. But the New York can throw
1900 pounds Of metal at once, while
the Blake car throw only 1.76o,
pounds. When you go below decks
on the Blake you enter an entirely
different world than that on the up.
per deck. You then begin to under
stand how it is that a sailor could
cruise aboard her and not know his
captains name. 1t is like another
community. The sailors, marines.
engineers, laremen, gunners and all
the other men of many crafts who
make up the complex community.
live in little worlds of their own, SEN
arated from officers and from each
other, leading their own lives, doing
their W special work, caring noth-
ing for anybody else than their imme-
date companions and the lesser Off
GERS whose commands they obey.
The officials who run the Queens
ships are separated from the common
sailors and marines by such an enor-
nous social gap that the under dogs
might as well be living a thousand
miles away for all they know Of their
superiors. Quite in contrast is thes
cial atmosphere aboard the Russians.
where the officers and men mingle in
daily intercourse, even more than on
our ships, where, while differences in
rank are stoutly maintained, a man is
a man, though he be a mere appren-
ticc.
The first thing that strikes the eyes
of the unnautical visitor ON the Blake
is the timc-honored battle cry of the
British navy, painted in large let
tiers, Gear God and Honor the Queen"
The admiral in dignif1ed majesty
PAGES the after deck with staff officers
and officers of the ship around HimN.
He is a solemn man, this British adj
miral or vice-admiral, as his rank
really is; a we'll built, sun.browaed
man, with bright blue eyes under
shaggy, grizzled brows, and a coarse.
closely cropped beard, we'll streaked
with gray.
Next in size to the Blake is tie Aus
tralia. The Magicienne is next.
This latter vessel is rated as a third
class cruiser Of 1850 tons. She is
only slightly smaller than the Attain
ia, which carries a heavier battery
Tut has less speed. The Magicienne.
was a failure as far as her expected
speed of 1913 knots was concerned. but.
she can beat the Atlanta about two
knots. She carries six six-inch guns.
The leading French ship is the ma
jesttc and sullen Jean Bart. The
French ship poses. She is romantic.
She frewps upon her neighbors in a.
somewhat grandiloquent way. She.
seems to say. "Look out for me now.
for 1 am something of a devil when I
get my blood up" On the other hand
the English ships are transformations
to a degree. There is no bluff about,
them. They assume no airs. To be.
sure they are dignifeds even to stiff
ness, but they are simple with it.
They do not threaten. They are even
peaceful in their bearing. All the.
same there is something in their
substantial solidity which carries.
with it the assurance that these ships
can be terrible fellows when they
want to.
The Argentine cruiser, "Neuve de
julio is a formidable looking craft,
and has acrew Of 344 officers and men.
She mounts IL large guns and %
quick-firing guns. II the represen-
tattons Of her officers are correct she
would give u naval acquisition a.
stern chase, as it is claimed by them
that on this voyage she steamed at.
the rate of 23a knots per hour, and
hence is the fastest cruiser afloat.
The "Neuve de Julio" left the hands.
OF the builders April 2. She has twin
screws, triple expansion engines and
two tunnels and two masts. She has.
IA 500 horse power.