The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-03

and private yards in England. OF this num-
Der 53 vessels of l21, 375 tons are building in
private yards for the British navy and % OF
7,O6O tons for foreign Governments
Schneiders works at LIE Creuzot are to build
three torpedo-boats for the French navy. The
boats are to have speed of "a knots and to
cost 1858. $50 each. The contract price OF
boats in this country of "a knot speed Is
$4,000, or 81 per cent higher than the
French boats
China has decided to keep pace with Japan's
navy and will order in the near future tour
more armored cruisers of about SoOo TONS.
| two last cruisers, or commerce destroyers, and
several torpedo-boat destroyers. The size OF
the larger vessels is limited by the absence OF
harbors and drydocks in China to accommo-
date anything larger than 10000 tons.
A triple-screw battle-ship of l2.O52 tons is
to be begun shortly at Brest. The engines Will
De OF l5, 800 horsepower under forced draught,
to give speed of 10 knots. The boilers Will
be adapted for the burning of either coal or
petroleum. The armament will consist OF
four 12-inch Canet guns, eight 613-inch, eight
4-1nch and sixteen six-pounders All OF the
guns except the four 12-inch will be quick
drers.
Japan is carrying out her naval programme
"AsAA NiSPotOh dilu OruSTS iOI Oho SAN PNSS-S'!
two battle-ships will be given to English ship
builders. The two ships will be 1880 tons
displacement, and are to carry four lZ-lnch
w1re-wound guns mounted at an elevation OF
twenty-five feet above water, enabling tnem
TO be fought in the heaviest seas. Inc otner
armament win include ten 6-inch and twenty
six-pounders. Each ship will cost nearly
S4,OOO,OOO, exclusive Of guns.
The turbine system of propulsion is likely to
receive trial on large scale warranted by
lis success in small pedo-boat Inc Iur-
blana built at Newcastle on-Tyne, developed
a little over 80 knots speed on her nrst TRIAL
about three months ago, but with certain I'M
provements has finally reached 329z knots.
The boat is only AZ tons Displacement and 100
feet in length and is at least three-quarters OF
a knot faster than any of the torpedo boat de-
stroyers which range from 220 to Zoo TONS
and have a length of $50 TO go feet
Olive green has been selected by the German
Admiralty as the most suitable color Tor war
vessels it renders ships least visible to
the enemy. This color was chosen by our
Navy Department couple OF years ago, but
having no war on hand, nor in prospect, our
ships are still painted white. which is more
conducive to the comfort on board ship than
any other color. During the Brazil rebellion
in 1894 the loyal ships were painted olive
green, which enabled the torpedo-boats to
approach the rebel flagship Aqufdaban within
400 yards Undecided and destroy her.
A Russian naval commission, appointed to
decide as to the most suitable fuel for large
ships ofwar and torpedoboats, has recon-
mended that in consequence of the cost of
liquid fuel, as compared with coal. the Baltic
fleet shall use coal, but that as an experiment
half of the boilers of the battle-ship Admiral
Aprixaus shall be adapted for liquid fuel. As
regards torpedo-boats these crafts are TO use
liquid fuel Owing to the difficulty OF estab-
fishing naphtha tanks at stations not under
Russia's control all large cruisers and ar
mored ships will have to continue to burn
coal