The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-14
NEWS OF FOREIGN NAVIEs.

Two Spanish torpedo boat destroyers, Furor
and Terror. built at Glasgow completed their
trials November "a, and were TO leave at once
for Spain. Their mean speed on "a three hours
run was 2814 knots. The Furor during her
trial had the full load of seyenty-fvc tons
aboard. which is considerably more than the
load carried by the destroyers OF the British
and other Governments.
Late advices from the Orient state that the
Emperor of japan was to pay an official visit.
November 25. on board the armor-clad Chin
yen, captured from the Chinese during the
recent war, and great preparations were in
progress at the naval station at Yokosuka.
Tween ty-one warships and number OF torpedo
boats were to be in line for the occasion, a fleet
equal if not superior to any naval gathering
of United States war vessels.
The Corientes, one of four torpedo boat de-
stroyers built by Yarrow's for the Argentine
Republic, had successful trial November Is
under exceptionally severe conditions. The
boat on a mean draught of feet So inches dis
placed 240 tons and carried load of 80 tons,
including So persons, on board. She attained
mean speed Of 27.359 Knots during a three
hours run, during which the coal consump-
ton was little over ten tons.
The Russian armored cruiser Russia, built
al ST. Petersburg and launched some months
ago. got stuck in the mud in the Kronstadt
Roads, and all efforts to get her free have
failed. The latest scheme was to drive rows
of piles around the ship to protect her from
damage from the ice in the river. and now the
plan of building a concrete wall around her is
seriously considered. All further efforts of
getting the Russia afioat have, however. been
Abandoned until spring. The unlucky vessel
fen Of fnn nd <roc fnfA Aad "a
twenty knots. AS she now lies she represents
loss of So, 100000
Discussion of naval estimates in the French
Chambers has directed attention, as never
before, to the condition OF the French navy
Messrs. Lockroy and Clemenceau-the former
especially--have been very severe in their
criticisms, and even the Minister of Marine
has made unfavorable reports. NJ. de Kerjegu
declares that England is evidently intending
to possess feet equal if not exceeding, all of
Europe. He affirms that the French arsenals
are lady organized, and that the coaling
stations are too few to allow of extended
operations. He believes that the present
French feet is entirely inadequate, and that
the case is so urgent that France will only have
time to increase her warships by numbers
rather than by tonnage. His report concludes
with the significant remark that the aim of
every patriotic Minister of Marine ought to be
to push on to the possession of q fleet capable
of running the commercial supremacy of
England at given moment.
The Monarch, coast defense vessel built for
the Austrian navy and launched in May last
year. is approaching completion. She is one
of three similar ships of very pretty appear
ance and good design for the purpose in
tended. Their dimensions are BOG feet length;
extreme breadth, IS feet 8 inches; mean
draught, 90 feet 10 inches, on which they dis.
place 1854 tons. The speed under forced
draught with $500 horsepower is expected to
reach III knots. The armor protection con-
sists OF a belt seven feet in width extending
fve-sixths of the length of the ship, varying in
thickness from 1868 inches over the middle
body and tapering to 5 inches forward and 8
inches aft. Above the water-line belt is the
battery armor, 8. Is inches thick. She has two
barbette towers 9.8 inches thick The total
weight of armor is nearly 100 tons. The
armament consists of four 91a-inch and six
6-inch Krupp guns.