The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-15
The Worlds New War Ships.

The twelfth volume OF the series issued
by the ONCE OF Naval Intelligence shows
that all the world Is busy In building YES
sells for sea fighting or coast defence. Quite
as suggestive. indeed. as the efforts Of the
great maritime nations in this direction are
those Of countries not commonly reckoned
among naval powers. Corea, for example.
has bought and armed German steamer,
which she calls Chi Riong. or the Sky Dragon.
Costa Rica has secured a Yarrow gun
boat. Bulgaria has ordered two armored
gunboats in Italy. for defending the mouths
OF the Danube. Mexico is to have five first
class torpedo boats from England. Liberia
has acquired steel gunboat Of 15O tons, the
Gorronommah. carrying o 6-pounder and
8-pounder Nordenfeldt. and couple of
brass pieces for salutes. Hayti has had
built at Havre o pair Of small coast-guard
craft, the Alexandra Ption and the Capois
Ia Mort. Siam has her Maha Chakkri, a
steel cruiser. built at Leith. Of $500 tons
displacement. having good speed and car
rying four 47-inch guns in the main battery.
Advancing to maritime powers Of more
distinction. we find Portugal making the
noteworthy acquisition Of four fine cruis-
ers OF 81 knots and five torpedo boats.
Denmark has added the torpedo boat Nord-
kaperen to her little fleet. Chill is said to
have invited proposals from ARMSTRONG,
MITCHELL & Co. for a 6.Oo0-ton protected
cruiser Of the Yoshno type. Argentina,
whose beautiful Nueve de Julio. with its
22.74 knots. was the fastest flyer Of the Inter-
national fleet in American waters last
spring, has bought the 5Oo-ton torpedo
vessel Aurora. Her new armorclad, the
Libertad Of $500 tons. carries two 9.37-inch
Krupps and four 47-ineh Armstrong;. Bra
I'll has talked OF ordering in France a
great fleet Of four battle ships. six cruisers,
and six torpedo vessels.
Holland has had under consideration a
programme OF $lO.O0O.O00 for now ships.
These would include six armored cruisers Of
$500 tons. six 4.5O0-tOn torpedo vessels of "a
knots, fourteen gunboats OF 100 or 400
tons. and seventeen torpedo boats: but the
Budget Committee did not approve Of the
scheme to its full extent. During the past
year or SO coast-defence vessel and three
gun vessels have been launched. Sweden
has been talking OF building fifteen
armored ships. half dozen torpedo vessels,
and fifty torpedo boats; but this scheme.
too, has been adjourned. The coast defender
Thule, launched last April, is OF 8.l65 tons
andcarries two 1o-inch Armstrong; In an IL
inch steel turret. besides four Bafors 6-lnch
guns. Turkey is building the armored
cruiser. Abd-el-Kader. and tho gun vessels
Keshaf or Explorer. Safki-Shadi or Joyous,
Seyah or Traveller. Nasri-Hudra or Divine
Power. and Barikel-Zafer or lightning of
Victory. Eighteen other gun vessels are
to be laid down. il the money can be had.
at,I KtnI In EAn
been procured.
Turning to the Asiatic naval powers, we
find Japan building three 8.5OO-ton cruisers |
with steel obtained In England. Last year
there was launched at the Yokusuka yard |
the 19-knot protected cruiser Akitsushima.
But chiefly interesting Is the Elswick- |
built protected cruiser YoshinO, which |
Is one OF the great war vessels of the |
year. and should DO as famous as |
the Naniwa Kan was in her day. On a |
length OF $50 feet. a breadth Of 46Ls, and a |
mean draught Of II, with n displacement of |
Also tons she gets about $4,000 horse power
and great steamng radius In July, four
runs on a measured mile with and against
the tide. yielded the astonishing average
speed of 23.O3l knots. This is commerce
destroyer Of q remarkable type. and she is
armed with four 6-inch, eight
4.7-inch. and twenty-five 9-pounder Arm
strong rapid-fre guns and five torpedo
tubes. China has launched l,O40-ton pro-
tected cruiser OF IS knots. at the Foo Chow
arsenal.
Coming back to European powers. France
remains. as usual. the country to which
the naval experts largely turn for points
in construction. Her naval budget for
1898 provided for two armored cruisers,
which will have about 8.O87 tons dlsplace-
ment. and a sea speed OF 10 knots. with
two s.A-inch and twelve 6H-ineh guns In
the main battery; three protected cruIs-
ers OF $3.50 tons and 1871 knots; one OF ASH
tons and 20 knots; a torpedo vessel of "a
tons and 2lll knots; small gun vessel.