Evening star., 1895-06-15
SIEGFRIED, Germany.

Pinch. four 9-inch AMI eight 6-inch rifles;
the armored cruiser Rurk, of 10,964 tons
displacement aud 1S.5 knots speed with
four S-inch. sixteen 6-inch and six 4.72-inch
rifles. and the coast defense vessel Grozi-
astchi. of 1.492 tons displacement and Is
krots speed, with main battery of one
9-inch and one 6-inch rifle.
France makes poor display, considering
her great naval strength. Her fleet will
comprise the battle ship Hoche of 1860
tons displacement and 16 knots speed, with
main battery of two 13.4-inch, two 1916
inch and eighteen 551-inch rifles; the ar
'nored cruiser Dupuy de LONE, of $500 tons
displacement and 20 knots speed, and the
protected cruiser Surcouf of 1,SiS tons dis
placement and 20.5 knots speed. The bat
tie ship Hoche has the same displacement
as the Indiana of our navy, but has less
horse power. The Dupuy de LONE is triple
screw cruiser like the Columbia and the
Minneapolis of our navy, but does not ap-
proach them in speed or general efficiency
Rear Admiral Menard will command the
French forces.
Other Countries Represented.
Spain sends the battleship Pelayo, the
armored cruiser Infanta Maria Teresa of
6,S9o tons displacement and 1924 knots
speed, and the cruiser, Alfonso XII of 5000
tons displacement and 17.5 knots speed
The flagship Pelayo has two military masts,
Is 335 feet long, 66 feet broad, "A feet
draught, 9,902 tons displacement, 1900
horse power and 1857 knots speed. Her
main battery consists of two 12.6-incn,
two 11-inch, one 6.3-inch and twelve 4.72-
inch rifles. She has seven torpedo tubes
and carries a complement of o65 officers
and men.
Sweden's display will consist of three
vessels, as follows: The coast defense YES
sci Thule of 3135 tons displacement; the
coast defense vessel Gotta, of 3,100 tons dis
placement and speed of 16 knots, and the
gunboat Edna, of GAO tons displacement and
1875 knots speed. The two coast defense
vessels carry two 1O-inch and four 6-inch
rifles.
Denmark sends the two protected cruis-
ers Heckla and Geiser, both fine ships of
1900 tons displacement and II knots speed,
with Rear Admiral Brunn in command.
Roumania also sends two vessels, the
cruiser elisabeth of 1868 tons displace-
ment and 1S.5 knots speed, and the train
ing brig Mircea of 400 tons displacement
and So knots speed
Norway's navy Is comparatively small.
Her representatives will be the protected
cruiser Viking, Lib tons displacement and
10 knots speed, and the gunboat Sleipner,
of $50 tons displacement and Il knots speed.
Portugal and Turkey will each be repre-
sented by but one vessel. The flag of
Portugal will fly from the armored cruiser
Varco de Cana. of ., 422 tons displacement
and 1872 knots speed. This vessel carries
two 1O.24-inch and one 6-inch rifle. Tur-
keys representative which will be the
weakest armed warship present, is the
cruiser Heybet-Nouma, of 1900 tons dis
placement and IA knots speed
A recapitulation of the program shows
that aside from the eight or ten German
battle ships. there will be present at least
twelve vessels of that class, together with
three coast defense ships and two triple
screw cruisers, in addition to numerous
armored and protected cruisers, gunboats,
torpedo boats, dispatch vessels. etc.
Facts About the Canal.
The legislation for connecting the Baltic
with the North sea was enacted in 1885,
The first spadeful of earth inaugurating the
work was turned by Emperor William I at
Hottenau, near Kiel, on the Sd of June.
1887. The canal Is 9S.6 kilometers 61.27
miles) in length. 1t begins at Holtenau, on
the bay Of Kiel and terminates near
Elbe, thus running clear through the prov
ince of Schleswig-Holstein from northeast
to southwest. Both openings are provided
with huge locks. Near Rendsburg there is
third lock, connecting the canal with the
old Elder canal The medium water level
Of the canal will be about equal to the me-
dunn water level of Kiel harbor. At the
lowest tide the profile of the canal has, IN
a depth of GIT meters Go feet o inches) be-
low the surface of the water, a navigable
width of 36 meters Q1S.11 feeD, so as to
allow the largest Baltic steamers to pass
each other. For the navy. % meters G2.1S
feeD or canal bottom are provided, at least
5S meters Q9029 feeD of water surface, and
So meters CT feet inches) depth of water
The greatest depth for merchant vessels
was calculated at 6.5 meters (21 feet 3
inches). The estimated cost was $S7, ,12S, COO
Two-thirds of the cost is betrayed by Ger
many; the remaining one-third by Russia
The time saved by steamship sailing from
kiel to Hamburg via the canal, instead of
through the Skaugh Ghe strait between
Jutland and Sweden), Is estimated at two
and one-half days. The time of passage
through the canal, including stoppages and
delays, will be about thirteen hours In
time of peace the canal is to be open to
IGen-of-war. as well as merchant vessels of
every nation, but in time of war its use will
be restricted to vessels of the German navy
Many vessels have been wrecked and many
lives lost on the Danish and Swedish coast,
in waters which need not be navigated
after the canal is opened to traffic Its
strategic Importance to Germany will also
be great as 1t will place that country's two
naval ports, kiel on the Baltic and Will
helmshafen on the North sea, within easy
access Of each other.