Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-02-21
CRUISERSIN FAVOR.
England and France Try to Imitats
Ours.

Washington, Feb 1S.-The British and
French have taken alarm at the splen-
did performance of the two new United
States triple-screw cruisers, the Column
bia and the Minneapolis.
For a long time this great departure
in naval engineering so successfully
practiced by Engineer-in-Chief Melville
was looked upon with suspicion by for
eign naval powers, and indeed there
were many critics in the United States
navy who predicted the failure of the
vessels, but now all opposition seems to
have disappeared and both Great Bri-
tain and France are about to build
vessels of this type and are even en-
deavoring to improve upon the origi-
mails. The British naval program for
this year includes the construction of
four improved Blenheims, the Blenheim
being sister ship to the armored cruis-
er Blake, which took part in the naval
review in 1893.
The French naval authorities are also
about to build two cruisers. The French
vessels are to have triple screws, to be
of displacement of from $500 to $500
tons, with $4,000 horse power which, il
is estimated, will give them a speed Of
twenty EIGHT knots, which is about the
maximum attained by the American
commerce destroyers The British ves-
sells will be smaller than the French
craft, about twenty-six feet shorter and
with 1000 less horse power, and the cal
culated speed is twenty-five knots.
The British newspapers, however, are
calling attention to the fact that this is
knot less speed than the American
vessels, urging that it be increased, as
the British craft can not afford to be
outfooted, even if the foreign vessels
are owned by power with which Great
Britain is never likely to be at war.
The naval board convened by Secre-
tary Herbert to consider the subject of
dispensing with wood in the construc-
ton of the naval ships now building,
and also for the purpose of finding some
suitable substitute for wood in places
where it is impracticable to use metal,
is making fair progress. -. .....
Since the naval action fought off the
mouth Of the Yalu river between the
Chinese and Japanese fleets, during
which several ships We're disabled and
thrown out Of action by serious fires
on board, the matter has received much
attention at home and abroad. The Ger
man admiralty has convened a board
to find some proper substitute for wood;
In the mean time the use of wood on
their ships has ceased altogether, even
the furniture being made of iron and
cork being used where a non-conductor
is absolutely necessary. The English
have not yet taken any definite action
but are casting about for some substi-
tute for wood. The French have for a
long time used minimum Of wood
and in all foreign ships less wood has
probably been used than in those of
our service.
The problem is not an easy one. While
there is little doubt that the abolition of
all combustible material will add to the
fighting efficiency of ships of war, it is
equally sure that if this were done they
would be uninhabitable. Owing to the
good conducting properties of iron and
steel, the living quarters, if not sheathed
with some non-conductor, would become
intensely cold in winter and very hot in
summer &.
Chemists and others are trying to
produce an artificial wood. Manufac-
turers of fire-proof paints and liquids
have given some very successful exhi-
billions of their wares. Surface protec-
ton of wood, however, is insufficient
and of no avail when the wood becomes
splintered by hail storm of small pro-
jectiles.