Evening star., 1895-06-15


his majesty the en-
peror and king on board the yacht Hohen-
zollern. In the evening. ball at the Naval
Academy.
June 21st-At IL am, festivities at
Holtenau; at 2 pm, naval parade; at s
pm, banquet at Kiel.
June 22d-Naval maneuvers. Departure" :"
Such is the provisional program of the
festivities which will signalize the open
ing of the Northern Baltic ship canal next
week, as told in an official note from the
German ambassador at this capital to the
Secretary of State. 1t is a plain, unadorned
statement of what will undoubtedly be
one of the most memorable naval events of
the age. From commercial standpoint,
the establishment of this deep waterway
between the Baltic and the North sea Is
an event second only in importance to that
of the Suez canal.
All the leading nations of the world have
accepted Germany's invitation to join her
IN celebrating the occasion, with the result
will be marked by the greatest naval
pageant in the history of the world.
Nearly one hundred warships of all
classes. all of the latest design and type,
from the leviathan first-class battle ship
to the most diminutive torpedo boat will
take an active part in the ceremonies The
list OF vessels to be present embraces the
finest specimens of the navieS of the world
including the best ships in the British and
Italian nayies, having the heaviest armor
and armament atoat. This vast assem-
blage will form grand marine picture.
Russia and France.
Great Britain, Italy, Austria and the
United States will be particularly strong
In their representation, especially the first
two named countries, which will send their
finest ships in command of officers of the
highest rank. Russia and France show no
,tp1 frFA
VIII be outclassed even by the United States
In the number of marine representatives.
Gernanys program is not yet completed,
but her plan is to have all her available
SHIPS at kel on this occasion, numbering
at least forty of all classes, being more
than the combined fleets at the Columbian
naval review in this country in 1893, IN
Guiding the thirteen ships of our own navy.
Emperor William has taken personal
charge of the arrangements for the cele-
braton, and he will be In supreme COM
mand of all the navies assembled there.
He will have the assistance OF princes,
grand dukes and potentates of all kinds
and degrees. Each of the foreign squad
ronS Will be in command of the highest
ranking officers.
Austria follows Germany in the matter
OF rank. Her feet will be in command of
Admiral Grand Duke Ksrl Stefan, whose
exalted rank will probably secure him first
place in command of the foreign fleets,
Notwithstanding the much superior fleets
of Great Britain and Italy. The British
fleet will be in command of Vice Admiral
Lord Kerr and Rear Admiral Abingdon
Vice Admiral Accini and Rear Admiral
GrandVlIe viii be in comma nd of the Ital-
ian fleet Inasmuch as the Italian vice ad-
miral is the seLior in rank of the British
vice admiral, it is also possible that the
italian squadron may be given precedence
over the British. The other SQuadronS are
commanded by rear admirals.
Rear Admiral Kirkland, who will COM
mand the United States fleet, has held his
present grade, the highest known in our
navy, less than year. He is probably the
Junior rear admiral present, and that fact
may put the United States vessels near the
end of the naval procession. The entire
assemolage will be directly in command of
the German emperor and all the foreign
commanders will get their orders from the
royal yacht Hohenzollern. which will be
his flagship most of the time on this occa-
sion.
The total tonnage af1oat will probably
exceed that of the entire United States
navy during the civil war, and the men
on board the various ships will. equal, if
not exceed, the strength of the regular
army of the United States today.
This Country Fourth.
According to advices to date at the Navy
Department the relative strength of the
navies present will be in the following or
der: Germany, Great Britain, Italy. United
States, Austria, Russia, France, Spain,
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Roumania,
Portugal and Turkey.
Germany Will be represented by her entire
available navy, including about twenty of
her largest and best equipped vessels. No
list of her floating representatives has yet
been furnished 1t will comprise, however
all the vessels in commission not on duty
at distant foreign stations. They will he
in command of Admiral KnOrr, though his
majesty will be In supreme command as
lord high admiral. He will use the battle
ship BrandenbuTg and the royal yacht Hoh-
euzollsrn as his tiagships, alternately, as
occasion demands.
The Brandenburg which is one of the
finest warships in the world, Is 3J4 feet
long, "a feet beam, 2i.T feet draught, 9,Sl2
tons displacement, 9,640 horse power and
l6.5 Knots speed. She is very heavily ar
mored and carries a powerful battery, in
Guiding six 2S-c.m., six 1U1a-c.m. and eight
Stem. Other German battle ships of the
same type and strength expected 10 be
present are the kurfurst Friedrich Will
helm, Welssemburg and Worth. There will
be several second-clasS battle ships scarcely
less powerful than those named including
the Kaiser. Deutschland. Baden and Wurt-
tembcrg, and also the third-class battle ship
Friedrich der Crosse, together with many
cruisers, gunboats and torpedo boats.
The coast-defense ship class will be repre-
seuted by the Siegfred, a powerful steel
ship of $500 tons displacement, 4,SOo horse
power ana Is knots speed. She Is 24O feet
long, 1913 feet beam and 17.9 feet draugnt
Her protection consists of a complete belt
of Steel 1 feet inches in depth and O. 4
inches thick; of two covered barbettes of
S-inch Steel and of a 1.37-inch steel deck
and OF steel shields for the secondary guns.
Her battery consists of two 94-inch Krupp
guns in the forward barbette and one simi-
lar gun in the aft barbette. There are
eight vessels of this class in the German
navy. They are destined for the protection
of the new canal.
Great Britnin's Display.
Next to Germany, Great Britain will make
the finest display, and her ships will prob