The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-29
TIE sRIrIsn NArE.

what las Bees Bous purlar ths Past Yssr
sad what Il Proposed tor the Year 20 Co-r.
The explanatory abatement OF the First Lord
Of the Admiralty in submitting the estimates
for the fiscal year Of 1S94-e5 gives the latest
Official description Of the condition and pros.
poets Of the British navy.
The brief announcement has already been
made by cable that these estimates amount to
$50. $3.50. 600. which il an Increase Of Sl5. $780,
600 over last year. The text OF Lord Spencers
statement shows that this large increase is
due chiefly to shipbuildlnR. ornaments man
ming. vietuallinR. new works and the naval
reserves. The main interest centres around
the new programme Of construction; for dur
ing the coming financial year It is proposed to
commence seven battle ships OF the frat class,
six cruisers ofthe second class. and two sloops
Two Of the battle ships will be built by con-
tract, tive In the Portsmouth dockyard, two at
Chatham. and one at Pembroke On three OF
the last five marked progress will be made
during the year The general designs OF all
will be those OF the Majestic and the MsRnin-
cent The six cruisers will be OF the Talbot
type. built By contract. The two sloops. built
at Davenport will be specially adapted for the
China station. and will take the place Of gun
boats like the Swift and the Linnet.
But In order fully to understand what Eng
land lie doing in new construction It lie necessary
famous Naval Defence act. Of which the present
programme. to be com peted in I'VE years. 10 q
supplement. or the ten lrst-class battle ships
seven will be in commission, and the Royal
Oak. Repulse. and Revenge will be ready for
service next month. OF the forty-two cruisers
ordered ten will be In com mission. and only
nvs Of the Astr@a or second class. which are
far advanced, will remain unfinished. OF
torpedo gunboats OF the Halcyon class only
a. lzN- T. T.. 40
most OF the vessels not ret finished will be
available early In the coming financial year.
The Majestic and magnificent are being RAPIDLY
advanced. and great progress has been made
on the battle-ship Renown. The construction
OF the uneauslled cruisers Powerful and Ter
rible 10 being pushed forward rapidly by the
contractors Tho sister ships Talbot, Eclipse.
and Minerva aud the sloops Torch aud Alert
are on the list OF vessels begun during the
financial year. or forty-two torpedo boat
dsstroysrs. like the Havock and Hornet. six
will have been com Dleted By March 81. and the
remainder during the coming financial year.
They are under construction By well-known
| builders. Thus. apart from tho six mpleted
! torpedo boat destroyers and Of the vessels
finishing under the Naval Defence act, England
will have these vessels building:
In the yards-Eish nrstcass battle ships three
| second'eiass cruisers four sioops .,-.,,
nrs,ea, eIuser. ~. second class cruisers 'h'rtysix
torpedo boat destroyers
The repair. and reft OF tho Warspite. hgih-
completed. and that Of the Northumberland
lar advanced BY the end Of the year The
since. In spite OF her serious damages, II was
finished In four months at . cost OF $225,OOO.
The Devastation was reconstructed last year.
The Monarch will be rebuilt in the coming
year and the Sultan the year after. The repair
eS%pis'ei I'm IN 1851 s. and that u *. warrior.
| Conquest, and Carysfort advanced.
Eight battle ships. nine cruisers. eight tor.
pedo Gunboats. and the Havock and Hornet
type Of watsr-tube boilers has been adopted
for the Powerful and Terrible. Watsr.tnoe
s hs st sSp the British nasa
70 be fitted with them; The Hornet carries
YsIrow wate5,tubs boilers and her speed OK,
A point Of much interest in the First Lords
report is its announcement that England has
definitely adopted our American Harvey system
| OF surface hardening for her armor No men
SUPERB arbonlzing. The text OF the statement
IL worth quoting:
By aaa fds Tue saRir:i.y fSs been
R.s. assa sf4.y.S FOR r.;
alley q ~: Tor The pSfDo:: .: .rIOr plates has
II %. BEEN ss:.sl.n.d th., H.rvsy.d plate. without
ne. E:., any S',h'I,o .oiaia'd w6:a sc5.
ssxsn ,rasa The ean.eon.nc. Of ssau,Ipp ts,s
ne. system VIII be great saving in cost for rvsn
BY mean. Of th.;: , imProysm.n.. III. power Of Dc.
Of .r@o. hs. been very greatly iner.A,sd and hi.
| battle ships to b laid down in the future.
| During the year. 2aS naval guns have been
completed. varying from 1o4 to ~ inch in
calibre. most OF them being Of the 6-inch quick
firing type. OF which 16D are ready. and m ost
| Of them mounted. In the Centurion, new high
| anKle-nre mountings, worked by hand, have
| been satisfactory, but In her sister ship. tho
Barneur. electricity will be tried for facilitate
ing the working OF tho guns. The new l3-inch
| the new 4-inch rapid-lre gun has also been
| completed. Cordite 10 regularly adnpted. and
| for the quick fire guns UP to and including the
| 0-inch 10 no longer Experimental
As to new works. the necessity for protection
| from torpedo attacks and the need OF more
| dock accomm odation has caused the be-
| ginning OF works at Portsmouth and Portland
and the lengthenine OF the Admiralty mole at
| and elsewhere are mentioned
| The incrsaseof the personnel II striking
| feature OF the new plans. Last year the total
| force OF officers. men. and boys. including
| For next year an increase oil 900 10 proposed.
| OF which about ]. 800 10 automatic. arising as
| tho boys from the training ships, Of whom
| g. 100 are entered annually. are drafted into
| the service. Then. 400 seaman are TO be re-
| csived from the mercantile marine and other
| sources An increase also OF 2.45O stoksrs,
of $50 sngine-room Rrtitcers. and OF 900
The general Impression produced BY this
| document Is that tho Admiralty have profited
BY the outcry raised as to the danger OF letting
the British navy droD relatively back toward Its
rivals. and they have prepared very strong